When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Alumacraft Dominator 165 CS 2012 and the Alumacraft Navigator 165 CS 2013 are deep vee designs with aluminum construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Alumacraft Dominator 165 CS 2012 at 16,7 ft versus Alumacraft Navigator 165 CS 2013 at 16,7 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Alumacraft Navigator 165 CS 2013 tips the scales at 965 lbs — 840 lbs less than the Alumacraft Dominator 165 CS 2012 at 125 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 90 hp for the Alumacraft Dominator 165 CS 2012 and 90 hp for the Alumacraft Navigator 165 CS 2013. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 19 gal and 17 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

Both boats are rated for 6 passengers — a good fit for a family of four or five plus guests. Comfort at capacity is another matter; the longer hull typically means more seat options and better weight distribution.

At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Alumacraft Dominator 165 CS 2012 comes in at 1 lbs per hp versus 11 lbs per hp for the Alumacraft Navigator 165 CS 2013. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.