When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Baja Marine 23 Outlaw 2009 and the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 are deep vee designs with fiberglass 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 — Baja Marine 23 Outlaw 2009 at 23,0 ft versus Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 at 24,4 ft. At 42 lbs and 43 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.
The Baja Marine 23 Outlaw 2009 carries a rated maximum of 425 hp. Engine data for the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 wasn't available in our records — check the manufacturer's spec sheet before sizing a motor.Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 8 gal and 8 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Baja Marine 23 Outlaw 2009 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 24,4 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Baja Marine 23 Outlaw 2009 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 6 that costs less to run day-to-day.