When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2009 and the Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 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 247 Islander 2009 at 24,0 ft versus Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 at 26,0 ft. At 43 lbs and 48 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 power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 600 hp, the Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 has a 175-hp advantage over the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2009's 425-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 carries 101 gallons versus 8 gallons in the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2009. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Baja Marine 247 Islander 2009 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 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 2009 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Baja Marine 247 Islander 2009 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 24,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Baja Marine 26 Outlaw 2008 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 6 that costs less to run day-to-day.