Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 vs Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 - Boat Spec Comparison

Q: Which is easier to trailer — the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 or the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006?

For trailering, the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 has the edge at 53 lbs dry weight versus 101 lbs for the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

Q: How many people can each boat hold?

The Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 is Coast Guard rated for 9 passengers, while the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 is certified for 12. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Q: Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 measures 114" wide, compared to 1" for the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Q: Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 or the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006?

The Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 has the bigger tank at 23 gallons, versus 2 gallons on the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004. That 21-gallon difference translates to roughly 63–105 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Q: Are the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 and Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 and the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 are built by Baja Marine. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

Boat Comparison

Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 vs Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006

Baja Marine

Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004

2004

View full specs →

Baja Marine

Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006

2006

View full specs →

Detailed Evaluation & Buyer Recommendation

Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 vs Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 — Same Brand, Different Boat

The Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 vs Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 comparison sits squarely in the category of decisions where specs alone won't tell the whole story — intended use, storage, and long-term ownership costs all factor in.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 could be the deciding factor.

Bottom line: Choose the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 12 passengers and at 39,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 9 that costs less to run day-to-day.

General Boat Info

MakeBaja Marine

Model280 Sportfish

Model405 Performance

Model Year2004

Model Year2006

Measurements / Dimensions

Beam8 ft. 4 in

Beam9 ft. 6 in. (2.89 m)

Beam - Meters2.54

Beam - Meters2.9

Beam - Inches1

Beam - Inches114

Deadrise24℃

Weight - Detail5,300 lbs

Weight - Detail10,100 lbs. (4,581 kg) - Twin

Weight - kg2404.04

Weight - kg4581.28

Weight - lbs.53

Weight - lbs.101

Length overall - Detail28 ft

Length overall - Detail39 ft. 6 in. (12.04 m)

Length overall - Meters8.53

Length overall - Meters12.04

Length overall - Inches336

Length overall - Inches474

Draft [max] - Detailnot available

Draft [max] - Detail40 in. (101.60 cm) - Twin

Draft [max] - Metersnot available

Draft [max] - Meters1.02

Draft [max] - Inchesnot available

Draft [max] - Inches4

Length - Metersnot available

Length - Meters12.04

Length - Feetnot available

Length - Feet39

Length - Inchesnot available

Length - Inches6

Length [over all with swim platform]not available

Length [over all with swim platform]42 ft. 0 in. (12.80 m)

Engine and Drivetrain

Fuel tank capacity - Detail200 gal

Fuel tank capacity - Detail230 gal. (870.6 l)

Fuel tank capacity - Liters757.08

Fuel tank capacity - Liters870.64

Fuel tank capacity - Gal2

Fuel tank capacity - Gal23

Engine/s standardnot available

Engine/s standardMerCruiser 496 Magnum/375 hp (Twin)

Drive typenot available

Drive typeI/O

Operational Info

Maximum people9 Passenger

Maximum peoplenot available

Sleeping capacitynot available

Sleeping capacity4

Maximum capacitynot available

Maximum capacity9

Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 vs Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 — Common Questions

Which is easier to trailer — the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 or the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006?

For trailering, the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 has the edge at 53 lbs dry weight versus 101 lbs for the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

How many people can each boat hold?

The Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 is Coast Guard rated for 9 passengers, while the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 is certified for 12. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 measures 114" wide, compared to 1" for the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 or the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006?

The Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 has the bigger tank at 23 gallons, versus 2 gallons on the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004. That 21-gallon difference translates to roughly 63–105 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Are the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 and Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 and the Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 are built by Baja Marine. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

← Baja Marine 280 Sportfish 2004 full specs ← Baja Marine 405 Performance 2006 full specs