When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Blue Water Escape 2009 and the Blue Water Sportsman 2010 are modified 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 — Blue Water Escape 2009 at 21,0 ft versus Blue Water Sportsman 2010 at 18,4 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Blue Water Sportsman 2010 tips the scales at 235 lbs — 201 lbs less than the Blue Water Escape 2009 at 34 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.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 320 hp, the Blue Water Escape 2009 has a 95-hp advantage over the Blue Water Sportsman 2010's 225-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Blue Water Sportsman 2010 carries 25 gallons versus 4 gallons in the Blue Water Escape 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 Blue Water Sportsman 2010 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Blue Water Escape 2009 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Blue Water Sportsman 2010 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Blue Water Sportsman 2010 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 7 passengers and at 18,4 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Blue Water Escape 2009 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.