When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011 and the Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 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 Wave 160 V-Bay 2011 at 16,0 ft versus Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 at 18,6 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 tips the scales at 1 175 lbs — 380 lbs less than the Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011 at 795 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 115 hp, the Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 has a 40-hp advantage over the Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011's 75-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 Wave 1900 VLC 2011 carries 37 gallons versus 18 gallons in the Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011. 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 Wave 1900 VLC 2011 is rated for 5 passengers, while the Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011 caps at 4. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Blue Wave 1900 VLC 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 5 passengers and at 18,6 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Blue Wave 160 V-Bay 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 4 that costs less to run day-to-day.