When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Chris-Craft Catalina 23 2012 and the Chris-Craft Lancer 20 2009 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Chris-Craft Catalina 23 2012 measures 23,5 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 5,5 additional feet of deck space compared to the Chris-Craft Lancer 20 2009 at 18,0 feet (2009). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Chris-Craft Catalina 23 2012 tips the scales at 4 484 lbs — 1 571 lbs more than the Chris-Craft Lancer 20 2009 at 2 913 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.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Chris-Craft Catalina 23 2012 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Chris-Craft Lancer 20 2009 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Chris-Craft Catalina 23 2012 could be the deciding factor.