When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 and the Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 are pontoon designs with aluminum 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 — Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 at 23,5 ft versus Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 at 22,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 tips the scales at 2 543 lbs — 2 519 lbs less than the Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 at 24 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.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 140 hp for the Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 and 135 hp for the Crest Family Fish R 22 2008. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 is rated for 14 passengers, while the Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Crest Family Fish R 22 2008 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 14 passengers and at 22,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Crest Crest II Fish 230FC 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 7 that costs less to run day-to-day.