Both the Duckworth Offshore 24 2012 and the Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 are deep-V designs, both built in aluminium, so 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 - Duckworth Offshore 24 2012 at 26,0 ft versus Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 at 28,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 tips the scales at 4 700 lbs - 300 lbs less than the Duckworth Offshore 24 2012 at 4 400 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 500 hp, the Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 has a 50-hp advantage over the Duckworth Offshore 24 2012's 450-hp ceiling - enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads - 175 gal and 175 gal - so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Duckworth Offshore 24 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Duckworth Offshore 26 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water - it handles 8 passengers and at 28,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Duckworth Offshore 24 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.