When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 and the Eastern 248 Center Console 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 — Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 at 21,8 ft versus Eastern 248 Center Console 2011 at 24,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 tips the scales at 2 295 lbs — 310 lbs more than the Eastern 248 Center Console 2011 at 1 985 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 — 115 hp for the Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 and 115 hp for the Eastern 248 Center Console 2011. 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 carries 64 gallons versus 9 gallons in the Eastern 248 Center Console 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 Eastern 248 Center Console 2011 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Eastern 22 Center Console 2012 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Eastern 248 Center Console 2011 could be the deciding factor.