When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Eastern 248 Islander 2012 and the Eastern 35 2008 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?

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Eastern 35 2008 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Eastern 248 Islander 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Eastern 35 2008 could be the deciding factor.