When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Glacier Bay 2270 Cuddy 2010 and the Glacier Bay 2780 Hardtop 2013 are catamaran 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 280 hp, the Glacier Bay 2270 Cuddy 2010 has a 278-hp advantage over the Glacier Bay 2780 Hardtop 2013's 2-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 12 gal and 9 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Glacier Bay 2780 Hardtop 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Glacier Bay 2270 Cuddy 2010 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Glacier Bay 2780 Hardtop 2013 could be the deciding factor.