When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Key West 1720 CC 2012 and the Key West 197 SK 2009 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?

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 120 hp for the Key West 1720 CC 2012 and 115 hp for the Key West 197 SK 2009. 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 Key West 1720 CC 2012 carries 31 gallons versus 19 gallons in the Key West 197 SK 2009. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

The Key West 1720 CC 2012 is rated for up to 5 people. Passenger data for the Key West 197 SK 2009 wasn't available.