When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Manitou Pontoons 23 Legacy VP 2013 and the Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 are pontoon designs with aluminum 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 — Manitou Pontoons 23 Legacy VP 2013 at 24,3 ft versus Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 at 26,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 tips the scales at 314 lbs — 285 lbs less than the Manitou Pontoons 23 Legacy VP 2013 at 29 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 — 150 hp for the Manitou Pontoons 23 Legacy VP 2013 and 150 hp for the Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013. 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.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 is rated for 15 passengers, while the Manitou Pontoons 23 Legacy VP 2013 caps at 11. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 could be the deciding factor.

One place where both boats are genuinely identical is tube construction: both run 3 aluminum tubes at 2" diameter. That shared spec means stability and buoyancy characteristics are closely matched — the ride difference you'll feel between them comes primarily from deck length, weight distribution, and motor choice.