When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Manitou Pontoons 24 Encore Series 2011 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 24 Encore Series 2011 at 24,9 ft versus Manitou Pontoons 26 Encore VP 2013 at 26,8 ft. At 226 lbs and 314 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 130 hp for the Manitou Pontoons 24 Encore Series 2011 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 24 Encore Series 2011 caps at 14. 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.

Both are 3-tube and 3-tube pontoon designs respectively. Tube diameter and gauge affect stability and load capacity — more so than most buyers realize when comparing on paper.