When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Nautica LC 20 2011 and the Nautica RIB 17 & 18 Express 2011 are inflatable rigid 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 — 230 hp for the Nautica LC 20 2011 and 230 hp for the Nautica RIB 17 & 18 Express 2011. 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 48 gal and 48 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Nautica RIB 17 & 18 Express 2011 is rated for 11 passengers, while the Nautica LC 20 2011 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Nautica RIB 17 & 18 Express 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Nautica RIB 17 & 18 Express 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 11 passengers and at 17,4 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Nautica LC 20 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.