When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Nautica RIB 14 Deluxe 2011 and the Nautica RIB RR40 Rescue Boat 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 — 60 hp for the Nautica RIB 14 Deluxe 2011 and 40 hp for the Nautica RIB RR40 Rescue Boat 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.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Nautica RIB 14 Deluxe 2011 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Nautica RIB RR40 Rescue Boat 2011 caps at 4. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Nautica RIB 14 Deluxe 2011 could be the deciding factor.