When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 and the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 at 16,9 ft versus Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011 at 16,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011 tips the scales at 849 lbs — 754 lbs less than the Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 at 95 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 — 115 hp for the Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 and 115 hp for the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 carries 48 gallons versus 5 gallons in the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 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 Widebody 2011 could be the deciding factor.
At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 2011 comes in at 1 lbs per hp versus 7 lbs per hp for the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.
Bottom line: Choose the Nautica RIB 17 Widebody 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 12 passengers and at 16,3 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Nautica RIB 17 Catamaran 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.