When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Palm Beach Pontoons 240 Clearwater E-Class SE Tri-Toon 2011 and the Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 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 — Palm Beach Pontoons 240 Clearwater E-Class SE Tri-Toon 2011 at 24,0 ft versus Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 2013 at 26,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Palm Beach Pontoons 240 Clearwater E-Class SE Tri-Toon 2011 tips the scales at 2 906 lbs — 2 674 lbs more than the Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 2013 at 232 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.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 200 hp, the Palm Beach Pontoons 240 Clearwater E-Class SE Tri-Toon 2011 has a 25-hp advantage over the Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 2013's 175-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 2013 is rated for 16 passengers, while the Palm Beach Pontoons 240 Clearwater E-Class SE Tri-Toon 2011 caps at 13. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Palm Beach Pontoons Echelon 260 CL 2013 could be the deciding factor.

Both are 3-tube and 2-tube pontoon designs respectively. Tube diameter and gauge affect stability and load capacity — more so than most buyers realize when comparing on paper.