When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Reinell 205 LS 2009 and the Reinell 230 LSE 2011 are modified vee 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 — Reinell 205 LS 2009 at 20,4 ft versus Reinell 230 LSE 2011 at 22,5 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Reinell 230 LSE 2011 tips the scales at 348 lbs — 322 lbs less than the Reinell 205 LS 2009 at 26 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 — 320 hp for the Reinell 205 LS 2009 and 320 hp for the Reinell 230 LSE 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 Reinell 230 LSE 2011 carries 64 gallons versus 31 gallons in the Reinell 205 LS 2009. 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 Reinell 205 LS 2009 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Reinell 230 LSE 2011 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Reinell 205 LS 2009 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Reinell 205 LS 2009 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 20,4 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Reinell 230 LSE 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.