Detailed Evaluation & Buyer Recommendation
Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 vs Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 — Same Brand, Different Boat
Matching a modified vee Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 against a deep vee Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 means you're likely deciding between two genuinely different on-water experiences. Hull type shapes everything from ride quality and fuel burn to dock handling and resale trajectory.
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 at 23,0 ft versus Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 at 24,6 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 tips the scales at 4 244 lbs — 3 767 lbs more than the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 at 477 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 Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 and 300 hp for the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012. 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 — 5 gal and 5 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Sea Ray 230 Select 2009 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 10 passengers and at 23,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 7 that costs less to run day-to-day.
General Boat Info
Model230 Select
Model235 Weekender
Model Year2009
Model Year2012
Measurements / Dimensions
Beam8 ft. 6 in. (2.59 m)
Beam8 ft. 5 in. (2.55 m)
Beam - Meters2.59
Beam - Meters2.57
Beam - Inches102
Beam - Inches101
Deadrise21℃
Deadrise19℃
Draft [drive up] - Detail23 in. (58.42 cm)
Draft [drive up] - Detail20 in. (50 cm)
Draft [drive up] meters0.58
Draft [drive up] meters0.51
Draft [drive up] inches23
Draft [drive up] inches2
Draft [max] - Detail38 in. (96.52 cm)
Draft [max] - Detail37 in. (95 cm)
Draft [max] - Meters0.97
Draft [max] - Meters0.94
Draft [max] - Inches38
Draft [max] - Inches37
Weight - Detail4,244 lbs. (1,925 kg)
Weight - Detail4,770 lbs. (2,164 kg)
Weight - kg1925.04
Weight - kg2163.63
Weight - lbs.4244
Weight - lbs.477
Length - Feet23
Length - Feet24.58
Length [over all with swim platform]23 ft. 0 in. (7 m)
Length [over all with swim platform]not available
Length [at waterline]not available
Length [at waterline]22 ft. 6 in. (6.86 m)
Length overall - Detailnot available
Length overall - Detail24 ft. 7 in. (7.49 m)
Length overall - Metersnot available
Length overall - Meters7.49
Length overall - Inchesnot available
Length overall - Inches295
Body / Hull
Hull materialFiberglass
Hull materialFiberglass
Hull typeModified Vee
Hull typeDeep Vee
Engine and Drivetrain
Engine makeMerCruiser®
Engine makeMerCruiser®
Engine/s standard5.0L MPI Bravo III
Engine/s standard4.3L MPI ECT Alpha® 1 stern drive
Fuel tank capacity - Detail50 gal. (189.3 l)
Fuel tank capacity - Detail50 gal. (190 l)
Fuel tank capacity - Liters189.27
Fuel tank capacity - Liters189.27
Fuel tank capacity - Gal5
Fuel tank capacity - Gal5
Fuel typeGas
Fuel typeGas or Diesel
Drive typeI/O
Drive typeI/O
Horsepower260 hp (194 kW)
Horsepower220 hp (164 kW)
Engine max320 hp (239 kW)
Engine max300 hp (224 kW)
Operational Info
Maximum capacity1,600 lbs. (726 kg)
Maximum capacitynot available
Maximum people10 @ 1,400 lbs. (635 kg)
Maximum peoplenot available
Trailer Info
Trailer - DetailTandem-axle, painted
Trailer - Detailnot available