Both the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 and the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 2012 are deep-V designs, both built in fibreglass, so 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 - Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 at 24,6 ft versus Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 2012 at 26,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 2012 tips the scales at 5 168 lbs - 398 lbs less than the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 at 4 770 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 - 300 hp for the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012 and 300 hp for the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 2012 carries 65 gallons versus 50 gallons in the Sea Ray 235 Weekender 2012. 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 Sea Ray 260 Sundeck 2012 is rated for 12 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 260 Sundeck 2012 could be the deciding factor.