When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Seaway Boats 21 Sportsman 2011 and the Seaway Boats 27 Seafarer 2012 are deep 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 220 hp, the Seaway Boats 27 Seafarer 2012 has a 80-hp advantage over the Seaway Boats 21 Sportsman 2011's 140-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 Seaway Boats 27 Seafarer 2012 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Seaway Boats 21 Sportsman 2011 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Seaway Boats 27 Seafarer 2012 could be the deciding factor.