When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Silver Dolphin FTI Angler 16 2011 and the Silver Dolphin Open 2011 are deep vee 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 — Silver Dolphin FTI Angler 16 2011 at 16,0 ft versus Silver Dolphin Open 2011 at 17,0 ft. At 5 lbs and 96 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Silver Dolphin Open 2011 is rated for 5 passengers, while the Silver Dolphin FTI Angler 16 2011 caps at 4. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Silver Dolphin Open 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Silver Dolphin Open 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 5 passengers and at 17,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Silver Dolphin FTI Angler 16 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 4 that costs less to run day-to-day.