When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 and the Starcraft Marine STX 2050 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 — Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 at 21,5 ft versus Starcraft Marine STX 2050 2011 at 20,2 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Starcraft Marine STX 2050 2011 tips the scales at 1 535 lbs — 1 251 lbs less than the Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 at 284 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 — 250 hp for the Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 and 250 hp for the Starcraft Marine STX 2050 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 Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 carries 75 gallons versus 52 gallons in the Starcraft Marine STX 2050 2011. 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 Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Starcraft Marine STX 2050 2011 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Starcraft Marine Coastal 229 OB 2013 could be the deciding factor.