When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 Sport Fish Regency Edition 2009 and the Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 2011 are pontoon 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 — Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 Sport Fish Regency Edition 2009 at 24,0 ft versus Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 2011 at 26,1 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 2011 tips the scales at 191 lbs — 159 lbs less than the Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 Sport Fish Regency Edition 2009 at 32 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 — 135 hp for the Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 Sport Fish Regency Edition 2009 and 115 hp for the Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 45 gal and 42 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

Both boats are rated for 12 passengers — a good fit for a family of four or five plus guests. Comfort at capacity is another matter; the longer hull typically means more seat options and better weight distribution.