When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 and the Sylvan Explorer 1700 DC 2010 are modified 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 — Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 at 18,1 ft versus Sylvan Explorer 1700 DC 2010 at 17,0 ft. At 14 lbs and 11 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.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 150 hp for the Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 and 135 hp for the Sylvan Explorer 1700 DC 2010. 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 — 31 gal and 31 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Sylvan Explorer 1700 DC 2010 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Sylvan Expedition Sport 1800 DC 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 7 passengers and at 18,1 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Sylvan Explorer 1700 DC 2010 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.