New to me boat decisions

[fandarr]

Hey guys, so I have been thinking about selling my '85 21b and getting something a little bigger. I cant decide between a 23ft or 25ft. I know most say bigger is better and it usually is, but my kids are little, 5 and 3 respectively and are no help to me on the water. I like the layouts of the bow of the 231s and 232 much better than the 21, more room for little kids to roam. My only hang up with a 25ft is loading and unloading on a trailer, I am almost always by myself and am concerned it will be a pain in the ass. To complicate things I am loyal to the 21 it's been a great boat to me for a long time, and other than wanting more room for kids it handles everything I ask it to do. Am I splitting hairs here or are my concerns of something in the 25ft realm being cumbersome to manage by myself unwarrented. As you all can see I am pretty torn on the matter.

Dan

[BallBuster]

A couple feet bigger should not cause noticeably more burden for you. But perhaps you could rent or crew on someone else's boat to see for yourself. If you plan each task, and think it through beforehand, you should not encounter difficulty.

[thejeepguy87]

I splash and recovery my 254 by myself quite a bit. It is really not that bad. The 21 really only weighs 700 pounds less. You would just have to put the kids in the car first or let them ride the boat up.

[Noname Dave]

There won't be much difference trailing between a 23 and 25.

You also have to consider that a lot of 25's are powered with twin engines.

If I was looking for a 25 I would look for one with a single engine. I think that is an excellent package. Just my preference.

[letsfish231]

Fandarr,

I've got a 231, a 2.5 year old and 1 year old. They were my decisions for moving up from the bay boat. I've launched the 231 and recovered it multiple times by myself. The key is, pull up to the dock and tie off, take kids to truck and put in seats, then you're free to back down the ramp and load the boat without having to worry about the kids.

[jsherlax36]

I own both a 21 and a 23 - one is in Florida and one is in Cape Cod.

I can tell you hands down the 23' operates like a much bigger boat and is still easy to load and unload - I don't find any difference trailering the 21 or 23. I still love my 21 and it stays in Florida as the waters are less turbulent when compared to Cape waters.

The 23 handles the water better, has higher freeboard and more bow area. You will not go wrong with the 23!!!!!!!!!