The best deck boat is the one sized for your crew and budget. For the lowest starting price, shortlist the Bayliner Element E16 and E18. For a 9- to 11-person all-rounder, look at the Starcraft SV 181 OB, Stingray 19SC, Hurricane SunDeck Sport 185 OB and Bayliner D20. For 12 people, compare the Stingray 22SC and Bayliner D22.
Specifications and starting prices below were read from each builder's website on 12 October 2026.
| Model | Length | Max power | Persons |
|---|
| Bayliner Element E16 | 16 ft 2 in | 75 hp | 6 |
| Bayliner M17 | 17 ft 0 in | 90 hp | 7 |
| Bayliner Element E18 | 18 ft 2 in | 115 hp | 9 |
| Hurricane SunDeck Sport 185 OB | 18 ft 10 in | 115 hp | 9 |
| Starcraft SV 181 OB | 18 ft 11 in | 150 hp | 11 |
| Stingray 19SC | 19 ft 1 in | 115 hp | 9 |
| Bayliner D20 | 19 ft 6 in | 150 hp | 10 |
| Stingray 20SC | 20 ft 1 in | 200 hp | 10 |
| Bayliner D22 | 21 ft 6 in | 200 hp | 12 |
| Stingray 22SC | 21 ft 11 in | 200 hp | 12 |
| Hurricane SunDeck 2600 OB | 26 ft 5 in | 400 hp | Yacht certified |
Length is length overall. Max power is the highest engine rating listed by the builder, not the engine fitted as standard. Starting prices for each model are in the sections below.
See deck boats and other boats for sale on Searchshop.
The picks here come from published data, not sea trials. Each boat is a current outboard deck boat shown on its builder's website, and each was compared on what a shopper can check before visiting a dealer: length, beam, maximum horsepower, rated persons capacity and the advertised starting price.
Builders quote starting prices in different ways. Hurricane and Stingray label theirs MSRP, Bayliner labels its prices NAP rather than MSRP, and Starcraft shows a "starting at" price without saying what it includes. Hurricane, for example, states that its MSRP excludes destination and handling fees, tax, title, license and registration. Treat every starting price here as a guide and ask each dealer for a written out-the-door price.
Stingray labels its current model downloads 2027. Bayliner, Hurricane and Starcraft do not state a model year in the text of the pages read, so confirm the year of any boat you are quoted.
Bayliner's smallest deck boats have the lowest advertised starting prices in this guide, from $27,024 for the Element E16.
- Bayliner Element E16: 16 ft 2 in long with a 7 ft 6 in beam, rated for 6 persons and up to 75 hp, from $27,024. Bayliner lists a 75 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard and a single-axle trailer among its standard features.
- Bayliner M17: 17 ft 0 in long with a 7 ft 6 in beam, rated for 7 persons and up to 90 hp, from $31,433. The standard engine is a 60 hp Mercury FourStroke, with a 90 hp Mercury listed as an option, and a single-axle trailer is standard.
- Bayliner Element E18: 18 ft 2 in long with a 7 ft 5 in beam, rated for 9 persons and up to 115 hp, from $30,872. Bayliner lists a 115 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard and a single-axle trailer among its standard features.
The E18 carries three more people than the E16 for $3,848 more. Starcraft's SV 161 OB is another small option at 16 ft 10 in, rated for 6 persons and up to 90 hp, from $31,560.
The four boats in this group sit between the entry models and the 22-foot family boats, with rated capacities of 9 to 11 persons.
- Starcraft SV 181 OB: 18 ft 11 in long with a 95-inch beam, rated for 11 persons and up to 150 hp, from $38,441. It has the highest persons rating of the boats under 20 feet in this guide.
- Stingray 19SC: 19 ft 1 in long with a 90-inch beam, rated for 9 people and up to 115 hp, with a 21-gallon fuel tank. Stingray lists its MSRP at $39,453.
- Hurricane SunDeck Sport 185 OB: 18 ft 10 in long with a 7 ft 3 in beam, rated for 9 passengers and up to 115 hp, with a 24-gallon fuel tank. Hurricane's SunDeck Sport series starts at $38,616 MSRP.
- Bayliner D20: 19 ft 6 in long with an 8 ft 1 in beam, rated for 10 persons and up to 150 hp, with a 33-gallon fuel tank, from $38,438. The standard engine is a 115 hp Mercury FourStroke.
The Starcraft and the Bayliner D20 allow up to 150 hp, against 115 hp for the Stingray and the Hurricane. A higher rating allows a bigger engine, so check which engine the dealer's boat actually has.
The Stingray 20SC, Bayliner D22 and Stingray 22SC are the step up for larger families, with ratings of 10 to 12 people and up to 200 hp.
- Stingray 20SC: 20 ft 1 in long with a 100-inch beam, rated for 10 people and up to 200 hp, with a 40-gallon fuel tank. Stingray lists its MSRP at $53,618.
- Bayliner D22: 21 ft 6 in long with an 8 ft 6 in beam, rated for 12 persons and up to 200 hp, with a 55-gallon fuel tank, from $50,563. The standard engine is a 150 hp Mercury outboard.
- Stingray 22SC: 21 ft 11 in long with a 102-inch beam, rated for 12 people and up to 200 hp, with a 50-gallon fuel tank. Stingray lists its MSRP at $65,180.
The Bayliner D22 and the Stingray 22SC carry the same 12-person rating. Remember that the two brands quote prices differently, so compare dealer quotes for the same engine and options rather than the headline figures.
The Hurricane SunDeck 2600 OB is the largest boat in this guide and is aimed at buyers who want a yacht-certified deck boat. Hurricane lists it at 26 ft 5 in long with an 8 ft 6 in beam, up to 400 hp, a 66-gallon fuel tank and an enclosed head with sink, from $121,301 MSRP. Hurricane shows "Yacht Certified" in place of a passenger number on its specifications page, so ask the dealer how many people the boat is rated to carry.
Dealer asking prices can sit above or below the builder's starting price, because stock boats carry different engines, options and model years. These figures come from Searchshop listings on 12 October 2026, counting listings whose title matched the brand and model family.
- Stingray: six new 2026 Stingray deck boats titled 182SC, 192SC and 212SC, asking $32,999 to $59,999. Those 2026 model names differ from the 19SC, 20SC and 22SC on Stingray's website, so compare specifications for the exact boat.
- Starcraft: seven new 2025 and 2026 Starcraft SV and SVX deck boats, asking $34,995 to $69,995, plus one used 2021 SVX 231 OB at $39,977.
- Hurricane: three new SunDeck boats from $69,977 for a 2026 SunDeck 217 OB to $114,977 for a 2026 SunDeck 2486 OB, including a 2025 SunDeck 2600 OB at $107,977. Seven used SunDeck boats from model years 2002 to 2022 were listed from $9,997 to $89,977.
- Bayliner: one matching listing, a used 2017 Element F18 at $24,977.
The counts are small, so they show the range of asking prices on that date rather than a typical price.
Compare today's asking prices on boats for sale.
Check five things on any deck boat before you sign: the capacity plate, the engine fitted, the out-the-door price, the model year and whether a pontoon would suit you better.
- Read the capacity plate. Federal rules require monohull boats under 20 feet to be marked with the maximum persons capacity, the maximum weight capacity and the maximum horsepower (33 CFR Part 183, Subpart B). Check that the plate matches the figures you were quoted.
- Ask which engine is fitted. The maximum rating is not the standard engine. The Bayliner M17 comes with 60 hp against a 90 hp maximum, the D20 with 115 hp against 150 hp and the D22 with 150 hp against 200 hp.
- Compare out-the-door prices. Starting prices are quoted on different bases and leave out some fees. Ask each dealer for a written price that includes destination, setup, trailer and taxes.
- Confirm the model year. Dealer stock can include earlier model years and model names that differ from the builder's current lineup.
- Consider a pontoon too. If you boat on calm lakes and value space over speed, read the pontoon vs deck boat comparison before you decide.
Start with the number of people you will carry most often, then the towing and storage space you have, then the budget.
- Two to six people and the lowest price: Bayliner Element E16, or the Starcraft SV 161 OB.
- Up to nine people on a budget: Bayliner Element E18.
- Nine to eleven people: Starcraft SV 181 OB or Bayliner D20 for a 150 hp rating; Stingray 19SC or Hurricane SunDeck Sport 185 OB if 115 hp is enough.
- Twelve people: Bayliner D22 or Stingray 22SC.
- A yacht-certified boat with a head: Hurricane SunDeck 2600 OB.
Browse boats for sale on Searchshop and set a price-drop alert on the models you shortlist. For the wider buying process, read the boat buying guide, check a used boat with the boat inspection guide, and work out payments with the boat loan calculator.
The answers below use only the builder figures quoted in this guide.
Advertised starting prices for the deck boats in this guide run from $27,024 for the Bayliner Element E16 to $121,301 for the Hurricane SunDeck 2600 OB. The 18- to 22-foot models start between $30,872 and $65,180. Those figures leave out some or all of destination, dealer fees and taxes, depending on the builder.
The deck boats in this guide are rated for 6 to 12 persons, depending on size. Boats under 20 feet must carry a capacity plate showing the maximum persons and weight, so check the plate on the boat you are buying. Hurricane lists the 26-foot SunDeck 2600 OB as yacht certified rather than giving a passenger number.
Maximum horsepower is the highest engine rating allowed for the boat, and on boats under 20 feet it is marked on the capacity plate. The engine a boat comes with is often smaller. The Bayliner M17, for example, has a 90 hp maximum but a 60 hp standard engine, so ask which engine a quoted price includes.
Figures in this guide come from these pages, read on 12 October 2026.
