Conclusion: Being Honest About Your Needs And Desires

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Any good engineer knows there is no such thing as "perfect"—there is only the optimal set of trade-offs for a given design requirement. In engineering, we often say that you can have it good, fast, or cheap, but you can only pick two. Boating follows a similar law of physics, where your constraints are usually utility, comfort, and cost.

You aren't looking for the perfect boat; you are looking for the boat whose trade-offs you are most willing to live with. If you value the ability to wake up in a different lake every weekend without a wide-load permit, you’ll probably prefer an R-23 or R-25, even with the "Tetris-style" sleeping arrangements. As you move up the line, the trade-offs shift: you might trade the 50% price jump and slower cruising speeds of the R-29 for the reliability of a diesel engine and a dedicated shower, or accept the "logistical gravity" and yacht-class maintenance of the R-43 in exchange for a floating home that requires zero compromises in comfort.

Final Verdict: Which One is Yours?

  • The Weekend Warrior: If you’re still working and time is your scarcest resource, look at the R-23, R-25, or R-27. They are fast, easy to handle, and let you maximize every hour of your Friday-to-Sunday window while still supporting longer regional trips, whether you are a couple or a young family.

  • The Couple’s Cruiser: If it’s just the two of you most of the time and you want to explore the remote corners of the PNW in comfort—and speed isn’t a great factor—the R-29 may be the "sweet spot." It offers a great balance of modern design, fuel efficiency, and livability for extended stays. If you want to bring guests occasionally, you certainly can.

  • The Social Host: If you frequently bring adult guests or grandkids, the R-31 is a great choice. It is the first model to offer a truly private mid-berth stateroom with a door, rather than an open crawl-in space. Combined with the second head and the sliding helm door, it makes hosting others for a week-long cruise significantly more comfortable.

  • The Forever Boat: If you’ve reached the stage of life where the journey is the only thing that matters, and you want to live on the water with the same amenities you have at home, the R-43 stands alone.

We loved our R-25. It was the right boat for the stage of life we were in—easy to store, great for fishing, and capable of handling the Strait of Georgia when we asked it to. But as our mission evolved toward longer stays and hosting our adult children, our requirements changed. We are fortunate that we could consider it. For our next chapter, we traded the flexible freedom of the R-25 for the "live-anywhere" comfort of the R-43.

Whichever model you choose, remember that the best boat is the one that actually gets you out on the water. Don't get so caught up in the specs that you miss the sunset. See you at the next cruise!


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