I have owned a lot of different boats since I was 16. Most were old fiberglass tubs with smoky 2 strokes on them, but they got me out fishing and did what I needed. About 6 years ago I bought a used Sylvan 1600 Expedition with a 90 hp Yamaha 2 stroke. Single console, wide, had fancy stuff like a livewell in it (
) and I figured it would be all I would need. At this point I had all three kids, but they were still small and I figured that we would all fit in it for a long time. Fast forward to last year and it became pretty obvious that i was deluded when I thought it would last us. The single console was great for moving around the boat, but the kids and my wife would get cold and wet without a full windshield. The boat only had 3 pedestals, so a couple kids had to sit on tackle boxes or the floor. The width of the boat helped, but it was cramped and made lines getting tangled a more frequent event. Not fun for anyone when that happens.
We started looking at boats last year and really liked the Lund 1875 Crossover XS, however the price tag was pretty hefty. Especially if you start adding electronics and options. We loved the jump seats in the back as they added a lot of versatility. I did not like the Lund Impact or Crestliner flip over seat style as I didn't want to be flipping seats to access livewells.
Early this spring I was told about the Lund Impact 1850 XS. It has the Crossover style rear area, but the price point of the Impact series is lower than the Crossover. I found a 2015 version and decked it out for less than a Crossover 1875 would have been. I have pictures of it in a thread here if you care to look.
All of that to say, look for what your boat needs are likely going to be further down the road when your kids get bigger. I would have had a lot more joy starting out with a better boat instead of trying to make due with what I had. Understandably, that all needs to work within a budget too...
SS