He needs to ride all the boats on his short list.
Tell your buddy to read this on the YF build philosophy:
http://www.soundingsonline.com/news/coastwise/287869
Btw, I have owned an SCB and 3 Shearwaters and 2 Yellowfins since 2005. I have also fished in a new 24 Haynie guide boat.
The YF24 is major league, top drawer in every way. The ride, fit, finish and attention to detail with YF are top notch. Customer service, if needed for any reason, simply makes you thrilled you have a YF. Approximately a 40 week wait on a new build. A few dealers, like Texas Sportfishing Yacht Sales in Kemah, Tx have $s holding new build slots with YF that are shorter than 40 weeks. Resale values are very strong vs all other brands too.
PM me for contact info. I will also happily demo ride my 2013 YF 24 for your cousin in Houston or Grand Isle, LA, after he has ridden in a few others to be fair. So far, everyone who took a demo ride in my YF 24, bought one.
Good luck.