Not a Sea Ray but....

ZZ13 said:
Two people wrote "Sea ray isn't in the same class as Cobalt". It would be nice if they would qualify such a broad sweeping generality. Could be quality of material and workmanship or could just be opinions on appearance. We don't really know why they have that opinion.
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ZZ, I'm one of the two who said that Sea Ray isn't in the same quality class as a Cobalt. I've owned three SR's and been aboard a couple of Cobalts. The fit and finish of both boats is great. The engines/transmissions/outdrives are the same in both boats. Gauges are the same or very close.

IMHO, where the Cobalt exceeds the SR is in the quality of carpets, vinyl used in the seating areas, etc. There's a certain feel to the vinyl in a Cobalt that it feels thicker, softer and more pliable. Same thing with the carpets, stainless fittings, etc.

Does this make the C any more seaworthy than a SR? No. Is the C any safer than a SR. Again, no. I agree that both boats, similarly maintained and serviced will perform well for many years. Would I buy a Cobalt? Probably not because they're too expensive for my tastes and wallet. I do like them and have admired them for many years. But like I said, I'm on my third SR and love it. It suits my needs perfectly.
 
Summer Fun II said:
This thread would of went into the shi*ter real fast, If Rob bought a B-Liner. :lol:
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Maybe he did, and those are just pictures of his neighbor's boat. Is there anyone close by who can verify?:smt043

Edit; We've towed a few Cobalts for fellow members of the club at spring launch time and I can definitely tell they are a very heavy boat compared to a lot of other brands. My guess is their hulls and decks are equally as well laid up as Sea Rays are.
 
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blaster said:
Sorry you took it the wrong way. I certainly am happy for you and there is nothing wrong with your choice. I make a number of impulsive posts. As far as being relevant well that is subjective to the readers but yes its your thread. I wasn't trying to be negative just share information. Best of luck with it.
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No harm, no foul.
 
I didn't mean to cause any debate here. I just stated my opinion. Cobalt puts some features in their boats that are really cool. They tried to move in the to "big" boat market and unfortunately it was right at the time the economy tanked so they did not do well. I agree with GFC. I think that Cobalt uses better materials in their boats but they are a small builder that produces a limited number of boats in a given year. And their lines and look appeal to me. I know when I am on the water and see a really nice-looking boat and think, "Wow, I wonder what that is?" it usually turns out to be a Cobalt....not a Sea Ray.

Congrats on the purchase. You will enjoy it.
 
Summer Fun II said:
Hey Rob, Would you let Dee & I on your new ride ?.
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Absolutely! It's open everyone...but especially to you and Dee ;-) I have an open invitation to anyone who travels to the Twin Cities area this summer...feel free to PM me. I will supply the boat and fuel, you buy me a beer.

NorCal Boater said:
I didn't mean to cause any debate here. .... I think that Cobalt uses better materials in their boats .... and their lines and look appeal to me.
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I wasn't suggesting that anyone was trying to stir the pot.... my point was that if anyone wanted to debate the merits of different brands they could start a new thread.

I spent all weekend messing around in the boat and here are my impressions about the boat itself and about Cobalt the manufacturer....

1. The condition of the boat is stunning. I was prepared to spend all weekend detailing the boat but this thing looks like it rolled off the show floor. I am meticulous with my boats and the only thing I needed to do was wipe it down. I dug into the deepest corners and crevices of this boat and it amazes me how well the previous owner maintained it. You can still smell the fiberglass resin throughout. I unrolled the bimini and I swear it was the first time it was ever exposed to daylight. It has all of the original tags and chalk marks from the manufacturer.

2. The quality of the materials used by Cobalt compared to Sea Ray is noticeably different than my two previous Sea Rays and the styling is timeless. The vinyl is rich, thick and textured and the foam is comfortable and luxurious. This Cobalt has the same Desert Sand/Dunes berber carpet as my two previous Sea Rays but this is the original carpet and back in '97, Cobalt used the Aqualoc backing instead of the cheap black backing that all Sea Ray's eventually fall victim to. My carpet looks brand new....credit the previous owner as well as Cobalt for using quality. If you sat in this particular boat you would be hard pressed to tell it was 17 years old. The styling combined with the condition and quality makes you feel like you are in a brand new boat.

3. The hardware in the Cobalts is much the same as Sea Ray but the workmanship is second to none. That's not to say that Sea Ray has poor workmanship.... on the contrary, Sea Ray has good workmanship but Cobalt is a step above and you get a feeling that a lot of care went into the making of the boat.

4. Cobalt has always had thoughtful touches that Sea Ray just recently introduced. For example, all of the cushions on my '97 are hinged with quality stainless steel hinges and the bow and floor compartments are lined with a quality rubber lining that is easy to wipe down and all compartments drain to the bilge. The rear compartments are lined with plush carpet. Contrast this my previous '08 240 SD....none of the cushions were not hinged and the compartments were lined with cheaper, felt-like material. The floor locker in my my 240 SD wasn't even lined, it had a cheap mat that collected crud and smelled like stank water all the time. The compartments in the cabin of my 280DA were not even lined in the bow. Sea Ray just recently started to put hinges on the cushions and they still use the crappy felt in some compartments that stains easy.

5. Cobalt makes great use of the available space for a boat built in '97. For example, my boat has a roomy, built in beverage cooler in the floor with a drain vs. a portable cooler that is sometimes standard on Sea Ray.

Some other cool notes.... the boat had the original case for the manuals (nice fabric btw) and inside was the original 1997 model year brochure completely unopened and untouched, the pristine owners manuals for the boat, motor, outdrive, trailer, etc. But the kicker was the window sticker in a plastic sleeve that had never been attached to the boat. The original MSRP of this boat in 1997 was $31,200 including the options.

These are my impressions after a weekend with my new boat compared to my first hand experience with my two previous Sea Rays. Your mileage may vary....
 
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Congrats on a very nice boat ans sounds like a heck of a deal too. I have a good friend that has had two Cobalts and I've been impressed with the quality. The hinged cushions were one of the first thing that caught my eye on his first one.
 
Congrats and welcome back to the water. Nice boat.
 
Congrats on your new to you Cobalt! A good friend of mine has one and he loves it. Good solid boat! He's got the 8.1 L engine and Volvo Duoprop drive, and the thing MOVES! He did have an expensive problem though, the exhaust was too low in the water and allowed water back into engine when backing down. He ended up replacing the motor due to this ($10K!). Cobalt released an update kit to prevent this and it seems to work as he has not had any further problems. You may want to see if this update is applicable to your set up. Simple install that equalizes pressure between both sides of exhaust.
 
SloBurn said:
Congrats on your new to you Cobalt! A good friend of mine has one and he loves it. Good solid boat! He's got the 8.1 L engine and Volvo Duoprop drive, and the thing MOVES! He did have an expensive problem though, the exhaust was too low in the water and allowed water back into engine when backing down. He ended up replacing the motor due to this ($10K!). Cobalt released an update kit to prevent this and it seems to work as he has not had any further problems. You may want to see if this update is applicable to your set up. Simple install that equalizes pressure between both sides of exhaust.
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That's a good point. I was reading the manual yesterday and they say not to back down too fast for this reason...they specifically mention that water can get into the engine. I will check to see if a kit has been installed or is available.
 
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