Beam: 8’4″
Dry Weight: 3,500 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 11/1,550 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 40 gal.
More Information: cobaltboats.com
The 200 may be the smallest bowrider in Cobalt’s lineup, but by no means should you underestimate it. Call it the younger brother syndrome: It’s always the littlest sibling that sets out to prove it can hang with the rest of the clan. The 200 — and in particular the 200S version we tested — has all of the same fit and finish and many of the same amenities as the bigger Cobalts.
The “S” in the name stands for Cobalt’s sport cockpit layout option. The standard 200 has a rear-facing chaise lounge configuration that Cobalt calls its “stadium seating.” The S-package consists of forward-facing seating in front of the port console. But the backrest is adjustable so that it can be converted to a rear-facing lounge or fully reclined for a sun pad.
Big-boat amenities? They start at the helm, with the same hand-stitched eyebrow shading the gauges. The leather-wrapped steering wheel features the same auto-leveling hub. And you get the same plush Nautolex vinyl on the seats. The raked windshield with the stainless-steel braces is found throughout the lineup.
One of our favorite features is the signature flip-down swim step on the extended swim platform. It makes reboarding from the water a nonissue for passengers of all ages and sizes. The platform is protected by stout stainless-steel piping.
The construction is first-class, with notable attributes like a Kevlar-reinforced hull, graphics molded into the gelcoat and a stainless-steel scuff plate on the bow. Cobalt’s Free Space Reclamation (FSR) process shaves fiberglass off the hull and deck in the mold, creating an extra foot of interior width.
The deep-V hull with 20-degree transom deadrise and an extended running surface help the boat handle seas like its bigger brethren, and achieve a near-44 mph top end, a 4.6-second time to plane and a 9.8-second dash to hit 30 mph on the GPS.
Buyer’s Spotlight
*”S” layout features forward-facing portside seating with a backrest that flips to face aft or flattens.
*Flip-down swim step on the extended swim platform makes reboarding from the water a breeze.
*Auto-leveling hub in the leather-wrapped steering wheel ensures that the Cobalt insignia stays upright, no matter how you spin the wheel.
*The bow lounge has forward-facing backrests and recessed stainless-steel grab rails.
*A keypad remote in the dash keeps the stereo secure in the glove box.
How We Tested
Engine: 225 hp Volvo Penta V-8
Drive/Prop: SX/14¼” x 19″ 3-blade SS
Gear Ratio: 1.79:1
Fuel Load: 10 gal.
Crew Weight: 340 lb.
Price
$55,643 (with test power)
Contact
Cobalt Boats Neodesha, Kansas; 800-468-5764; cobaltboats.com
