WINTER 2011
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Boat Tests > Cobalt > 262
Time tells
On the other hand, the 262 would no doubt be a nifty wake and watersports craft with a generous swim platform, drop-down SST ladder, and tow-pole located aft of the big sun pad. One standout feature relating to watersports is the wet-gear storage that uses the engine room to dry the stored items. There is also a hand shower located at the swim platform and a large, underfloor storage area designed for long items and boards.
The Cobalt has plenty of well-considered stowage areas including a huge, hinged space forward of the helm large enough to take a dozen life vests and all my camera gear. The 262 also features plenty of drink holders and stowage for small items behind the seats and in the dash, plus a large drinks cooler concealed under a seat behind the helm. The craft also has well-built and easy-to-stow bow and cockpit tables and a stereo system located inside the dashboard glove box.
Other standout features include the electronic engine hatch lift, transom trim switch, dual batteries, and the automatic engine room fire suppression system. The clip-down carpets are removable for easy cleaning and the insides of most stowage areas are lined, making cleaning easy.
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PERFORMANCE
The Mercruiser 377 MAG (6.2l) 320hp powered the Cobalt 262 out of the hole with ease, and she sat flat throughout the process. The Cobalt's wake was quite modest for a 2.5t boat, but still enough for some wake fun?keeping in mind that a small wake is a sign of efficient hull design. I was quite surprised when James from JD Boatshed circled Beau and I in the photo boat to get some shots?normally when I set this up, the photo boat quickly gets knocked all over the place but in this case the turbulent waters were quite modest.
The helm featured stitched, stainless and timber finishes and offered a generous array of engine instruments including a GPS/plotter. One option I have seen on other Cobalts but absent on this vessel was the captain call button, which reminds the skipper and onlookers through the exhaust that the craft is powered by a burbling V8!
The day was a quite windy but the waters were smooth and in these conditions we found a slow cruise speed/wake speed around of 21 knots at 3000rpm, a fast cruise speed of 31 knots at 4000rpm and then flat out the 7.9m Cobalt nudged 40.5 knots, which was a lot of fun. The helm seat featured a bolster offering a choice of driving positions and views. At speed, the vessel's bow lifted gently in response to some leg trim and then was able to take quite aggressive turns with the leg trimmed in on approach with no cavitation. This was all supported by ample power and acceleration from the 320hp Mercruiser/Bravo 3 leg.
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The Cobalt has plenty of well-considered stowage areas including a huge, hinged space forward of the helm large enough to take a dozen life vests and all my camera gear. The 262 also features plenty of drink holders and stowage for small items behind the seats and in the dash, plus a large drinks cooler concealed under a seat behind the helm. The craft also has well-built and easy-to-stow bow and cockpit tables and a stereo system located inside the dashboard glove box.
Other standout features include the electronic engine hatch lift, transom trim switch, dual batteries, and the automatic engine room fire suppression system. The clip-down carpets are removable for easy cleaning and the insides of most stowage areas are lined, making cleaning easy.
read on below advertisement
PERFORMANCE
The Mercruiser 377 MAG (6.2l) 320hp powered the Cobalt 262 out of the hole with ease, and she sat flat throughout the process. The Cobalt's wake was quite modest for a 2.5t boat, but still enough for some wake fun?keeping in mind that a small wake is a sign of efficient hull design. I was quite surprised when James from JD Boatshed circled Beau and I in the photo boat to get some shots?normally when I set this up, the photo boat quickly gets knocked all over the place but in this case the turbulent waters were quite modest.
The helm featured stitched, stainless and timber finishes and offered a generous array of engine instruments including a GPS/plotter. One option I have seen on other Cobalts but absent on this vessel was the captain call button, which reminds the skipper and onlookers through the exhaust that the craft is powered by a burbling V8!
The day was a quite windy but the waters were smooth and in these conditions we found a slow cruise speed/wake speed around of 21 knots at 3000rpm, a fast cruise speed of 31 knots at 4000rpm and then flat out the 7.9m Cobalt nudged 40.5 knots, which was a lot of fun. The helm seat featured a bolster offering a choice of driving positions and views. At speed, the vessel's bow lifted gently in response to some leg trim and then was able to take quite aggressive turns with the leg trimmed in on approach with no cavitation. This was all supported by ample power and acceleration from the 320hp Mercruiser/Bravo 3 leg.
next page »
« go back