Cobalt Yachts Review

Back in 1970, Cobalt Boats began building high-end runabouts. Based out of Neodesha, Kansas, Cobalt has always focused on manufacturing boats that feature quality construction and innovative technical solutions in their designs. A boat company that values the closeness of family, all of Cobalt’s design and construction is done in-house. An industry leader in deep-V hull design, Cobalt targets an upscale clientele. With a network of over 100 partner-like dealers worldwide, Cobalt recently made a push to expand from smaller, trailer-friendly boats into a larger cruiser-based market. Every year, Cobalt builds over 2,000 boats that each reflect the company’s “fanatical” attention to detail.

Cobalt Boats enjoys an extremely loyal customer base due to the company’s high standards of quality. According to Cobalt, “[They’re] boat fanatics; fanatical about reliable innovation and design; fanatical about quality, the little details, fit and finish.” Each Cobalt model, whether it’s in the 21’ to 30’ Bowrider sport series or a 46’ Sport Yacht, receives high quality construction materials such as stainless steel rail components, “steel-strong but less-than-aluminum-light” composites, wood-free polypropylene honeycomb floors, and all-fiberglass construction in the hull.

Pricing

New Cobalt boats can be pricey for their size, but customers are assured unmatched quality. For instance, a new 34’ Cruiser High Performance 323 lists for $169,000. Pre-owned Cobalts are often well maintained, so prices aren’t much lower. A 2001 36’ Cobalt Cruiser goes for $99,900, which seems about average for used Cobalts. However, a 1989 Cobalt Mercruiser can be found for only $3,000.

Pros

• Cobalt boats are extremely well-built from state-of-the-art materials and are long-lasting.
• The company has ideal partnerships with dealers, so customers are assured great service.
• Cobalt boats have many innovative accessories and detailed design accents.
• Cobalt dealerships are plentiful, so it's easy to find one.

Cons

• New and used Cobalt boats are expensive for the size of boat.
• Customers wanting Cobalt quality in larger vessels have had to wait until recently. They are just now making boats over the 30-something foot range.

Featured Models

Cobalt boats come in three distinct model series: 21’ to 30’ Sports Series which include Bowriders; 21’ to 26’ Water Sports series for waterskiing/wakeboarding; and the Cruiser/Yachts Series that feature 30’ to 40’ crusiers.

Conclusion

Cobalt Boats have been making high quality runabouts and small cruisers for almost 40 years. Customers have no complaints, and dealerships act like partners. While expensive considering the size of the boats, Cobalt boats retain their quality and integrity due to state-of-the-art construction methods and materials. Cobalt Boats, as a company, is doing well enough to expand into bigger markets and they are looking to design and manufacture larger vessels.