Cobalt Boats Forum

Since we have so many Northern IL / Southern WI boaters, I thought this may be of interest: The Chicago SeaRay dealership (owned by Skipper Buds for many years now) is no longer. Back in the day, this was a legendary high volume dealership. Odd that this location was closed during such a hot boat ...

I have owned boats with VP 5.0 GXi, VP 5.7 GXi, Merc 7.4, VP 8.1 GXi, and VP-380 (current). Of all of these engines, the 8.1 was my favorite. It was silky smooth and these things are very reliable and durable. The best part is staring one - heart pounding rumble on start up. A gentle giant really ...

Check the kill switch lanyard on the shifter/throttle. On my boat (VP 380), if this is pulled out, the boat will start and run, but I get a single beep every 30-60 seconds.


Wait, the boat will start and run with the kill switch activated? Kind of defeats the purpose, no?


I assume since the ...

Check the kill switch lanyard on the shifter/throttle. On my boat (VP 380), if this is pulled out, the boat will start and run, but I get a single beep every 30-60 seconds.

Rule of thumb is 24 hours of 24* to do freeze damage. You can push it lower than that with the boat wet slipped. We’ve had to bust ice with a sledge hammer off the bow through the channel to our ramp, then plow the ramp to get the boats out. My neighbor has a video I should get it. 🥶


I was not ...

I pretty much have the same issue, so I sure hope you guys are right. My boat is floating in the slip at the moment and the temps are supposed to drop to 21F tonight. I opened up the easy drain yesterday when I saw the forecast. This will be the coldest any of my boat have encountered while in the ...

For me, it is not about HP, but about close quarter handling (i.e. operating around the docks). A boat of that size catches a lot of wind and carries a lot of momentum, so I would really want twins for close quarter handling. Just my $0.02.

There are some silver linings to be found here. While running errands today, I enjoyed not having to deal with traffic as the roads were nearly empty. I stopped for groceries, while the shelves were nearly decimated, there were no lines at the registers and fewer idiots blocking the aisles - I was ...

I recall when I was a teen-ager boating in the Ozarks, circa 1978. Dad provided us with a crappy old Arrow Glass that barely got on plane, threw a huge wake, was grossly under powered, and was horribly unreliable (OMC stern drive, Oldsmobile V8 engine). It was a lousy boat, but we loved it none the ...

Congrats.

Your water level looks a little high. What lake is this?

FWIW, the Ford Expedition can tow 9,300 lbs when properly equipped.


This is what drives me crazy about manufacture's ratings....."when properly equipped". That almost always means a WDH.

Let us know how it turns out.



I don't own an Expedition (or any Ford product), so I am not an expert ...

FWIW, the Ford Expedition can tow 9,300 lbs when properly equipped.

A few random thoughts on the topic of engine choices:

One difference between the 8.2 and 6.2 engines is weight: the 8.2 weighs in at 1,122 lbs, where the 6.2 is 300 lbs lighter at 822 lbs. This is a significant difference IMHO.

Having owned boats with 5.7, 6.2, 7.4, and 8.1 motors, I have noticed ...

Myself I boat in 3feet am the time and no Major issues yet. But hearing your prop hit rocks is no fun. You would have to stay on plane to even think of making it through with crossed fingers and holding your breath. 2 feet of water and going 25 mph yecks. Not sure I would even gamble that one ...

Myself I boat in 3feet am the time and no Major issues yet. But hearing your prop hit rocks is no fun. You would have to stay on plane to even think of making it through with crossed fingers and holding your breath. 2 feet of water and going 25 mph yecks. Not sure I would even gamble that one. We ...