Howdy! From Lake George, NY!

[Table Rockin]

Im not a fan but if you boat in salt i guess it makes sense. Freshwater makes almost no sense IMO....sorry to any members who may have them. I'm sure you have your reasons. For me having that big ass motor on your platform ruins its utility.

I'm with you. Salt it makes sense. Lake boating I don't get it.

Perhaps our new member can give us some insight as to the outboard motor trend occurring on inland lakes? I dont see it much at Table Rock but perhaps that will change. There are alot of cobalts on TR though so if the trend continues perhaps they will start sprouting up here and there. Curious if Volvo is planning significant changes to their forward drive? Its still a relatively new stern drive design so perhaps some real like uses/feedback will direct their efforts. Or, perhaps its already a beast that needs nothing.

[liquid]

I'm definitely interested in the Forward drive. I want to surf... these old bones can't take much more than that.

I'll say it again - If Cobalt and Bu make a surf baby I'll probably give them full access to my bank account.

[Table Rockin]

I'm definitely interested in the Forward drive. I want to surf... these old bones can't take much more than that.

I'll say it again - If Cobalt and Bu make a surf baby I'll probably give them full access to my bank account.

I sanction this development and bless the child it bearths. Maybe we should upload some concept art to provide them ideas. Im sure they pop in here from time to time

[liquid]

I'm definitely interested in the Forward drive. I want to surf... these old bones can't take much more than that.

I'll say it again - If Cobalt and Bu make a surf baby I'll probably give them full access to my bank account.

I sanction this development and bless the child it bearths. Maybe we should upload some concept art to provide them ideas. Im sure they pop in here from time to time

If you haven't been to the Malibu website you check it out, it's sick. Their boat configuration tool is out of this world:

https://www.malibuboats.com/boat-configurator

I'd love to see a cobalt tab on it.

[BoatsByGeorge]

This is a great question about the strength of outboard sales on inland lakes, and I'd be happy to address that.

Outboards do have a few distinct advantages to sterndrives. First of all, the service is much simpler. With an I/O, you have gimbal bearings, U joints, and bellows that all are eliminated by the use of an outboard. Some people prefer the simplicity of maintenance of the outboard for that reason. The other reason someone may prefer an outboard is the noise level. The new outboards, particularly the Merc verados, are incredibly quiet. The additional storage you gain from moving the engine outboard is also a nice advantage.

On the flip side, I'm not convinced that long term, an outboard is going to be more cost effective than an I/O. Even though you remove some routine maintenance items, you also are trying to produce a lot more power out of a much smaller engine. As a result, I believe the I/Os will have much longer life expectancies overall before needing rebuilds.

Additionally, the performance of the I/O is dramatically superior to that of an outboard. There isn't a single outboard engine out there that comes close to the performance of the Volvo DP/Merc Bravo 3 in terms of time to plane and general responsiveness. Plus, you get a more functional transom and rear lounge area with an I/O.

As with anything, it's all about evaluating the desires of our boaters and providing them options to best satisfy their needs. I think it's good for Cobalt to be in this field, as there are a lot of boaters who have always wanted a Cobalt but haven't made the jump because an I/O just doesn't suit their particular needs. Additionally, the efficiencies that have been achieved by the new partnership are going to enhance their production of new models, so for those who still love I/Os like we do on Lake George, we have more to look forward to and not less. Good times ahead!