New 2019 R3 Owner

[BobRae99]

Bob we had this discussion already. Black with Dreamsicle boot stripe.

Or in your case, dreamsicle with black boot stripe.

Right or a white boot stripe. Between bobrae and sailor I'll have 2 good ones to choose from. 430 while we're talking about it again. Lol

Doesn’t the white bootstripe get lost beside a white bottom? You’ve got me thinking about the 380 ...... again

[Big Block Power]

Or in your case, dreamsicle with black boot stripe.

Right or a white boot stripe. Between bobrae and sailor I'll have 2 good ones to choose from. 430 while we're talking about it again. Lol

Doesn’t the white bootstripe get lost beside a white bottom? You’ve got me thinking about the 380 ...... again

Bob.
I'll make you a deal. This will save you 20k
I'll order it here. You pay for it. I'll keep it here in the states. You can use it anytime you want. Oh so can I.
Do you have to pay the same tax if you bought one from the US? I would buy it then you buy it from me used now.?

Ok back to colors.
What about a baby blue boot stripe?
Really I think you should go out of the box here. Red and white and sandstone everyone has. Dreamsicle is sharp. Have you seen a black hull with a orange boot stripe. Tg has a picture of one.
Also the ice blue is pretty sharp.
Out of the box Bob.
We can do it.

[BobRae99]

Right or a white boot stripe. Between bobrae and sailor I'll have 2 good ones to choose from. 430 while we're talking about it again. Lol

Doesn’t the white bootstripe get lost beside a white bottom? You’ve got me thinking about the 380 ...... again

Bob.
I'll make you a deal. This will save you 20k
I'll order it here. You pay for it. I'll keep it here in the states. You can use it anytime you want. Oh so can I.
Do you have to pay the same tax if you bought one from the US? I would buy it then you buy it from me used now.?

Ok back to colors.
What about a baby blue boot stripe?
Really I think you should go out of the box here. Red and white and sandstone everyone has. Dreamsicle is sharp. Have you seen a black hull with a orange boot stripe. Tg has a picture of one.
Also the ice blue is pretty sharp.
Out of the box Bob.
We can do it.

I know it sounds crazy, but I prefer to stick to popular colour schemes, so when I trade it in 3 years I don’t get hit by the dealer on trade value. I see an R5 Surf in my future .....

[Big Block Power]

Doesn’t the white bootstripe get lost beside a white bottom? You’ve got me thinking about the 380 ...... again

Bob.
I'll make you a deal. This will save you 20k
I'll order it here. You pay for it. I'll keep it here in the states. You can use it anytime you want. Oh so can I.
Do you have to pay the same tax if you bought one from the US? I would buy it then you buy it from me used now.?

Ok back to colors.
What about a baby blue boot stripe?
Really I think you should go out of the box here. Red and white and sandstone everyone has. Dreamsicle is sharp. Have you seen a black hull with a orange boot stripe. Tg has a picture of one.
Also the ice blue is pretty sharp.
Out of the box Bob.
We can do it.

I know it sounds crazy, but I prefer to stick to popular colour schemes, so when I trade it in 3 years I don’t get hit by the dealer on trade value. I see an R5 Surf in my future .....

Don't worry Bob I got you covered there. 430 though. Lol
The ice blue is really sharp. Not as sharp as dream Though.

[Big Block Power]

Doesn’t the white bootstripe get lost beside a white bottom? You’ve got me thinking about the 380 ...... again

Bob.
I'll make you a deal. This will save you 20k
I'll order it here. You pay for it. I'll keep it here in the states. You can use it anytime you want. Oh so can I.
Do you have to pay the same tax if you bought one from the US? I would buy it then you buy it from me used now.?

Ok back to colors.
What about a baby blue boot stripe?
Really I think you should go out of the box here. Red and white and sandstone everyone has. Dreamsicle is sharp. Have you seen a black hull with a orange boot stripe. Tg has a picture of one.
Also the ice blue is pretty sharp.
Out of the box Bob.
We can do it.

I know it sounds crazy, but I prefer to stick to popular colour schemes, so when I trade it in 3 years I don’t get hit by the dealer on trade value. I see an R5 Surf in my future .....

Bob
I'm not a money expert. That's liquids expertise.
If you really think your going to get a R5 Surf in 3 years this r3 is going to cost you at least 30k in depreciation and then the cost mark up in 3 years on a R5 Surf.
I'm saying that it could cost you 50k in 3 years. Just stop and buy it now.

[BobRae99]

Bob.
I'll make you a deal. This will save you 20k
I'll order it here. You pay for it. I'll keep it here in the states. You can use it anytime you want. Oh so can I.
Do you have to pay the same tax if you bought one from the US? I would buy it then you buy it from me used now.?

Ok back to colors.
What about a baby blue boot stripe?
Really I think you should go out of the box here. Red and white and sandstone everyone has. Dreamsicle is sharp. Have you seen a black hull with a orange boot stripe. Tg has a picture of one.
Also the ice blue is pretty sharp.
Out of the box Bob.
We can do it.

I know it sounds crazy, but I prefer to stick to popular colour schemes, so when I trade it in 3 years I don’t get hit by the dealer on trade value. I see an R5 Surf in my future .....

Bob
I'm not a money expert. That's liquids expertise.
If you really think your going to get a R5 Surf in 3 years this r3 is going to cost you at least 30k in depreciation and then the cost mark up in 3 years on a R5 Surf.
I'm saying that it could cost you 50k in 3 years. Just stop and buy it now.

I'm just kidding. This will be it for me for a while. Hopefully compared to the 210 I'll notice the extra space in the cockpit and won't be thinking about the R5. My impression from talking to Cobalt is that moving from the 210 to the R3, I'll be losing some of the sportiness handling of the 210, but will gain interior space and a more comfortable ride in rougher water. They tell me the R5 is a higher profile boat than the R3 and move further away from the sportiness quotient. I'm hoping the R3 is the "just right" spot between the smaller 210 and much larger R5. I love making my mind up to buy a boat at a time of year when I can't test drive.

[BobRae99]

Colour decision finalized. The boat will be Ebony Hull w / Knock Out Red edge stripe and white hull bottom. Interior is Terra Brown.

Also, I'm not upgrading to the Platinum sound with transom speakers (the boat will have premium sound w / transom). So, the only decision left is whether to add Soft Trak Marine Mat, Swim Platform. And, I have to decide whether I want to do a factory tour while my boat is being built.

[akorcovelos]

Sounds like it's going to be beautiful! I'd definitely go with the swim platform, I know that's on my short list to add.

[tgrace98]

Colour decision finalized. The boat will be Ebony Hull w / Knock Out Red edge stripe and white hull bottom. Interior is Terra Brown.

Also, I'm not upgrading to the Platinum sound with transom speakers (the boat will have premium sound w / transom). So, the only decision left is whether to add Soft Trak Marine Mat, Swim Platform. And, I have to decide whether I want to do a factory tour while my boat is being built.

get the soft trak marine mat. I have it on mine and it is awesome. You will spend the same on sea dek if you decide to do it later.

[NautiGirl]

Colour decision finalized. The boat will be Ebony Hull w / Knock Out Red edge stripe and white hull bottom. Interior is Terra Brown.

Also, I'm not upgrading to the Platinum sound with transom speakers (the boat will have premium sound w / transom). So, the only decision left is whether to add Soft Trak Marine Mat, Swim Platform. And, I have to decide whether I want to do a factory tour while my boat is being built.

Nice - that should look sharp. Marine mat is nice - especially on the platform. Now that we have it I wouldn't go back. You can always add it later though, of course getting aftermarket companies to cut the Cobalt logo can be tough.

Do the tour. Seriously if you are at all interested in how boats are put together it is well worth it. Cobalt hospitality is great and the factory is awesome to see in person. I know its a bit more difficult for you since its an international trip to the middle of nowhere Kansas but seriously do it. No one walked out of that tour and said "man that sucked we should have skipped". It would have been 100x cooler if we saw our boat on the line. Do it.

[BobRae99]

Colour decision finalized. The boat will be Ebony Hull w / Knock Out Red edge stripe and white hull bottom. Interior is Terra Brown.

Also, I'm not upgrading to the Platinum sound with transom speakers (the boat will have premium sound w / transom). So, the only decision left is whether to add Soft Trak Marine Mat, Swim Platform. And, I have to decide whether I want to do a factory tour while my boat is being built.

Nice - that should look sharp. Marine mat is nice - especially on the platform. Now that we have it I wouldn't go back. You can always add it later though, of course getting aftermarket companies to cut the Cobalt logo can be tough.

Do the tour. Seriously if you are at all interested in how boats are put together it is well worth it. Cobalt hospitality is great and the factory is awesome to see in person. I know its a bit more difficult for you since its an international trip to the middle of nowhere Kansas but seriously. Do it. No one walked out of that tour and said "man that sucked we should have skipped". It would have been 100x cooler if we saw our boat on the line. Do it.

I'll see how the timing works out. Boat production starts May 15th ("spray date") so I'd plan on going down a week or so later. The person I'm in touch with at Cobalt told him to let me know when I have my order finalized and he said he'd let me know when the best date to visit will be, to see my boat in production. Makes sense. If I come 3 days after they spray the gel coat into the mould, I'd still get a factory tour, but all I'd see of my boat would be a mould with gel coat sprayed in, or fibreglass laid in on top of the gel coat. Just need to know when the boat will have the engine and electrical laid and preferably just before the top deck is married to the hull.

As to the soft trac mat, I can order it from Cobalt later for dealer install later if I think it was a mistake. I spoke to my dealer today and he said, in terms of value for trade, the mat won't have any value (other than preventing a slip and fall). I'm trying to think about options that will have value on trade. I think 3 - 4 years out there is an R6 in my future, so I need to balance between "want to have" and "trade value" when I tick boxes.

It was the same when I bought a Porsche 911 in 2016. The dealer said after the base options (sunroof, sport steering wheel, nice wheel and Bose sound), all of the rest of the options are worthless on trade (or on the used market).

[NautiGirl]

Colour decision finalized. The boat will be Ebony Hull w / Knock Out Red edge stripe and white hull bottom. Interior is Terra Brown.

Also, I'm not upgrading to the Platinum sound with transom speakers (the boat will have premium sound w / transom). So, the only decision left is whether to add Soft Trak Marine Mat, Swim Platform. And, I have to decide whether I want to do a factory tour while my boat is being built.

Nice - that should look sharp. Marine mat is nice - especially on the platform. Now that we have it I wouldn't go back. You can always add it later though, of course getting aftermarket companies to cut the Cobalt logo can be tough.

Do the tour. Seriously if you are at all interested in how boats are put together it is well worth it. Cobalt hospitality is great and the factory is awesome to see in person. I know its a bit more difficult for you since its an international trip to the middle of nowhere Kansas but seriously. Do it. No one walked out of that tour and said "man that sucked we should have skipped". It would have been 100x cooler if we saw our boat on the line. Do it.

I think 3 - 4 years out there is an R6 in my future, so I need to balance between "want to have" and "trade value" when I tick boxes.

That's the spirit! Selling your boat before its even built for a boat that none of us have seen yet. Nice!

On a serious note I agree - seeing the boat in the mold wouldn't really mean much. If possible I would wait until it was through Gel Coat into the assembly part of the factory. At that point the two halves will still be separated and all the components in the boat will start to be installed. Best time to see it IMHO.

That or if they will let you be the first to turn the key in the test tank. That would be sweet - you could say your the only person to have started your boat. Neat.

[BobRae99]

Nice - that should look sharp. Marine mat is nice - especially on the platform. Now that we have it I wouldn't go back. You can always add it later though, of course getting aftermarket companies to cut the Cobalt logo can be tough.

Do the tour. Seriously if you are at all interested in how boats are put together it is well worth it. Cobalt hospitality is great and the factory is awesome to see in person. I know its a bit more difficult for you since its an international trip to the middle of nowhere Kansas but seriously. Do it. No one walked out of that tour and said "man that sucked we should have skipped". It would have been 100x cooler if we saw our boat on the line. Do it.

I think 3 - 4 years out there is an R6 in my future, so I need to balance between "want to have" and "trade value" when I tick boxes.

That's the spirit! Selling your boat before its even built for a boat that none of us have seen yet. Nice!

On a serious note I agree - seeing the boat in the mold wouldn't really mean much. If possible I would wait until it was through Gel Coat into the assembly part of the factory. At that point the two halves will still be separated and all the components in the boat will start to be installed. Best time to see it IMHO.

That or if they will let you be the first to turn the key in the test tank. That would be sweet - you could say your the only person to have started your boat. Neat.

Well, I didn't actually sell the boat, I traded it. The dealer wanted to be able to market it right away. We have such a short selling season here so I agreed. They sell a few boats at the boat show in March then they say it is quiet until mid-April and most sales are done by the end of May to mid-June. I don't plan on being at the lake until July 1st and my new boat is supposed to get here June 24th. I've asked for it to be dropped in the lake on July 2nd. I'll be out at the lake for a week from the 2nd, so plenty of time to start breaking it in. I guess it will be a problem if production or transportation is delayed for more than a week in which case I'd be relegated to riding my Sea Doo (kids preference).

As to turning the key in the tank, I've often wondered about that. the maintenance manual says that upon the first startup, the engine should be run in neutral at 1,500 RPM for 5 - 10 minutes to aid in break-in. Do you think they do that or just turn the key to make sure it starts?

[NautiGirl]

I think 3 - 4 years out there is an R6 in my future, so I need to balance between "want to have" and "trade value" when I tick boxes.

That's the spirit! Selling your boat before its even built for a boat that none of us have seen yet. Nice!

On a serious note I agree - seeing the boat in the mold wouldn't really mean much. If possible I would wait until it was through Gel Coat into the assembly part of the factory. At that point the two halves will still be separated and all the components in the boat will start to be installed. Best time to see it IMHO.

That or if they will let you be the first to turn the key in the test tank. That would be sweet - you could say your the only person to have started your boat. Neat.

As to turning the key in the tank, I've often wondered about that. the maintenance manual says that upon the first startup, the engine should be run in neutral at 1,500 RPM for 5 - 10 minutes to aid in break-in. Do you think they do that or just turn the key to make sure it starts?

Don't start that argument again. Half the group that toured the factory swears they were told they run them at WOT for 15min. The other half (myself included) say they start them idle them up to around 1,500 leave them there for 15min or so while they test the systems in the boat like the blower stereo lights etc.

Regardless of the RPM we all agree they run every boat that leaves the factory in the test tank with a prop on in gear for about 10 - 15min.

Anything over R7 size gets trailered to a "lake" up the street for a water test.

[BobRae99]

That's the spirit! Selling your boat before its even built for a boat that none of us have seen yet. Nice!

On a serious note I agree - seeing the boat in the mold wouldn't really mean much. If possible I would wait until it was through Gel Coat into the assembly part of the factory. At that point the two halves will still be separated and all the components in the boat will start to be installed. Best time to see it IMHO.

That or if they will let you be the first to turn the key in the test tank. That would be sweet - you could say your the only person to have started your boat. Neat.

As to turning the key in the tank, I've often wondered about that. the maintenance manual says that upon the first startup, the engine should be run in neutral at 1,500 RPM for 5 - 10 minutes to aid in break-in. Do you think they do that or just turn the key to make sure it starts?

Don't start that argument again. Half the group that toured the factory swears they were told they run them at WOT for 15min. The other half (myself included) say they start them idle them up to around 1,500 leave them there for 15min or so while they test the systems in the boat like the blower stereo lights etc.

Regardless of the RPM we all agree they run every boat that leaves the factory in the test tank with a prop on in gear for about 10 - 15min.

Anything over R7 size gets trailered to a "lake" up the street for a water test.

Okay, Okay, I won't start that again. But, when I'm there I'm going to ask them to run my boat at 1,500 RPM for 5 minutes and give me the ECM printout. Just kidding .....

Don't worry, I'm OCD but thinking about medication.