1998 Cobalt 202cs

[Halala]

I am looking at a 98 Cobalt 202cs ski boat tomorrow.
I have never seen one but need a little advice on it, there is limited info out there on these.
~200 hours, good condition, one owner, dry stacked since new, no trailer.
Can buy for £4K but would need to locate trailer.
Will this be a decent boat for 1. slalom skiing and 2. kids wakeboarding?

[AsLan7]

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Hey Halala. Welcome to the Cobaltchat forum. So glad you found us!

That could be a nice little ski boat for ya. I believe it was Cobalt’s attempt at the inboard ski boat market long before Malibu bought them. You don’t see too many around. It should certainly do what your asking.

To help us, give us a little more background. Does it have a tower? Any links? Engine make and model?

Where are you going to be boating with her? Are you located in England with that price?

Again welcome aboard mate!

.

[Roy J]

I have owned a 202cs since I bought it new in 1997. It is a fantastic boat, and I would bet that you cannot find a better used boat to buy, certainly at that price. The quality is fantastic, and it is the most beautiful ski boat you will ever find. I cannot say enough good things about it.

It is a really good slalom boat, particularly at ski course speeds. The wake flattens out nicely at high speeds. That being said, I'm not sure if the wake is as good as a Ski Nautique, but for the recreational slalom skier it is nice. I'd rather have my Cobalt than a Nautique.

For wakeboarding, at slower speeds it puts out a pretty nice wake. I've never added a fat sack, but you could remove the rear seat and put one in and I bet it would make a fantastic wakeboard wake. I do not have a tower because I don't want to destroy the looks of the boat. I use a 7" wakeboard pole that fits over the pylon, and that works pretty well. Sometimes I've had a couple heavy guys sit on the back of the boat and it makes a great wake.

Mechanically, my boat has been extremely reliable over the years. You will probably have some work to do since this boat hasn't seen much use, but the bones are great and it should not be too much trouble. Importantly, the hull is made of Kevlar and there are no wood stringers to rot, which I've read about similar vintage Ski Nautique owners having to replace, which is a major job. The Cobalt is a great platform to own for a long time. Any work you have to put into it to get it in shape will pay off with years of reliable boating.

The PCM GT40 engine is fantastic and it will probably start on your first try. I've never had starting problems, even if the boat has been sitting a year. The PCM 40i transmission is also really good and rugged. I just replaced my front seal because it was leaking, which was a job, but it stopped the leak and is still running perfectly.

A few things I have done maintenance wise are replacing the exhaust hose, replaced the starter, replaced 2 or 3 starter solenoids and replaced the interior.

You should buy that boat. It is a real find. I don't think you'll regret it.

[Big Block Power]

That will be a great boat for skiing. Very low hours. For that money that is a steal. That boat would go for double that amount over here. You might be able to find a Mastercraft or malibu or a Nautique trailer though. Can't wait to see pictures. Welcome from across the pond!

[Big Block Power]

I have owned a 202cs since I bought it new in 1997. It is a fantastic boat, and I would bet that you cannot find a better used boat to buy, certainly at that price. The quality is fantastic, and it is the most beautiful ski boat you will ever find. I cannot say enough good things about it.

It is a really good slalom boat, particularly at ski course speeds. The wake flattens out nicely at high speeds. That being said, I'm not sure if the wake is as good as a Ski Nautique, but for the recreational slalom skier it is nice. I'd rather have my Cobalt than a Nautique.

For wakeboarding, at slower speeds it puts out a pretty nice wake. I've never added a fat sack, but you could remove the rear seat and put one in and I bet it would make a fantastic wakeboard wake. I do not have a tower because I don't want to destroy the looks of the boat. I use a 7" wakeboard pole that fits over the pylon, and that works pretty well. Sometimes I've had a couple heavy guys sit on the back of the boat and it makes a great wake.

Mechanically, my boat has been extremely reliable over the years. You will probably have some work to do since this boat hasn't seen much use, but the bones are great and it should not be too much trouble. Importantly, the hull is made of Kevlar and there are no wood stringers to rot, which I've read about similar vintage Ski Nautique owners having to replace, which is a major job. The Cobalt is a great platform to own for a long time. Any work you have to put into it to get it in shape will pay off with years of reliable boating.

The PCM GT40 engine is fantastic and it will probably start on your first try. I've never had starting problems, even if the boat has been sitting a year. The PCM 40i transmission is also really good and rugged. I just replaced my front seal because it was leaking, which was a job, but it stopped the leak and is still running perfectly.

A few things I have done maintenance wise are replacing the exhaust hose, replaced the starter, replaced 2 or 3 starter solenoids and replaced the interior.

You should buy that boat. It is a real find. I don't think you'll regret it.

Wow. Thanks welcome. That is a great first post!! If you can go to the new Member section and introduce yourself with pictures of you and your boat or just your boat that would be awesome!
I see your from Texas and what land do you visit.

[AsLan7]

I have owned a 202cs since I bought it new in 1997. It is a fantastic boat, and I would bet that you cannot find a better used boat to buy, certainly at that price. The quality is fantastic, and it is the most beautiful ski boat you will ever find. I cannot say enough good things about it.

It is a really good slalom boat, particularly at ski course speeds. The wake flattens out nicely at high speeds. That being said, I'm not sure if the wake is as good as a Ski Nautique, but for the recreational slalom skier it is nice. I'd rather have my Cobalt than a Nautique.

For wakeboarding, at slower speeds it puts out a pretty nice wake. I've never added a fat sack, but you could remove the rear seat and put one in and I bet it would make a fantastic wakeboard wake. I do not have a tower because I don't want to destroy the looks of the boat. I use a 7" wakeboard pole that fits over the pylon, and that works pretty well. Sometimes I've had a couple heavy guys sit on the back of the boat and it makes a great wake.

Mechanically, my boat has been extremely reliable over the years. You will probably have some work to do since this boat hasn't seen much use, but the bones are great and it should not be too much trouble. Importantly, the hull is made of Kevlar and there are no wood stringers to rot, which I've read about similar vintage Ski Nautique owners having to replace, which is a major job. The Cobalt is a great platform to own for a long time. Any work you have to put into it to get it in shape will pay off with years of reliable boating.

The PCM GT40 engine is fantastic and it will probably start on your first try. I've never had starting problems, even if the boat has been sitting a year. The PCM 40i transmission is also really good and rugged. I just replaced my front seal because it was leaking, which was a job, but it stopped the leak and is still running perfectly.

A few things I have done maintenance wise are replacing the exhaust hose, replaced the starter, replaced 2 or 3 starter solenoids and replaced the interior.

You should buy that boat. It is a real find. I don't think you'll regret it.

Wow. Thanks welcome. That is a great first post!! If you can go to the new Member section and introduce yourself with pictures of you and your boat or just your boat that would be awesome!
I see your from Texas and what land do you visit.

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+1!

....and I should say welcome aboard mates!

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[Roy J]

Here's a couple pics of mine.

IMG_5299.jpeg

IMG_5297.jpeg

IMG_5301.jpeg

Also, I had a trailer built for my boat. It is not designed correctly for an inboard, but it gets it around. I always remove the prop when I trailer it because it hangs down low. I've never had any trouble doing this.

IMG_5300.jpeg

[AsLan7]

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Wow. Roy she looks brand new Thank you for posting pics!

Strange to see only one exhaust port on the transom.



Pleeeeze post an engine pic. We just don’t see this model too often. Especially in the shape yours is in.
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[Big Block Power]

A7 very common on a inboard to only have 1 exhaust outlet.
I can't see what you circled. I just see a shadow from the prop mount and the tiedown buckle strap?

[Big Block Power]

That's very rare to have that nice of a open bow in a ski boat also. Great job keeping her looking like new!!!
And of course classic Cobalt colors!!

[AsLan7]

A7 very common on a inboard to only have 1 exhaust outlet.
I can't see what you circled. I just see a shadow from the prop mount and the tiedown buckle strap?

.

Ah yes. It’s just that I’m used to seeing two with all of our I/O boats experience.
Maybe it’s time for him to add a fresh air system.

It was the inboard prop shaft that looked like some type of an add on at first glance. I deleted it after analyzing it some more. You’re fast brutha.

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[Big Block Power]

A7 very common on a inboard to only have 1 exhaust outlet.
I can't see what you circled. I just see a shadow from the prop mount and the tiedown buckle strap?

.

Ah yes. It’s just that I’m used to seeing two with all of our I/O boats experience.
Maybe it’s time for him to add a fresh air system.

It was the inboard prop shaft that looked like some type of an add on at first glance. I deleted it after analyzing it some more. You’re fast brutha.

.

I'm on it!!
Also the GT-40a great engine 5.8 Ford 351.
The other question is how hard are parts to get for this engine? Maybe 1 good thing is it was a common set up for quite some time with Nautique.

[Roy J]

I get my parts at Discount Inboard Marine and haven’t any trouble. Actually, some parts can come from the auto parts store since it’s a Ford. Vince at DIM is a great resource on mechanical issues. I really haven’t had many problems in 22 years.

Here’s the engine pic.



By the way, can you rotate inserted photos on the iPhone?
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[AsLan7]

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Thank you RJ!....and rotated for ya’.

Btw, if you want to rotate a pic, just take a screen shot of it and save it to your photos. Then open the photo on your phone, select edit, rotate, save. Upload that one.

[akorcovelos]

Wow, never seen one! That is a stunning ski boat, way better looking than the same vintage competitors!