New Cobalt 23SC for Newbies

[rdcd]

Hi, everyone. New to the forum and to boating. We're thinking about ordering a Cobalt 23SC, which will be used for cruising, with little or no company, just the two of us, no skiing or fishing, little or no offshore cruising beyond a few miles. Little or no night-time boating. Will be kept in dry storage and will probably be able to keep bimini up while on the rack (do people do this?).

-Outboard, Mercury 250 or 300. Not sure what we need. Would a 300 be overkill for our uses?
-Electric head (no macerator), portal light, sink console.
-No XM weather or sat radio. Will use a handheld VHF.
-No sport tower, still undecided on arch or bimini. Want as much shade as possible, especially over the operator, and easiest to use. Maybe electric?
-Not sure we want LED lighting since we won’t do night boating.
-Dual battery w ACR. We understand that this is good to have.
-Maybe rearview mirror
-Dinette table
-Bow and transom shower
-Port boarding ladder
-Not sure about carpet vs seagrass. Any thoughts?
-Any thoughts on covers?

We would welcome any suggestions you have.

[AsLan7]

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Hey Rdcd. Welcome to the CobaltChat forum. So glad you found us!

Sounds like a great boat for ya' . Merc 300 would be perfect for her with no regrets down the road. Make that happen.

I'm a carpet fan for cushy feet and no heat but Sea Grass seems to win out with most folks as they do love how easy it is and the sharp looks that come with it plus the low maintenance.

Nice job ordering with ACR and dual batteries.

Our first Cobalt had a bimini and it was simple to extend and retract. Our current Cobalt has the tower which we wanted for water sports but the bimini is definitely a workout. Would not have a boat without it though for water sports. If you don't plan on doing any wakeboarding then you can skip the arch. Resale is a little better with the arch but you probably won't notice that for the cost you have to pay for that option. Plus dry stacking is easy with a bimini vs a tower.

You can always upgrade your bulbs to LED down the road. It's easy.

Premium sound is a nice option. Did not see that listed in your post. No need for Platinum.

Others will chime in shortly.

Again, welcome aboard mate!

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[Big Block Power]

Welcome. Sea grass 100% for down there. Spray a little water on it and it stays cool. Just be careful it's very light and the wind will catch it if you take it out to clean it. Led don't bother if you're not going to use it. Premium sound yep. My binimi is super easy to put up with a tower. Guess I would find out which one gives you more coverage. Can you get sail shades for the bow and stern. Then a tower would be nicer.
Merc. 300. Get more now. You will be happier in the end. What colors you going with? All white and gray trim? Still get a cover even though it's going in dry storage. Keep the dust and dirt out. Plus What every drips from above. Make sure they get the salt water package on the engine and the boat. Congrats and can't wait for pictures

[Ytmsn]

Welcome from Oklahoma! What they said. But I would add, is this a forever boat or do you see yourself selling down the road? Any add-ons will help your resale. Some stuff, like LEDs can be added later. A tower can be too, but having the factory put it on is way better. You can keep your bimini deployed on a lift but not while its sitting on a trailer, unless your not going very far to launch. As BB said, get a cover to keep the nasty out. If your bimini is always deployed it will get nasty too. But more importantly, at some point you may hook on to the boat and take off down the road because it's always been out... and then you realize your going 60 down the hi-way and your bimini is blown up like a parachute! Along g with all the tips and tears. Sure, we run 50 or so all the time with it out. But on a trailer it catches more air and it'll damage it.
Good luck on your decisions!

[kas232ca]

Welcome!

Not sure where you are at or how much it costs, but I would consider the XM Weather. Especially offshore if T-storms are a threat. I have not been in a boat with it, but have seen it in aircraft.