After 34 years of owning Regal boats - we switched to a Cobalt

[gallitony]

Well, it wasn't easy to switch but now that we have it's obvious that there's nothing like a Cobalt!
We bought a 2012 200 this October. It's got 180 hours and it's in beautiful condition. Also, we never had a Volvo outdrive before. Our new Cobalt has a duoprop. Any tips, suggestions, or warnings would be appreciated.

[Kyboater]

Congrats and welcome. A timeless classic color combo. One of my favs.

How do you like the Volvo compared to I’m assuming Merc before?

[tgrace98]

Welcome aboard! I’ll be interested to see what you have to say about regal. I browsed at a 2800 before buying my r7

[AsLan7]

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

Thanks for the pictures too. Great color combo....and also one of my faves.

Any engine Pics?

Yes do give us a Captain's report on your Cobalt experience vs the Regal experience. They also make some very nice boats.

How do you plan on using yours? Water sports? Cruising? Destination boating?

The Volvo DuoProps are fantastic. Just don't lose the O-ring when changing the outdrive fluid. It will last you many years.

What's going on with your spare trailer tire?

Again, welcome aboard mate!

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[Big Block Power]

Very nice. Let's get that dive oil changed. Don't cut the oring doing it though. Let's get that impeller changed. Let's change some oil and some oil and fuel filters while we are still having fun. Great boat let's getrwet and have fun

[dustinm]

Well OP you made it a lot longer than we did. After 4 years(personally) of another brand we jumped over to Cobalt also. One ride was all it took. Not to mention finding any boat last summer was a nightmare.

[kas232ca]

Looking good! Welcome.

[gallitony]

Congrats and welcome. A timeless classic color combo. One of my favs.

How do you like the Volvo compared to I’m assuming Merc before?

Thank you for your well wishes on the Cobalt. I just got the boat so no deep impressions on the Volvo vs Merc. I did notice the difference in the direct pull from a standing start and it really feels great and planes quickly. We loved our Regals.(1986 195 & 2001 2100) but Cobalt is a whole other level of craftsmanship.

Regards - Tony

[gallitony]

Congrats and welcome. A timeless classic color combo. One of my favs.

How do you like the Volvo compared to I’m assuming Merc before?

Thank you for your well wishes on the Cobalt. I just got the boat so no deep impressions on the Volvo vs Merc. I did notice the difference in the direct pull from a standing start and it really feels great and planes quickly. We loved our Regals.(1986 195 & 2001 2100) but Cobalt is a whole other level of craftsmanship.

Regards - Tony

Congrats and welcome. A timeless classic color combo. One of my favs.

How do you like the Volvo compared to I’m assuming Merc before?

Thank you for your well wishes on the Cobalt. I just got the boat so no deep impressions on the Volvo vs Merc. I did notice the difference in the direct pull from a standing start and it really feels great and planes quickly. We loved our Regals.(1986 195 & 2001 2100) but Cobalt is a whole other level of craftsmanship.

Regards - Tony

Looking good! Welcome.

Well OP you made it a lot longer than we did. After 4 years(personally) of another brand we jumped over to Cobalt also. One ride was all it took. Not to mention finding any boat last summer was a nightmare.

Definitely agree on the shortage of supply.

I'm so impressed with the quality of the materials used in the Cobalt. Regal boats look great but the little differences between the two really add up.
Thanks to all who have replied. I am happy to be part of the team.

[gallitony]

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

Thanks for the pictures too. Great color combo....and also one of my faves.

Any engine Pics?

Yes do give us a Captain's report on your Cobalt experience vs the Regal experience. They also make some very nice boats.

How do you plan on using yours? Water sports? Cruising? Destination boating?

The Volvo DuoProps are fantastic. Just don't lose the O-ring when changing the outdrive fluid. It will last you many years.

What's going on with your spare trailer tire?

Again, welcome aboard mate!

.

Hi and thank you for the welcome. We really enjoyed our time with the two Regals we owned over the years but when looking to replace our 2001 2100 the only option seemed to be the Regal 2000ES. I should note we have a size restriction on the lake so 21 ft is the max. After lots of research, I thought the Cobalt 200 looked like a better built boat. I could have bought a newer Regal for what we paid for the 2012 Cobalt but the quality of the Cobalt really impressed me. I had always admired the ones I'd see on our lake (they have a very classic look).
Thanks again to everyone for your replies. I'll be asking lots of questions so I really appreciate your help.

[AsLan7]

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

Thanks for the pictures too. Great color combo....and also one of my faves.

Any engine Pics?

Yes do give us a Captain's report on your Cobalt experience vs the Regal experience. They also make some very nice boats.

How do you plan on using yours? Water sports? Cruising? Destination boating?

The Volvo DuoProps are fantastic. Just don't lose the O-ring when changing the outdrive fluid. It will last you many years.

What's going on with your spare trailer tire?

Again, welcome aboard mate!

.

Hi and thank you for the welcome. We really enjoyed our time with the two Regals we owned over the years but when looking to replace our 2001 2100 the only option seemed to be the Regal 2000ES. I should note we have a size restriction on the lake so 21 ft is the max. After lots of research, I thought the Cobalt 200 looked like a better built boat. I could have bought a newer Regal for what we paid for the 2012 Cobalt but the quality of the Cobalt really impressed me. I had always admired the ones I'd see on our lake (they have a very classic look).
Thanks again to everyone for your replies. I'll be asking lots of questions so I really appreciate your help.

.
Thanks for the input Tony...and you'll glean much wisdom from the site as well as some good laughs.

[Big Block Power]

Nice where do you boat?
Be careful when you put it in reverse. The duoprop flies backwards. Be ready. You will like it around the dock and no wake zones. If you had the alpha drive then yes this will be so smooth for you going into gear. Get used to it. What power plant did you get?

[gallitony]

We definitely need some getting used to the Volvo. The duoprop is great but I think I have a sticky cable so it jerks when I pull back on the throttle. Makes for a fun time when docking.
The boat has the 4.3 6-cylinder w 225 hp. Our previous Regal had a Merc 5.0 v8 w 220 HP. The Regal seems faster at the top end but the time to plane on the Volvo is really great. It's much smoother too.

Regarding the jerking in the throttle when pulling back from speed.... Is anyone having a problem with this? From what I read it seems like a sticky cable but if there's an easier (cheaper) fix I'd really like to know.

Regards - Tony

[Krob1114]

We definitely need some getting used to the Volvo. The duoprop is great but I think I have a sticky cable so it jerks when I pull back on the throttle. Makes for a fun time when docking.
The boat has the 4.3 6-cylinder w 225 hp. Our previous Regal had a Merc 5.0 v8 w 220 HP. The Regal seems faster at the top end but the time to plane on the Volvo is really great. It's much smoother too.

Regarding the jerking in the throttle when pulling back from speed.... Is anyone having a problem with this? From what I read it seems like a sticky cable but if there's an easier (cheaper) fix I'd really like to know.

Regards - Tony

After our first starter boat, any major brand would have been an upgrade. I looked at two different Regals before settling on Cobalt. I did not like the throttle on either. Definitely better quality throughout Cobalt. I was told you could get a two foot bigger Regal for the same price as a Cobalt.
I didn't need the two feet. Also, we've never had a problem in 10 years of Volvo Penta.

Welcome and great boat. You might want to go through some of the threads here just for more knowledge. I know it's helped me.

[Big Block Power]

Yes your cable could be bad. I'm not sure what throttle lever you have but check your manual as there could be friction plates inside of the lever and you can adjust the tension on them and that may fix your issue. I know mine is a bit sticky but im just not ready to change them yet.