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Wonder when Cobalt starts adding terraces to their larger OB bowriders? That solves the swim platform limitations on a traditional OB BR.

Four Winns now has them on their 29' H9. Pretty cool.

Simple:

Salt water: outboards

Fresh water: inboard

Four Winns seems to have a great solution for those wanting OB power, but also wanting lots of swim platform real estate. They offer the same boat with an I/O and the folding terraces as well, but a single I/O pushing a 30' and 8k # boat seems underpowered unless it was a blue Merc.

Be cool if Cobalt looked into terraces on some of the larger R series.

JimGilly wrote: Tue Aug 05, 2025 3:02 pm Simple:

Salt water: outboards

Fresh water: inboard

Never quite understood that thought. Been boating in SW all my life and won't buy a boat not FW cooled.

True, but look in the engine compartment of a salt water used inboard. Everything in there will exhibit corrosion sooner or later; fire ext and its base, battery trays, hose clamps, etc. Much less of an issue with outboards.

And the convenience of an inboard, in fresh water, is to me noticeable; swim platform use, lake floating, ingress/egress much better from an inboard.

JimGilly wrote: Sun Aug 17, 2025 1:08 pm True, but look in the engine compartment of a salt water used inboard. Everything in there will exhibit corrosion sooner or later; fire ext and its base, battery trays, hose clamps, etc. Much less of an issue with outboards.

And the convenience of an inboard, in fresh water, is to me noticeable; swim platform use, lake floating, ingress/egress much better from an inboard.

Really no different than what can be caused by the cowling of an outboard. Hitting it with with a coat of Boeshield T-9 when you shut it down for the winter goes a long way, I/O or OB.

Boeshield T-9 (which is their only product) has kind of a neat back story. Boeing needed something to protect airplanes that were parked for long-term storage from corroding, and products like WD-40 that were on the market at the time didn't do the trick. Boeshield has some heavier dissolved waxes in it that protect better, and it's been a popular item to prevent corrosion for tons of industries and hobbies ever since.

I love the stuff. It was part of the care package I received when I purchased my 2002 206. Used it every fall until I sold the boat in 2021. Guy that bought the boat could not believe the condition of the engine. I use it to this day as part of the winter storage.