Once upon a time, avid fishermen considered Cobia boats to be price-oriented, family runabouts — not something to be taken seriously for fishing. Over recent years, the company’s mission has been to dramatically boost quality, build a true offshore-capable fishing boat and change the consumers’ ”price-boat” mentality. Mission accomplished. And before you say, ”But this isn’t a new boat,” let me explain that Cobia has redesigned and retooled this boat from stem to stern. Nothing remains from the old 27. PerformanceMy research boat sported twin 225-hp Yamaha four-strokes on its transom. By now you’ve heard how much more fuel efficient and enviroclean these power plants are. But even if you ignore such benefits, I think these four-strokes would still be worth the price just for their relative silence. With the benefit of the Yamaha fuel-management system built into the gauges, it quickly becomes obvious how much you save in fuel and outboard oil. Can you imagine never having to buy another gallon of outboard oil? Nirvana.As we headed out the inlet at Panama City, Florida, we enjoyed a perfect spring day with sun and light breezes. The headboat fleet passed us, throwing set after set of 4- to 5-foot waves. Otherwise, seas ran merely a foot, occasionally 2. Consequently, I was able to assess the Cobia’s abilities in small and larger seas. The new 27 has a sharper entry, with the V running deeper and carrying farther aft. The chines reverse a little more to give a drier ride while also adding lateral stability in a drift. When drift fishing, you do hear waves lapping up under that reverse chine more than you used to, but that bit of noise certainly won’t make any difference offshore. It took a scant three seconds to climb on plane, and even in the close-together chop of the bay, it skimmed along at a comfortable cruising speed of 40 mph while burning 17 gph at 4,200 rpm. Its very respectable 56-mph top speed at 5,600 rpm used 35 gph.I love boats that help keep you out of trouble. In a sharp turn, the Cobia increasingly slid before it dipped its inside bow and spun. You’re going to be warned of impending doom long before you throw any passengers off balance. On the other hand, I promise that if you trim the engines all the way down, open the throttles wide and crank the wheel hard over, someone will pay for your lack of prudence. Be careful about radical maneuvers with the engines trimmed all the way down.Live-bait anglers will appreciate that with one engine idling in gear, the 27 ghosts along at 2 mph using too little fuel to measure. The Cobia also reacted well when that one engine pushed it up onto plane and ran 34 mph at 4,600 rpm. Now that’s an insurance policy. A new Yamaha engine-safety feature dictates that both engines must be in neutral to start one of them. FishingThe Cobia 27 center console sits in a drift with the stability of an offshore barge. Trolling speed offers two clear alleys between the subsurface prop wash and the wake from the hull. The new 27 provides more insulated storage area than its predecessor. Fish boxes and an insulated box in the forward seat all drain overboard. Fish boxes are deeper and longer, and a 25-gallon livewell has been engineered to keep baits better. A gasket around the lid seals the well. Pressurized wells don’t slosh, so your baits get treated much more gently when running offshore. Of course, you’ll also find the obligatory removable tackle boxes in the console, along with storage for two rods under and two in each gunwale.Design/ConstructionA new, low-profile bow rail fits into a shallow indent around the bow. Bottomfishermen should like the integral bow pulpit and huge anchor locker that can accommodate more than 500 feet of rode. An optional windlass is available. Other changes include the move to all stainless-steel latches and hinges, mirror-image fish boxes in the bow, an additional large, dry-storage area forward, cockpit-coaming cushions and all new graphics. I’m pleased to point out the superb swim ladder on the transom that can be deployed by someone in the water. The Cobia 27 receives high-quality components such as Armorcote gelcoats; marine-grade, corrosion-resistant electrical connectors; stainless hardware; hand-laid fiberglass; and premium resins. Post-construction foam noise; vacuum-formed reinforcements (called the RIB system) improve stress distribution, strengthening hull sides with little added weight. The wide injection throughout the hull reduces n area of contact between the structural grid system and liner is bonded with structural adhesive. And of course, being a Yamaha-owned company, every Cobia comes with Yamaha power.All in all, Cobia’s new 27 represents the company extremely well. I wish humans could be rejuvenated half as successfully.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA27 ft. 6 in.BEAM8 ft. 6 in.DEADRISE20 deg.DRAFT 1 ft. 6 in.WEIGHT3,900 lbs. (w/o power)FUEL 200 gal.MAX POWERT225-hp OBMSRP$76,235 (w/ T225 4-strokes)
Yamaha 225-hp Four-Stroke
TYPE60-degree V6DISPL.204.6 cidMAX RPM6,000HP/LB RATIO0.39FUEL SYSTEMMultiport InjectionGEAR RATIO2:1WEIGHT583 lbs.ALT. OUTPUT45 ampsMSRP$17,440As more boats turn to four-stroke power, the savings to be gained in fuel and two-stroke oil are proving dramatic. You may go through starter motors at first, though, from turning the key while the engine’s running. NOTABLE STANDARD EQUIPMENT * Low-profile bow rail * Livewell w/ high-speed pickup * 40-qt. cooler in helm seat * Cockpit toe rails * Transom seat w/removable back * Safety swim ladder
IMPRESSIONSEvery time I run a Cobia, I get reimpressed with continuous product improvement.
C & C ManufacturingPanama City, Florida850-769-0311850-769-0731 faxwww.cobiaboats.com
