Boats for sale: Cobalt 262

One of the brands that has made its mark in Australia is Cobalt. It’s a brand that has had a presence here for a number of years with quality cruisers just at home on our waterways as they are on North America’s Great Lakes.

One of those boats was the Cobalt 262. Introduced in 2003 and sold until 2014, the 262 was a sign that the era of the big, brash dayboat had arrived.

Measuring 8.4 metres from stem to stern, and with a 2.58-metre beam that was a nod to its North American market origins, the Cobalt 262 was aimed squarely at the cashed-up family.

The Cobalt 262 was sold as a single model costing from around $180,000 new. For that, you bought a boat featuring anywhere from 320hp to 425hp of MerCruiser or Volvo Penta performance depending on how it was optioned at the factory.

The boat was built on a long and sleek fibreglass hull that used a relatively new material for the time, called Kevlar, to reinforce the chines. Up front was a 21-degree deep-vee hull that endowed the Cobalt 262 with some serious seakeeping ability – great for choppy waters such as Sydney Harbour.

The Cobalt 262 featured a bow lounge up the front, accessed by an amidships walk-through windscreen that split the console, with quality upholstery that set it apart from other boats. 

It set itself aside from other boats with features such as a tilt-adjustable leather-wrap steering wheel, framed in a dash full of chrome-ringed instruments and backlit stainless steel switches for electrical functions.

Vast underfloor storage pods, accessed via lift-up hatches, provided plenty of space to hide wet gear out of sight.

Comfy swivel seats were fitted behind the helm and the jump seat, while the aft lounge had a backrest that could flip-flop from one side to the other to either face into the boat, or out of it. If the boat was optioned with two engines, this apace was changed to provide a central walkthrough with a sun lounge on either side.

The portside console also featured a console toilet with a washbasin and a porthole.

Facing aft, the seat took advantage of the sterndrive engine cover to provide a large sunbed. Stainless steel cupholders are featured throughout the space.

A walkthrough transom led down to a large water-level swim deck. Options to look out for here are a drop-down swim step that made climbing back aboard so much easier, and a hand shower.

This area also had a recess for a removable stainless steel ski tow pylon.

Despite its age, the Cobalt 262’s design still looks fresh today. Much of that is down to some clever forward-thinking, such as an anchor that recesses into the stem when not in use.

Used prices today tend to reflect the enduring quality of these boats, so don’t expect to see them falling far below $100,000, and moreso if the powerplant that drives it is in good shape.