A29 at the Minneapolis boat show

[sailor55330]

I am heading to the Minneapolis boat show tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how it looks in person. I have said since I first saw the spy pic that I did not like the angular design of the seats. Something about the current rolled upholstry design that seems to be more elegant. The square edges are what I think of when I think of a traditional tow boat. No doubt it's a Malibu influence. I am going to try to have an open mind, but I don't have high hopes. The other big thing I noticed from the pictures on Cobalt's website is the number of hard, sharp corners. Go back and look at the front hand rails and the rear rub rail. amd the inside seat rails on the A29....it's sharp, pointed, steel corners..... rule one.....NEVER put sharp corners on a boat, especially in potentially wet slippery areas. One lost footing and you have a problem. With the current rails, if you slip, it hurts, but nothing like a sharp corner that could dig in. A tubular rail will give you a bad headache....a sharp corner like this will give you a skull fracture. Bad, Bad, Bad....shame on you Cobalt!!! (sorry, my previous life of cruising sailboats is coming out). That would be enough to stop me from buying it right there (assuming I was in the market).

Here's a link to the sharp corner rub rails.

https://cobaltboats.com/sterndrive/a-series/a29/#

Ok, rant over.

[jhnmdahl]

I saw it too and it looks pretty sharp - the fit and finish, colors, and tech are what you would expect from Cobalt.

The only things I'm lukewarm on are the combination of square edges and curved parts that seem to be increasingly common in cars as well. I just don't think a square edge to an upholstery piece, cabin element, or other feature looks as refined or elegant as a curved edge. I get that it's the new style and they have to evolve to stay current, but not what I would have picked.

And a big thanks to Erickson Marine, our local Cobalt dealer in the Twin Cities, for hosting the Cobalt booth and welcoming me to the boat show yet again.

[Snowman8]

I had the same thoughts about all of the square edges and corners too.

I will also thank Erickson Marine for letting me loiter around their booths for way longer than I should! Great dealership!

[sailor55330]

The A29 was ok. I liked the exterior lines better than the interior. I wasn't a huge fan of the helm seat configuration. I am 6ft tall and if I sat on the bench, my feed barely touched the ground. The layout is very angular on the interior. Maybe it's something that grows on you over time, but not really my favorite. The A29 is going after a much different demographic than the R in my opinion. Overall, I don't honestly know if I like the boat. I did see the swim mat system. I'll give you it's some pretty cool innovation, I don't think I would spend the $ on it. If I remember, it's almost a 9k option. That's spendy.

And yes, Erickson was a great host.

[Cobalt272!]

My take is that Cobalt is trying to do things from a design and feature perspective that the boat just doesn't support.

I can't wrap my head around no twin engine option on a 29ft boat that's supposed to represent their flagship line. Seems like some of the design 'enhancements' had impacts to other areas - stern entrance walkway, stern roll out flotation, cuddy area under cockpit, etc.

That said, I'm sure the boat will 'ind it's place for many buyers. I agree, hard to beat a nicely optioned R-series.

[AsLan7]

My take is that Cobalt is trying to do things from a design and feature perspective that the boat just doesn't support.

I can't wrap my head around no twin engine option on a 29ft boat that's supposed to represent their flagship line. Seems like some of the design 'enhancements' had impacts to other areas - stern entrance walkway, stern roll out flotation, cuddy area under cockpit, etc.

That said, I'm sure the boat will find it's place for many buyers. I agree, hard to beat a nicely optioned R-series.

+1 my friend.

[Tuscany]

Yeah, it would be an easy pass for me.
The absence of optional twins on a boat that size?
Deal killer.

The bow section is not what I would want. It’s hard to beat the common sense design of side by side lounge seating with a center walk through. The 29 bow looks to be designed different just to be...different, and it certainly wouldn’t work for me. The passengers back it turned to where the boat is going, and the forward facing side by side seat looks awkward for the passengers..at best. Might be fine for entertaining, but for us, the entertainment is boating, not sitting.