Cobalt 202cs owner

[sbiddle]

I would agree with Roy J, that like any true tournament tow boat of that era...big waves have to be handled with the bow up at a lower speed or you are going to get wet. These are amazing lake boats..they are stiff and fast and handle really well. People see this boat and think it's a Donzi or some kind because most folks don't know that Cobalt ever made tournament tow boats. As for a classic mahogany chris craft...I have my eye on one of those as a companion to this boat...it's the only thing that would look "right" next to it! Cheers to summer boating.

[Roy J]

I really like your boat. Maybe because it’s just like mine — except for the engine. I’ve got the PCM GT40, which has been flawless for me.

What lake do you ski in? I see you are from Philadelphia. My wife went to Haverford, which nobody in Texas has ever heard of.

[Motex2011]

Welcome from Dallas/Possum Kingdom. First time seeing a Cobalt Ski boat. That really is beautiful. So, it looks like you have a ford 5.0 liter in it? I say that because that looks like something I owned at one time in a Mustang GT.
Thanks for posting.

[3Lakes202CS]

New to this forum. How hard was the transmission service? Just started to slip yesterday on a slalom pull.

[AsLan7]

New to this forum. How hard was the transmission service? Just started to slip yesterday on a slalom pull.

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Hey 3L. So glad you found us!

This 202CS’s are so unique. Hopefully someone here can chime in for ya. Thanks for the pic.

And welcome aboard mate!

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[3Lakes202CS]

Thank you for the welcome and the 263 is a great ride! We moved from a 253 with a 454 to the 202CS for a lot more ski friendly wake and smaller chain of lakes.

[Roy J]

The first thing I would check is your transmission fluid level. Mine was leaking and when it got low it would slip. I changed the front seal and stopped the leaking, and it has been performing fine since then. Some people advised that once it slipped, then it would be damaged. I thought I would give it a try and see if I could get more life out of it. So far so good.

It is not too hard, technically, to pull the transmission and reinstall it -- but it does take time and some work. I would say that it took me a couple hours. I watched some youtube videos and had some trial and error. The front seal is easy to replace. I found a video on rebuilding the PCM transmission, and I'm not sure I would tackle that. There is someone that specializes in rebuilding the PCM transmissions. Can't remember who, but you can find them on the Ski Nautique forums. Also, Vince at Discount Inboard Marine is very knowledgeable and a great help. Here's a video on removing the transmission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOkMeFrgv2A

I did take the time to change my damper plate while I was at it. Removing the bell housing was much more work. Here's a video on that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuZmFklTlvE

[3Lakes202CS]

Thanks, going to tackle this over the winter. Fluid was full and just getting worse and now she is put to bed so great time to address it in full. May just go the 80 route with a new transmission.

[3Lakes202CS]

Update: We went the 80 route and it runs great. I have the 40 in good shape with all accessories for $400 if someone handy wants it. Shipping shouldn't be too bad.

[Big Block Power]

If anyone is looking for one of these boats they're is one on CL in Sheboygan WI.

[Roy J]

I found the listing on Craig's List and it looks like a very nice boat. I've never seen one offered for that much money, but given the price of new boats and the quality of this model in particular, I think it is worth every penny. It may become a classic, and it certainly is the most beautiful competition waterski boat ever built. I certainly wouldn't sell mine for that price. Here's the link:
https://sheboygan.craigslist.org/boa/d/ ... 70705.html

[Big Block Power]

Yes I definitely think that model would be one to keep forever as you can't replace it with anything like it.

[Bomax]

Stunning boat.
So stunning that when I saw One for the first time last week online I decided I had to sell my Regal 18 and get one. And now I’m finalizing some financing and hope to pick mine up in a couple of weeks. I never knew I could feel so excited about the fiberglass boat. I say that because I have always had Chris craft wooden runabouts until the family Regal boat. Our Regal has a 3.0 and it is very doggy on the pull and almost impossible to hold a speed for knee boarding. I just want to hear from an owner how fast or nimble the boat will be. I have driven several Chris-Craft utility roundabouts in the 20 foot range and they all have the 95 hp K sometimes 120 hp KL. And I thought they were very nice I just cannot imagine what power must be behind this one besides the luxury I can’t take my eyes off.
The one I am getting has PerfectPass. I have a feeling these boats may hold or go up in value now because of the current trend in boat prices.

[Roy J]

My understanding is that the 202cs came with two different engines. Mine has the Pleasurecraft GT40, which is a 310 hp Ford 351. It has been a fabulous engine and the boat has tons of power. It will pull barefoot skiers with no problem, which I think is the ultimate test. That being said, it is not a particularly fast boat, with a top speed of around 40 mph. It is designed for skiing and not speed.

Mine originally came with a 3 blade nibral prop. I later switched to a 4 blade stainless steel prop because I used it in a river that had lots of floating logs which bent the nibral prop all the time. I've gotten better at avoiding logs, and I've never bent the stainless steel prop. The 4 blade prop probably dropped the top speed about 3 mph and I've been considering going back to the 3 blade. I don't have PerfectPass, which would be nice. I don't use it on a ski course, but I need to find one because my youngest daughter is really into slalom now.

I cannot recommend these boats highly enough. It has been an incredible boat. I keep up with the maintenance and it has been virtually trouble free, although parts do wear out and some maintenance is required. For example, this summer I had to replace the alternator. It cost $250 and took about 30 minutes. I replaced it with the OEM alternator since the original lasted 25 years. A few years ago I replaced the front seal on the transmission. It's been running fine, but I think eventually I'll have to replace the transmission. The boat is built really solid, and I don't think you'll ever have to worry about replacing stringers or some of the things you hear about on older boats of other ski boat brands. I fully expect to keep it running well another 25+ years.

What I love about this boat is it's beauty, quality and solid skiing platform. I would not trade it for another boat. However, there are definite trade-offs compared to other boats. In my opinion, the only other ski boat I would buy would be a Nautique, because I think they have similar quality, and it really pays to get the best boat you can buy. I think the Nautique and Mastercraft ski boats track better in the water and their handling is nothing short of amazing -- like riding on rails. My boat is very good, and excellent for how I use it, but a hard core competition skier would probably want the invisible wake of the Nautique. Also, the newer v-drive boats and I/O Cobalts don't have the mid-engine of the true competition ski boat. The room in those boats are amazing and it makes for a really fun, comfortable space for lots of people. But none of those boats are as beautiful as mine.

My boat gets pretty crowded with the engine in the middle. With a slalom skier pulling from the center pylon, nobody can ride in the back because the rope is swinging back and forth -- so I can put 2 people in the bow and 2 in the rear facing front bench -- 5 people and maybe 6 if I crowd 3 people in the bow. With all that weight in the front you can have a wake come over the bow and get wet if you don't have the power in just right. Really, 4 people is comfortable when you are slalom skiing. When I have more than that, I put a wakeboard pole on the pylon, which gets the rope over people's heads and allows the use of the back seat.

All-in-all, those are trade-offs I am happy to make, because I love driving the prettiest boat on the lake.

41DB0066-C3A7-4665-839B-8A4D74A727D3_1_105_c.jpeg

[AsLan7]

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Man I love that pic!