R6 Impressions
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:53 pm
My dealer finally got a new R6 in and I went down yesterday to have a look. He also had a new R3 in the showroom so I was able to go back and forth between the two boats to get a feel for the differences. My impressions:
- The caramel colour on the boat interior looks really nice and the wood trim (gray) adds some warmth;
- I thought I wouldn't like the new angular interior design but it is a nice updated change. In a way, looking at the rear seat cushion and bench on the R3, it looks a bit "old fashioned";
- The quality of materials in the R6 are good and fit and finish are very good as well, but you can tell Cobalt has made some design changes to save money. The smooth bench material as opposed to the pebbled/stitched quilted detail on the R3 looks good, but clearly it saves production cost;
- I wondered whether the grab handle forward of the rear bench would bang the back of one's calves (sort of does, but not a big problem), but at 5' 8" I was surprised that when sitting on the rear bench, my feet don't touch the floor. Not a big fan of that, but it will be more comfortable for 5' 9" people and taller. Not sure what typically shorter women will say. I like having my feet on the deck to help steady me as the boat bounces through the water;
- The R6 is a bigger boat than my R3 and it is evident when you go from boat to boat. The engine cover is quite a bit heavier as well. For those who do daily engine checks or store stuff on the port side of the engine (lots of space), I'd order the electric lift;
- Speaking of the engine compartment, while there isn't as much access on the starboard side, there is a huge amount of space forward of the engine, giving very easy access to the drive belt and ancillaries so service should be quite easy;
- The gel coat finish in all areas of the inner hull really step the interior up quite a bit;
- The co pilot's seat cushion doesn't lift up the way it does on the R3/5/7, it pulls out of the way to expose a fully finished (gelcoat and carpet) area that eliminates the irritating problem of phones and other small items slipping through the seats back "slot". Much appreciated. You do lose the built in cooler though. That feature is now only under the starboard seating cushion;
- The helm is an interesting change. I love the bigger Garmin units but the steering wheel seems toy like and I wonder if the smaller gap between the top of the instrument binnacle and the window frame will make motoring less enjoyable?
- The boat I was on had the larger Garmin units. I had to turn the boat's main power on when I got on it and then turned the ignition on and it seems like it took forever for the Garmin's to boot up. I don't know if it has anything to do with just having turned on the main power (I don't think there is any power to the Garmin with the power on and ignition off) but much slower than the units on my R3. I found that pretty annoying;
- The helm seat is wider. I don't find the seat that comfortable - its pretty hard and doesn't really form to the body, but its not much different that the seat on my R3. Maybe it softens up with use as I don't find a problem with my seat;
- Under floor storage is pretty versatile. The rear and middle hatches provide access to the same long ski locker. No longer any need to crawl under the floor to reach to find an item that has shifted well forward. You can just open the next hatch. There is the third hatch in the bow area which is a separate compartment. There is also a small one at the stern walk through. That one has a drain. I didn't check the others. All of the spaces are finished with smooth gel coat making clean up easy;
- The windshield frame has stainless capping but the rest of the framing is painted black. I don't think it looks as good and suspect it is a cost saving measure. The windscreen on the surf series is much nicer looking, but you can't get that option on the stern drive version;
- The wind stop uses a different lock for the middle folding point. It's a bit fiddly until you figure out how it works. Maybe it will rattle less. The push bolt latch for the bulkhead attachment point wasn't aligned well and took some messing with to get it to slide home (early production?);
- The head area is pretty roomy although when siting on the toilet your left shoulder is right up against the centreline bulkhead. Luckily its padded so no bruising. The boat I was on had a port light but for $745.00 I think I'd skip it. There is a good light in the compartment. I know many people on the forum don't see the need for a head, but if I ordered my boat with one I'd pay the extra for an electric flush unit and get a sink. the ladies don't want someone coming down after they've done their business to show them how to clear the bowl. the electric head is just a push button affair. I guess it depends on how (and where) you boat and how long you'd have to travel to get to a washroom facility for a #2 job. As a final point, in my jurisdiction, you need a head and sink to be legal for open alcohol.
- I measured the bow area and found that it has about the same amount of length as the R3. That means that all of the added space is aft of the front windshield. The boat doesn't seem that much larger until you get off it, sit in the R3 and then come back. You can see the stretched side benches in the R6. the angle of the bow seat backs is the same as in the R3, so very comfortable;
- I'm not a big fan of the bow layout on the starboard side (R6). There is no flip out leg support (as per the R5), which is a miss as far as I am concerned. The footwell isn't that roomy (fore/aft) so the more comfortable position is with your feet up, but there isn't any support. I'm sure things are better on the R8 with more footwell space, but I think there should be a filler cushion offered for this side, even if it isn't a flip out style;
Overall, I like the boat. Would I buy one? Yes, but not without a water test. I'd like to see how snappy it feels coming out of the water and how it handles. It also has me thinking about a surf version but it is a pretty big $$ step up from my 2019 R3 and my kids aren't ready to start surfing yet. At the moment, I'm thinking I'd hang onto my boat for another year until some surf reviews are in and we have more real world experience with that boat.
I was against the angular design of the interior, but after spending some time in it (about 45 minutes), I got used to it and looking at the R3, felt it was a fresh change.
Happy Boating!
- The caramel colour on the boat interior looks really nice and the wood trim (gray) adds some warmth;
- I thought I wouldn't like the new angular interior design but it is a nice updated change. In a way, looking at the rear seat cushion and bench on the R3, it looks a bit "old fashioned";
- The quality of materials in the R6 are good and fit and finish are very good as well, but you can tell Cobalt has made some design changes to save money. The smooth bench material as opposed to the pebbled/stitched quilted detail on the R3 looks good, but clearly it saves production cost;
- I wondered whether the grab handle forward of the rear bench would bang the back of one's calves (sort of does, but not a big problem), but at 5' 8" I was surprised that when sitting on the rear bench, my feet don't touch the floor. Not a big fan of that, but it will be more comfortable for 5' 9" people and taller. Not sure what typically shorter women will say. I like having my feet on the deck to help steady me as the boat bounces through the water;
- The R6 is a bigger boat than my R3 and it is evident when you go from boat to boat. The engine cover is quite a bit heavier as well. For those who do daily engine checks or store stuff on the port side of the engine (lots of space), I'd order the electric lift;
- Speaking of the engine compartment, while there isn't as much access on the starboard side, there is a huge amount of space forward of the engine, giving very easy access to the drive belt and ancillaries so service should be quite easy;
- The gel coat finish in all areas of the inner hull really step the interior up quite a bit;
- The co pilot's seat cushion doesn't lift up the way it does on the R3/5/7, it pulls out of the way to expose a fully finished (gelcoat and carpet) area that eliminates the irritating problem of phones and other small items slipping through the seats back "slot". Much appreciated. You do lose the built in cooler though. That feature is now only under the starboard seating cushion;
- The helm is an interesting change. I love the bigger Garmin units but the steering wheel seems toy like and I wonder if the smaller gap between the top of the instrument binnacle and the window frame will make motoring less enjoyable?
- The boat I was on had the larger Garmin units. I had to turn the boat's main power on when I got on it and then turned the ignition on and it seems like it took forever for the Garmin's to boot up. I don't know if it has anything to do with just having turned on the main power (I don't think there is any power to the Garmin with the power on and ignition off) but much slower than the units on my R3. I found that pretty annoying;
- The helm seat is wider. I don't find the seat that comfortable - its pretty hard and doesn't really form to the body, but its not much different that the seat on my R3. Maybe it softens up with use as I don't find a problem with my seat;
- Under floor storage is pretty versatile. The rear and middle hatches provide access to the same long ski locker. No longer any need to crawl under the floor to reach to find an item that has shifted well forward. You can just open the next hatch. There is the third hatch in the bow area which is a separate compartment. There is also a small one at the stern walk through. That one has a drain. I didn't check the others. All of the spaces are finished with smooth gel coat making clean up easy;
- The windshield frame has stainless capping but the rest of the framing is painted black. I don't think it looks as good and suspect it is a cost saving measure. The windscreen on the surf series is much nicer looking, but you can't get that option on the stern drive version;
- The wind stop uses a different lock for the middle folding point. It's a bit fiddly until you figure out how it works. Maybe it will rattle less. The push bolt latch for the bulkhead attachment point wasn't aligned well and took some messing with to get it to slide home (early production?);
- The head area is pretty roomy although when siting on the toilet your left shoulder is right up against the centreline bulkhead. Luckily its padded so no bruising. The boat I was on had a port light but for $745.00 I think I'd skip it. There is a good light in the compartment. I know many people on the forum don't see the need for a head, but if I ordered my boat with one I'd pay the extra for an electric flush unit and get a sink. the ladies don't want someone coming down after they've done their business to show them how to clear the bowl. the electric head is just a push button affair. I guess it depends on how (and where) you boat and how long you'd have to travel to get to a washroom facility for a #2 job. As a final point, in my jurisdiction, you need a head and sink to be legal for open alcohol.
- I measured the bow area and found that it has about the same amount of length as the R3. That means that all of the added space is aft of the front windshield. The boat doesn't seem that much larger until you get off it, sit in the R3 and then come back. You can see the stretched side benches in the R6. the angle of the bow seat backs is the same as in the R3, so very comfortable;
- I'm not a big fan of the bow layout on the starboard side (R6). There is no flip out leg support (as per the R5), which is a miss as far as I am concerned. The footwell isn't that roomy (fore/aft) so the more comfortable position is with your feet up, but there isn't any support. I'm sure things are better on the R8 with more footwell space, but I think there should be a filler cushion offered for this side, even if it isn't a flip out style;
Overall, I like the boat. Would I buy one? Yes, but not without a water test. I'd like to see how snappy it feels coming out of the water and how it handles. It also has me thinking about a surf version but it is a pretty big $$ step up from my 2019 R3 and my kids aren't ready to start surfing yet. At the moment, I'm thinking I'd hang onto my boat for another year until some surf reviews are in and we have more real world experience with that boat.
I was against the angular design of the interior, but after spending some time in it (about 45 minutes), I got used to it and looking at the R3, felt it was a fresh change.
Happy Boating!
