Cobaltchat.com

We are long time boaters who sold a sailboat last year and replaced it in with a Cobalt 220. Our current lifestyle seems to better fit day boating than the cruising and racing we used to do so we are really looking forward to our new Cobalt. It is ready to go but came with almost nothing, like anchor & rode, fenders & dock lines, safety gear etc so I am interested in ideas on what to get (sizes etc). Looking forward to learning from this community!

Welcome from Wisconsin. We need pictures.

Specs
Year
Colors

You must have Led lights and lots of them.
This sounds like a open check book. This could be fun.

Welcome ajaVT!!! You've found the perfect group of guys and one girl (me) to help you find ALL the things you need...we specialize in spending other people's money!

As part of your initiation to the group, it is required you post of pics and give us all the juicy boat details!

You have plenty of threads to read up on here while you wait for spring like most of us here!!!!

The photos I have were taken quickly when I was water testing in the fall so most are not the best but this one shows her well. Spring can't get here soon enough!

Welcome from California!! That's great looking and I like the dark brown edge on the sun pad ( as it always gets rubbed)

Yes you qualify with your great pic and we look forward to more. Please get us some interior shots as it looks laid out nice.

You'll get used to not yelling out " Tacking" after a day or 2...

Love it. Looks very sharp.
I would suggest reading some good threads and then posting after that. In those threads. If you want pictures of what we are using no problem we got pictures.
Read the safety thread, towing and anchors thread. And so many more.
Lots of great info and some not So great info. Also your thread will get derailed don't worry it will get back on track after awhile.
Again welcome and help us get through this winter and onto spring. If you can't read something I typed don't worry your not the only one.
Pot the Jus

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Hey ajaVT.
Welcome to the CobaltChat forum. You are THE FIRST NEW MEMBER OF 2018!!,....So glad you found us!!!

Great looking vessel you got there. You’re going to make some great memories up there in Vermont.

Although there are times I would rather be on the lake sailing, I much prefer being on the water with our Cobalt. Hopefully you will find the same joy from your powerboat adventures.

Hope you stay around awhile. Feel free to explore the site and ask away. As iron sharpens iron, we all learn from each other here.

Again, welcome aboard!!
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Welcome!

What depth water do you typically anchor in? Is it a lake with no current, or river with current? Any idea what the bottom is like, muddy, rocky, sandy, etc? There are several styles of anchor to choose from depending on type of bottom, and different sizes depending on how big you boat is and what type of water you are in. It would also help to know if you are anchoring and floating for a day or depending on an anchor to keep you still overnight while people are asleep. I actually have 3 anchors in my boat, one beach spike anchor and two fluke style. 13# for the main, and 8# as a backup. Those are probably a size smaller than I should have gone too, but we don't boat where there's much current. I'd be keeping a close eye on things in a strong wind though. Also have 100' of rode on both, which is about the minimum I'm comfortable carrying. If you do it by the book, you're supposed to have a minimum of 3x the anchor depth in rode out, up to 7x depending on wind and current.

As for fenders, I just got a set of G4 size ones for my 25 footer. There are charts out there that recommend different size fenders for different size boats. I like the G4 size for a runabout. Big enough without being bulky.

Dock lines, I went with a set of 4, 15 ft in length, never know when you will need the extra length in some kind of funky configuration or a dock cleat will be missing or broken. Even had once already in the 4 months I've owned the boat where I could have used an extra 5-10 feet.

Safety gear varies by state, and the Coast Guard has their own requirements too if you plan to boat where they have jurisdiction. Your local fish & wildlife office or whoever manages watercraft registration in your state should have the relevant info. Usually the minimums are enough life jackets on board for all passengers, a throwable floatation device, fire extinguisher, noise maker (horn on the boat may qualify). Some places require flares too, AZ does not so I'm unfamiliar with them. Some places may require a paddle too. We always had one in our boat growing up, although AZ does not require it. I don't have one now.

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Check out these threads too, ajaVT...


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viewtopic.php?f=47&t=538&p=6815&hilit=Fenders#p6815
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viewtopic.php?f=27&t=553&hilit=Tool+kit

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I use a 15# digger anchor. It holds great and fits in the bow anchor locker. Use 3/8 x 15 ft lines. 6 inch fenders. I have a smaller anchor to tie off the rear or to anchor at sand bars if it's not rough out. Lots off water sport equipment. Plenty of life jackets and safety equipment. Throwables. Extra's of everything. Cobalt flag.
The Cobalt upgrade thread I feel is a great thread of what we have fine to personalize our boats.

Pot the jus!

Welcome from Oklahoma! Thats a good looking boat and super clear water. What lake is that?

Thunder hit a lot of good points. There's so much good info on this site I recommend you settle in and read as much as you can when time allows, and you'll learn a lot. Don't just read and lurk though! Join in on the conversation, ask questions, and soon you'll understand some of our quirks. (We have lots of them. BB for example)

Welcome ajaVT, I use 4 x 8” Taylor’s on the fender clips. I also carry 3 x 6” spares.
+1 on the digger anchor.
6 x 15’ x 3/8” mooring lines onboard.
Small tool box with the usual goodies.
Emergency life vest for all onboard, and an assortment of ski vest for water sports.
First Aid kit
Jumper battery pack
Spot light (battery powered)
Fire extinguisher

Maybe a few more items.

Aja - Welcome from lovely western NY. Very nice setup there. Going to have to see more pics. What lake is that?

I also love to sail. Are you a Steely Dan fan?

liquid wrote: Fri Feb 02, 2018 2:58 pm Are you a Steely Dan fan?

...says the steel can fan.