Cobalt 303 2008

Cobalt Boats has announced the launch of the 303, a go-anywhere do-anything amalgam of functionality and flat-out style. A true dayboat ready for unforgettable exchanges of sunshine and moonlight, the 303 brings along all the comforts, all the convenience appropriate to the best evenings away from home.

Because roominess is central to the enjoyment of a boat meant for family and friends, the 303 means space, lots of space, thoughtfully used bow to stern. The spaciousness begins in the raising of the deck, up a full four inches over its sister ship the 302, thereby multiplying room in the cabin, ensuring easy access and comfortable use.

As always, accessibility remains a key Cobalt virtue: the 303's cockpit doors are exceptionally wide, wider even than those on Cobalt's new line of yachts. Easily accessed storage waits everywhere, below the hot-water sink, for example. Aft, the 303 again combines massive storage below the sunpad with a broad, comfortable expanse above, an ice chest right there and hot water waiting in the optional transom shower for an after-swim pick-me-up. The 303's generator sets below a removable storage tub, and this sort of convenience is absolutely typical of the boat's design, as in dual access to the engine compartment, with improved elbow-room around both engines.

Meanwhile, a design element as basic as seat positioning does wonders for onboard interaction: the cockpit passenger seats face forward, while cabin seats face aft, thereby pulling onboard guests together in clear, quiet conversation. Here again are the little nuances of Cobalt tradition, from the flip-seat portside to the stairstep's handrail, each a subtle instance of safety and comfort bred into design that can be only Cobalt.

The 303's cockpit is a study in form serving function. A place for everything, and everything serving some ultimate purpose. "Entertaining" is a key word in the 303's mission statement, and so the cockpit fans out from the sink and refrigerator with a built-in ice chest nearby, a chest that adapts immediately to a trashcan insert, by the way. The 303 shows off in its details: at the fridge's door with its close-formed finish and the piano hinge running its entire length; in such details as the immediately availability of an iPod/MP3 port. At the cockpit's aft walkthrough, a gate keeps guard for any little ones aboard. Four speakers project the tunes all around, with an optional subwoofer available for emphasis. A bimini top is standard.

The 303's helm is pure functionality, its striking good looks notwithstanding. The steering wheel is stainless, set ahead of pushbutton switches, continuing a design trend throughout Cobalt's new boats. Helm options extend the 303's navigational expertise, most especially with a global-positioning system and radar nestled on an optional arch with hardtop. The captain can call up the horsepower appropriate to the recreational needs of the moment - 425 horses apiece from big MerCruiser 496 Mags, 420 from the Volvo Penta 8.1 GXI DP with its optional closed cooling system. Livorsi engine controls are standard equipment for all 303s running twins.

It's in the cabin, however, that the 303 shows its true colors. Enter the 303's cabin, and prepare to stretch out. A guest standing six-foot-three can sit here with a full foot of headroom above; he can stand straight-up at the galley, positioned as it is just off the walk-thru from the cabin. And all around him raw materials of consequence: cedar in the locker, fine-grain leathers in the seat and in the valences. With mirrors forward to accent the roominess, and an enclosed head unit with shower to ensure at-home sorts of comfort. Come bedtime, the 303 sleeps two in all-night comfort, as the optional TV/DVD flat screen dims, Letterman's monologue complete, as the stereo speakers bring up some cool jazz at low volume.

Beneath the subtle elegance of the 303's fit and finish, strength and support remain the true hallmarks of its design. For instance, the 303 rides atop a fiberglass liner, meaning that any little spills or leaks will drain quickly away, no damage done. And, as all across the 2008 model line, the 303 goes to sea with all the expectable Cobalt distinctions of construction: metal backing plates, embedded in the hardware, to solidify every piece of hardware bow to stern; a heavy-gauge stainless scuff plate to guard the gelcoat during trailering (another Cobalt first); oversized ski tows mounted high to structural steel supports; all Cobalt canvas fitted to stainless steel frames for matchless strength and resistance to flexing, with not a scrap of aluminum, not a plastic fitting in sight; and aluminum engine vents, strong and durable, milled from solid stock for long life, and finished in urethane for ongoing good looks.

The 303 options list is focused, thoughtfully created, and long. From starboard windshield wipers to cockpit tonneau covers, from speed-top mounted television antennae to flagpoles bearing both Old Glory and the Cobalt burgee, from spotlights with helm remotes to windlasses, from three-color custom graphics to shore-power kits including battery chargers, from VacuFlush heads to grey-water systems, from cockpit heaters to anti-corrosion systems, the 303 becomes beautifully functional and functionally complete, backed by the most inclusive warranties in the industry.
Now in its fortieth year of boatbuilding Cobalt introduces the 303 as our newest paradigm of quiet efficiency, luxury, and performance. The 303, a Cobalt through and through. Day and night.