Tested By Capt. Bob Smith

Cobalt has always built their boats to last and backed it with a warranty with real teeth. In my experience with Cobalt I have seen strong dedication to the customer whether that customer is the dealership, the end user or one of us as testing captains. I have seen enough to know it is more than window dressing and the buyer is the winner.

The 255 has docking lights and a scuff plate that help you find the trailer and not tear up the nose getting on it at night. The anchor locker has a very sturdy lid and even has a gas shock to help keep it open while you work with the ground tackle. The forward topside has two stainless rails and a hatch as you travel toward the cockpit. Getting to the bow is up a flip down stainless folding step just inside the cabin at the door. This doesn’t eat up space on the dash and keeps it looking clean. The fold over windshield has a positive latch to keep the window open when you want it.

Cockpit Features

The companion side has storage in a slash pocket, cup holder, grab handle and in front of the seat is a chart mesh pocket. This is smart use of otherwise bland useless space. Up on top of this space is a small stuff tray that has a rubber mat to keep the stuff quiet underway. The bucket seats are very comfortable and have a grab handle built into the back and a chart pocket in the back under the grab bar. The seats slide to your comfort and can swivel 180 degrees so the companion rider can watch the skier or both can join in on a conversation with friends at anchor.

The helm is smartly and comfortably arranged for easy view and monitoring of gauges. Switches are circuit breaker protected; in fact they are double protected. Gauges have real wood accents. The stereo remote is at the helm on the right side along with a digital air/water temperature gauge and a digital depth gauge. One of my favorites in the cool weather was the optional helm heater vent. This really made the ride out on a cool day so much more enjoyable.

The carpeting is seamed from beam to beam because the cockpit is so wide, standard carpeting isn’t big enough. The carpeting continues up the walkthrough, which is a nice feature. The sun pad doubles as the engine hatch which is easy to lift without power. Inside you have lots of space next to the engine on the starboard side and a wake board rack on the port side. Back on top, the ski tow post is easy to pull up and locks into optimum position for skiing. On the stern, you have a beam width locker that can be divided or used as a huge stern cooler. Excellent grip non-skid covers the stern area which has a stainless rail protecting again dock strikes. There is a trim tilt switch on the stern and the swim ladder has a release lever on the platform.

Stepping Below

The cabin has abundant seating that wraps from port to starboard and filler cushions to turn this entire space into a large bunk. There is a port-a-potty down here and enough lighting thanks to the portholes, and plenty of storage for the gear you’ve brought aboard. The stereo is mounted inside out of the elements and has two 12-volt sockets for charging phones and other portable gear.

Specs

The 255 for 2005 is 25 feet length overall and has an 8’6” beam. She weighs in at 5000 lbs. and has a 103” clearance for bridges with the ski tower. She carries 73 gallons of fuel for a great long day of fun on the water and has a 10 gallon fresh water capacity. She has a healthy freeboard with 42” forward and 39” aft. With the drive up she requires 24” draft and with the drive down she needs 39” draft clearance.

Performance and Ride

We managed to miss the rain when testing but did test her in some chop of 1-2 feet. She handles very well around the docks and scoots along and makes tight turns with little loss of speed, no noticeable skip or cavitation. She has little bow rise as she jumps on plane in just 3.9 seconds and is passing thirty miles per hour in 6.9 seconds. The 255 cruises at 2500rpms or 28.1 miles per hour and has a fuel burn of 8 gallons per hour at this speed. Cruise will get you about 231 miles on a tank of fuel. Wide open throttle is at 4600rpms and 55.5 mph and a fuel burn of 30.3 gallons per hour. Sound levels at cruise were 85dBa and at wide open was 93dBa.

If you are looking for a mid-range runabout with the capability of providing luxurious escape from the elements as well as a thrilling ride, the 255 is a boat to consider.

• Top speed for the Cobalt 255 (Not a Current Model) is 55.5 MPH (89.3 KPH), burning 30.3 gallons per hour (GPH) or 114.69 liters per hour (LPH).


• Best cruise for the Cobalt 255 (Not a Current Model) is 28.1 MPH (45.2 KPH), and the boat gets 3.51 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.49 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 231 miles (371.76 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 375-hp Volvo Penta 8.1Gi sterndrive.

Cobalt 255 (Not a Current Model) Standard and Optional Equipment

Systems
CD Stereo
Head: Portable
Power Steering
Trim Tabs
Exterior Features
Carpet: Cockpit
Ice Chest
Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Tower: Watersports
Transom Shower
Canvas
Bimini Top
Cockpit Cover

= Standard = Optional