cobra 7.5 with an opti 200

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 00:11

looking to buy a 99 cobra 7.5 with a Merc Opti 200, have owned boats for years and had my current shetland 4 plus 2 from new and is great on the river and a bit on the sea but i cant wait to retire that to just river work with the family drinking beer on the thames and mooring up somewhere solitary and get a rib.

have read a lot of posts on here and not seen much on the cobra ribs. it does come with a trailer so i can go to different coastal areas but will probably use it most out of chichester and mevagissy

can anyone give any advice on the cobra/opti 200, the opti is 2002 with low hours, any thing to be aware of, look out for

thanks in advance chris

hard1 · 11 September 2005, 01:51

I own a Cobra (8.5) with a 225 Opti, and have had past experience with a 7.5 Cobra with a 175 Opti. Generally, a good looking well equipped boat, built to a price and great value for money. It's a leisure RIB not a commercial RIB so bear that in mind when assessing the quality. Design is basically good but there are silly issues (as in all boats). The Opti is a fab motor IMHO, and the Cobra/Opti combo just seems right. The Cobra is a comfortable and very stable RIB, and although not the fastest out there, is dry and safe. I believe the lay up and basic build is quite heavy and durable which is good. Dave Picton has had many years experience is planing boat design and as far as I know, his order book for these boats is always full.

That's my 2 cents. If you need further info please PM me.

codprawn · 11 September 2005, 02:15

I have visited the factory and have seen these boats at quite a few shows - they are a great choice for family use and leisure cruising.

Dave Picton is very canny with the way he runs his business - he deliberately keeps resale values high which is in his interests and the owners. In fact if he sees a boat too cheap he will buy it himself....

Paul Beaurain · 11 September 2005, 07:10

Hello Chris
Buying a new boat can be exciting. I would suggest that an area often overlooked is the trailer and its condition.

Check it is plated (both draw bar and trailer). Is the total weight of boat + fuel + wing engine + this plus that going to be within the limit.

Taking it to a weighbridge (cost approx£5) before the deal is done will ensure no surprises.

brakes - it could cost £500 to £600 to get them fully operational if in poor condition. Checking them out is more difficult.

good luck and let us all know if you buy the Cobra
Paul

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 07:52

i have done a good bit of research on the optis and they seem quite good, thanks for the advice on the dave picton angle with him buying up second hand ones, a good tip i think so will call the owner now to try to close the deal. OK thats done so i now have a Picton, will post on here when i get it, am amazed how quick i got some replies which is great. plus i am learning the features of this site. I will arrange to go see it for a sea trial this week and final inspection and then go for it

chris

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by hard1

I own a Cobra (8.5) with a 225 Opti, and have had past experience with a 7.5 Cobra with a 175 Opti. Generally, a good looking well equipped boat, built to a price and great value for money. It's a leisure RIB not a commercial RIB so bear that in mind when assessing the quality. Design is basically good but there are silly issues (as in all boats). The Opti is a fab motor IMHO, and the Cobra/Opti combo just seems right. The Cobra is a comfortable and very stable RIB, and although not the fastest out there, is dry and safe. I believe the lay up and basic build is quite heavy and durable which is good. Dave Picton has had many years experience is planing boat design and as far as I know, his order book for these boats is always full.

That's my 2 cents. If you need further info please PM me.

how would i pm you, is that just replying like this, also the couple of niggles/issues, could you elaborate on those, many thanks, chris

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 08:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Beaurain

Hello Chris
Buying a new boat can be exciting. I would suggest that an area often overlooked is the trailer and its condition.

Check it is plated (both draw bar and trailer). Is the total weight of boat + fuel + wing engine + this plus that going to be within the limit.

Taking it to a weighbridge (cost approx£5) before the deal is done will ensure no surprises.

brakes - it could cost £500 to £600 to get them fully operational if in poor condition. Checking them out is more difficult.

good luck and let us all know if you buy the Cobra
Paul

thanks for the info on the trailer, i always go for roller coasters and have a super roller coaster 7 which i purchased for my current boat and replaced everything, the cobra has a snipe roller coaster which has new brakes, rods, hitch assembly etc so is in fab working order. Regarding the weighbridge i have always wanted to take my 4 plus 2 to a weighbridge when it is loaded up with stuff for 9 days on the thames, it has so much luggage space that i am sure it weighs a huge amount with all the crap i seem to take away with me. it has lots of stowage space and by god we fill it.
cheers

chris

Mollers · 11 September 2005, 12:50

So Codders, whats your opinion on fitting "Batwings" to a 200 Opti?

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

So Codders, whats your opinion on fitting "Batwings" to a 200 Opti?

i think i chose a very boring name on here, i need something inspiring like codders or codprawn or fisheyes or something, i know i will change the name to the name i wanted to register my first boat with, except they wrote to me saying it sounded a bit odd phenetically, not sure how you spell that
anyway changing name by depoll to Hugh Jardon

Hugh Jardon · 11 September 2005, 13:06

ok this is the new me, could not seem to change my previous name so set up another account with a sexier name, haha, i think i will apply to have the name on this boat as i wont be taking it on the river so those happy chappies wont be able to moan

does anyone know who i need to check with for naming my boat when i get it, are they flexible?

cheers

chris ......er i mean Hugh

codprawn · 11 September 2005, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

So Codders, whats your opinion on fitting "Batwings" to a 200 Opti?

Not a clue but after having read MANY similar topics on here probably not a good idea.

Sill - as with prop selection - a bit of a black art so trial and error - try without first and only fit if you feel the need!!!