I had a chance to jump aboard Cobia’s new 330 DC at the recent Miami Boat Show back in February and this Florida girl is the new queen of their growing dual console fleet, which also includes 22-, 24- and 28-foot models.
Search for the Holy Grail
The dual console layout is the next “ultimate do-it-all” sport utility concept for the boating industry. The mission objective is to find a layout that is equally adept at family watersports fun, fishing, beach taxi service, taking a crowd to a waterside eatery and hosting a cocktail party back at dockside. The challenge with all of those missions is that you need to have enough “transitional” space onboard to make it happen. Cobia may have just found the sweet spot with their new 330 DC.
The 330 DC offers a generous wide-open cockpit space, measuring over 54 square feet, which can quickly be converted from a serious fishing orientation to one that promotes comfy seating for seven when heading to your favorite beachside entertainment spot. Seating that becomes instantly available at the touch of a fingertip is a drop-down triple-wide bench seat in the stern, aft-facing jump seats on the back end of the bait/cocktail prep station to port and the kitchenette to starboard, plus an electronically controlled double-long bench along the port side. There are 70-gallon and 40-gallon insulated fishboxes under the aft cockpit sole (with an optional macerator), plus twin storage lockers under the center fore-n-aft cockpit walkway to stow skis, PFD and other water toys. The L-shaped portside lounge features a pair of insulated coolers down under with overboard drain, with plush cushions that make long days out on the water a luxurious experience. The adjustable captain’s chair sits on an elevated platform for great visibility that allows an excellent field of view whether sitting or standing. There’s plenty of dash space to mount twin 12-inch displays or a single large MFD. The port console opens up to reveal a room head with freshwater sink, with plenty of dry storage available under the starboard console, with access to all of the panels and wiring.
Moving forward, a 9-piece cushion setup produces and endless array of entertainment possibilities, with an electro-controlled table that literally rises up out of the from floor when you need it and totally disappears as part of the bow’s sole when you don’t. The twin bench seats feature roomy insulated fishboxes/storage areas down below and the through-stem anchor chute setup is a breeze to use. The bow boarding ladder is a nice touch that allows a lot of flexibility depending on how you lay the boat up on the beach. When it’s time to fish, a 28-gallon livewell and a quartet of flush rodholders in the transom will put you in the mood. If you need to bring a big one aboard, aft cockpit bolters, a swing-in fiberglass cockpit door to starboard and a transom door in the starboard corner.
Quality by the Maverick Boat Group
MBG recently expanded their new 200,000-square-foot Lake Maverick production facility back in 2018, and they are ramping up to produce some exciting and innovative boats moving forward. Some of the many compelling reasons to choose the next-gen Cobia 330 DC is that each boat undergoes a 300-point quality assurance final inspection; there’s 100% composite construction with engineer-designed lamination schedules using premium fade-resistant gelcoats; double-clamped hoses and pressure-tested, epoxy-coated aluminum fuel tanks are featured, with a bonded electrical system; all wiring is labeled, using copper-tinned wiring harnesses built in-house; seacock valves are featured on all thru-hulls below the water line; foam stringer systems are constructed from encapsulated, reinforced closed-cell, thermoplastic polymer, with hand-laid fiberglass construction and finished bilge interiors; all hardware is 316-grade stainless steel; all decks are stiffened with carbon reinforced beams for lightweight strength. And finally, the Cobia 330 DC features their latest VARIS (vacuum assisted resin infusion system), which is a next-gen vacuum-bagging technique where the boat’s hull is essentially constructed in one shot to produce a strong running bottom without excess resin weight.
Performance Options
As of this writing, the Cobia 330 DC is available with either twin Yamaha F300s, with optional power being a pair of Yamaha’s latest 425 XTOs. The difference is going from a 1,100-pound transom weight in F300 garb, to over 2,000 pounds with the big dogs. If trips with loads of family and friends are going to be the norm, the 425 XTOs would be the safe choice. These direct-injected V8s have the extra horsepower if you need it and you can corral those 850 sea ponies when you don’t. Top speed with the 425s is a scintillating 60.4 mph at wide open throttle, with a crew of 3 onboard, 125 gallons of fuel in the 275-gallon tank, and equipped with the optional SeaKeeper 2. Optimum cruise occurred at 32.3 mph, drinking 21.5 gph, for a net of 1.5 mpg, which is decent fuel economy for a boat in this size class. For more information, visit www.cobiaboats.com.