The latest Cobia to hit the docks is their new 350CC, which offers a similar running bottom to its predecessor the 344CC, but with a totally new deck and cockpit layout. I was able to jump aboard the Queen of the Cobia fleet at last year’s Miami Boat Show and she was extremely impressive.
Go Big or Go Home
One of the first things that the engineering team did to upgrade the new 350CC was to beef up the transom so that she could handle a pair of Yamaha’s relatively new heavyweight 425 XTO V8 outboards, which tip the scales at roughly 950 pounds per motor. The new 350CC fishes hard and plays easy with a rare combination of performance and stylish good looks. A double-stepped running bottom that sports a 21.6-degree aft deadrise makes getting to the fishing grounds fast and relatively fuel efficient. Tournament-grade fishing features include dual 42-gallon recirculating live wells; two huge 62-gallon in-floor fish boxes with overboard pump-outs; tackle station and bait prep area; plenty of flush-mount, vertical and horizontal rod holders topsides; plus lockable, hidden below-deck rod storage to keep your outfits safe and secure when you’re not around.
With an 11-foot, 2-inch beam and a clean, wide open cockpit, there’s generous elbow room for your crew to fish, with space to spare when chasing around a hot fish at boatside. An inward-opening side door makes pulling aboard a big tuna safe and easy. When it’s time to relax, the 350CC converts to a cruising and sandbar-hopping family beach buggy. Comfortable seating for 11 of your crew includes triple independent helm seats, an integrated chaise lounge large enough for two and full sun lounge capability with forward facing backrests. There’s even a hideaway bow table that rises electronically out of the floor that’s perfect for a picnic lunch or sunset dockside party spread.
Seven insulated boxes will provide more than enough cooler space to ice your favorite beverages, with a generous amount of dry storage for beach gear and water toys. The console interior houses a spacious, airy berth that’s surrounded by a refined interior with wooden cabinetry, an electric head and a combination sink/shower.
Fast Lane
Standard power on the new Cobia 350CC is provided via a trio of Yamaha’s F300s, which are 4.2-liter, V-6 four-strokes. With these triplets on the transom, the big girl will get up and go like a cheetah. According to factory tests, she’ll zoom from 0 to 30 in a scant 7.88 seconds, hitting 62-plus mph at wide open throttle, spinning 20-inch pitch, SWS II S/S props. Optimum cruising speed is at 3500 rpm, where she’ll hit a respectable 33.4 mph on the GPS Nav, while slurping 26.2 gph, for a net of 1.27 mpg. Bumping the electric throttle controls up to four-grand will get you to the fish faster, cruising at almost 40 mph at 1.15 mpg. This will make very short work of long canyon runs, weather and seas permitting, for more quality fishing time when you arrive.
If you take the plunge for the optional 5.6-liter twin Yamaha XTO425 V-8s, this Florida girl will achieve similar cruising speeds compared to the triplets, hitting 33.1 mph at 3500 rpm, but will do it while drinking only 22.9 gph, for a bottom line of 1.45 mpg. This translates into extended cruising range from her 320-gallon tank. Pushing the E-controls up to 4000 revs clocks 39.4 mph at 30.1 mpg, for a net of 1.31 mpg, so the big twins are still more fuel efficient as you speed her up, and the same is true at 4500 rpm.
She’ll hit a top speed of 62.6 mph at six-grand, so dual 425 XTOs are definitely worth considering as the go-to power source, with one less power plant to run and maintain.
Built to Last
Length: 34 feet, 4 inches
Beam: 11 feet, 2 inches
Weight: 8,600 pounds, dry
Deadrise:
Aft: 21.6 degrees
Draft: 24 inches
Fuel Capacity: 320 gallons
Max Horsepower: 900 HP (twin or triple Yamaha outboards)
One of the most notable features on all Cobia sport fishing boats over 26 feet is their VARIS (vacuum assisted resin infusion system) construction process. This is basically vacuum bagging, which is one of the best ways to make a fiberglass/resin boat, both for the customer and for the planet. Construction highlights on the Cobia 350CC include 100% no wood, no rot construction; metal or phenolic backing plates/screw retention material for all fastening points; double-clamped hoses; premium fade resistant gelcoat; pressure-tested, epoxy-coated aluminum fuel tanks; a bonded electrical system; labeled, copper-tinned wiring harnesses built in-house with pull chords; seacock valves on all thru hulls below the water line; fiberglass-encapsulated, reinforced closed-cell polymer foam stringer systems; hand-laid fiberglass construction; 316 stainless steel hardware throughout; finished bilge and fiberglass console interiors; decks stiffened with carbon reinforced beams; plus molded lids with cored construction to minimize flex. No doubt about it, Cobia builds a quality product that can be compared to the top “big brand name” boat builders, usually at a more affordable price point.
Having considerable wheel time on 35- to 38-foot outboards during my numerous “away charter” forays, there is nothing like the feeling of slicing your way through the seas at 35 knots in comfort and style, especially coming home after a successful trip. The Cobia 350CC gives you all of the tools that you’ll need to bring the big ones to boatside and the speed to get you there and back safely…just add water.
