I've been looking for a bigger boat to replace my current 20' Larson, which does a lot of things well, but gets bounced around too much on busier weekends, can't be used comfortably on windier days and lacks any kind of a head.

I originally thought I wanted a 26ish foot cuddy, looked at quite a few, but haven't found one that worked for various reasons. The bigger ones I've looked at with decent cabin space and real heads (Formula 280/Cobalt 293) are bigger than what I want for a boat that will spend significant time pulling kids on tubes in fairly narrow waterways, and the smaller ones have cuddies that are tight enough that I'm not sure the cuddy would be of much use. (I was amazed at how tiny the cuddy on a Regal 2750 was - nice sleek look, but the downside is that there is so little headroom in the cabin that my 8 year old could barely sit upright. I had to lean way over to sit in the cabin) I've also looked at a few small cruisers, which would solve the too small cabin issue, but they have the "too big" problem again, and cockpit size would be an issue for us. Another issue for all but the smallest cuddies would be that I'd lose the ability to trailer, which we don't do much now, but probably will in a few years when the boys get older.

Therefore, I've changed my search and am looking at bigger bowriders instead. There are a couple of clean low hour Cobalt 262s locally as well as a 246, all three with big blocks (although the 246 has a Volvo, which is a plus to me). I've looked at the archives, and both have been discussed quite a bit. However, I've still got a few questions:

1. Does anybody have wet weights on the trailer for the boats? According to my catalog, the 246 is 4430 with a small block and the 262 is 5140 with a big block dry. I'm guessing somewhere in the high 7000 lbs. range for the 262 and mid 7,000 lbs for the 246 (not sure what the weight differential is for big vs. small block)?

2. How much of a difference is there in ride? I've been on a 263 and was very impressed with the ride. I'm assuming the 262 is better than the 246, but is it is a night and day difference? Due to the narrow waterways mentioned above, you often have to go over wakes when they are fresh off the oncoming boat and still full size. Does the 246 ride well enough to go over a typical wakeboard boat wake without coming off plane and leave fillings intact? (my current boat fails this criteria miserably).

3. One of the available 262s has the HO 496, while the other has the regular 496 Mag. From reading the archives, it sounds like the HO gives up some torque to the Mag at the expense of some top end speed. How much faster would the HO likely be? Any advice one which motor would be better? Top speed is a minor consideration for me as long as the boat can do 50 or so and can comfortably cruise at 30-35. On the same topic, what's the top speed of a 246 with the standard Volvo 8.1 likely to be?

4. Finally to throw another variable into the mix, a Formula 260 BR was briefly on the market at a good price. According to the broker, the owner got cold feet and decided to keep it until the end of the season, when he expects it to be on the market again. The double wide helm and real head would be big positives for the admiral. Any words of advice on one compared to the 262?

Thanks for any input.

With either Cobalt or Formula 26 footers, I think that you are splitting hairs to compare them. Either one will be a significant upgrade, and one versus the other won't hardly be different.

comes down to personal preference (yours).

The cuddies on the 26 footers will serve as a restroom and a "storage closet", as I call it. Bowriders give up the "storage closet".

I owned a 2006 246 and had the VP 8.1 (375 hp) and loved the boat. I'm thinking the dry weight of the 246 with BB is a few more pounds than listed.

I know the ride is different between the 246 and 262. I prefer the layout of the 246 over the 262, but the ride is "sweeter" on the 262.

The 496 HO does give up torque at the expense of top speed, but to me, the added cost of purchase / operating expenses doesn't justify the price. You're probably talking 3-4 MPH. Lightly loaded, the 246 would be upper 50s and very close to 60 all day long. The hull shot with the BB is amazing.

The only thing we didn't like on the 246 was the head size and difficulty with entry. This is where the Formula beats the 246 / 262 in head size and entry.

Boomer880 is the 260 owner. I love the double helm seat on the 310BR and love Formulas head entry on all the bowriders.

Good luck and all three are beautiful boats !!

You are looking at three great boats and can not go wrong with any of them!!!!

I have a 2006 Formula 260BR with a 496 Mag and a BravoIII. The boat runs 52mph all the time and will hit 54 when light on fuel and passengers. It does everything well; towing, handling 3-4' waves, fits a lot of people, large head (I'm 6'4"). The boat comes with a lot of standard items that are option for other builders, and uses top materials (like Cobalt).

I prefer Cobalt's seating materials, as they look a bit more rich. The Formula 260 and the Cobalt 262/3 look very similar from the profile. However, the Formula has much more cockpit space, due to not having a sun pad. In addition, as stated above, the head space is much better. The Formula uses all space very well, and now with several seasons under our belt, I would not change much. The cockpit galley (sink, cooler, garbage can, and storage) is perfect and well designed. The bow seating is very comfortable and with the cushion in-place, you have room for 5-6 kids.

I drove both boats (and the Cobalt 272) before buying. While a slightly different ride, all were very nice and you will be very happy with any. Both builders do a great job in providing a soft, quiet ride.

No need to search for an HO versus the Mag... not a lot of difference. However, I would not go with a 6.2 in any of the boats if you plan on big groups and doing a lot of toy towing.

I have not put the Formula on the scale, but estimate about 7500 pound with gear, fuel and a steel trailer. I tow with a 3/4 Yukon XL and am never the last one out of the stop light and down the raod:).

Cobalt just released the 276 (if new is an option). It now gives you a bigger head area, but IMO loses the nice lines of the 262/3.

If you need pictures or addition information, let me know (but it is not for sale:)).

etyppo, I think some here has their Crownline 275 Cuddy for sale. When I was looking back in 2005 to replace our Rinker we looked at both the 275 cuddy and 270 cruiser. The space in the 275 cuddy was very large for a cuddy almost that of the cruiser.

I would say you will notice a huge difference in ride between your current boat and any of those three. You will notice slight differences in ride between the three of them.

One thing to consider is that although the 262 does ride slightly better than the 246, you have a little bigger wake as a result, and that will negatively affect your skiing/tubing capability.

As far as the engines, there is hardly any difference at all between the 496 and 496 HO engines until you get to top speed. Actually the regular 496 has a bit more low end, on paper. My opinion is that it is no way worth the extra cost - it's an "ego option".

You're looking at two of the best hulls Cobalt ever put in the water. The 262/3 might be one of the smoothest riding 26' boats ANY manufacturer created. While the 246 (extended version of the 226) is a sweet ride, it will feel a bit more nimble and a bit friskier than the heavier, longer boat.

Powered with either version of the 8.1, all of these boats will perform. You'll be in the low 50's with the 375 in a 262/3, and right about 60 with the same powerplant in the 246.

Drive 'em both. There's no wrong answer here!

Thanks for all the input. There isn't a bad boat in the bunch. All else equal, The Formula is probably the best boat for me, but the old one in the hand cliche applies. Both 262s are priced aggressively, and the 246 is the right color with the right options. I'll probably make an offer on one of them in the next few days and update.

Patrick - Thanks for the 275 tip. That's one of the boats that I was interested in, but I've scaled back how much I'm willing to spend on a boat to the point that they probably aren't an option since they aren't old enough to have depreciated much.

Let me get some picture cause I think I want to see these boats your comparing.

Trailer shot.

Cobalt 246


Cobalt 262


Formula 260 (the tower is aftermarket)


Hull sexiness goes to Cobalt 262 in my opinion.

Inside shot.

Cobalt 246


Cobalt 262


Formula 260


Though one. I love having a sunpad on the Cobalt 246. They cut it in half on the Cobalt 262 which makes each sides only good for sitting now? The Formula 260 has a sink. We find ours very practical to wash our hands before lunch or after using the head.

I think the 246 is a great boat. I am still very pleased on how well it works for us. We use it for water sports, cruising and just hanging out. I think it rides and handles very well, but have little helm time in other boats to compare it to. I only slow for the larger wakes when crossing. My 246 on a steel trailer, fully loaded with 7/8 fuel, tips the scale at 6,520 lbs. With the 8.1, full gear, 3 people and 1/8 fuel, I got 62 MPH on GPS. If you could dump non essentials like cooler, PFD's and kids, you could probably get 65 out of her. Just kidding about the PFD's. The head is on the small side but usable. The looks of the 246 is timeless. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

I have found that a dedicated side entry is a very nice feature to have... putting cushions in and out is a pain. I liked the 256 Chaparral, but hated the need to insert/store 4 cushions all the time.

Once our family of 5 sat in the Formula, we found a lot more room than the Cobalt 262/3. The dual helm is very nice, as the kids are learning to drive and it is nice to talk while underway.

The sun pad (263) is nice for the kids to sit on while playing off the back, but we opted for the larger cockpit in the 260. Here, you have pads that fill-in the c-shaped seating area, which makes a nice sun tanning area (also gives you some distance from the kids splashing off the swim platform).

I can not remember the gas tank size in the Cobalts, but our carries 92 gallons... which is plenty!

Again, no poor choices in the boats you are considering.

The 246 has the swivel seats. Which is to consider when you entertain other adults in the boat. Gives more room to sit and chat.

I wouldn't give up on the cuddy. We love our 2005 255 Cobalt. The cuddy is primarily the kids hang-out, but the Admiral has been known to slip down there for a nap from time to time. You can easily sit up in there. I love the extra storage room. No head though, just a porta-potti that pulls out from under the deck. Its a big smooth boat. Everybody who comes out with us is blown away by the finishes in this boat. Personally, i prefer the layout of this boat to the 262/3.