So, looking at the sweepstakes Cobra Marauder, what are others thoughts on their boats? Does anyone have experience fishing from these kayaks and do you like them?
Have a friend who has the Navigator and
Triple. He likes the Navigator and finds Cobra to be a first rate company. There was a problem with hid 2 tear old Navigator taking on water inside the hull. Cobra didn’t fix the boat, they gave him a new one. The Triple serves its purpose as a mule. Very heavy.
Cobra Kayaks
I owned a Cobra Tourer and Expedition, both nice sit on tops - well made, the Tourer is still a sentimental favorite of mine. The Expedition is fast and a little wet but fun. I’ve seen the Marauder up close and it too is well made like all the Cobras. They will stand behind their lifetime warranty if you have a problem or defect in your boat. I originally bought my Tourer used and since it had a problem, they shipped a new one out within a reasonable time.
Current sweepstakes
The Cobra Maurader’s hull has some very large molded in skegs. Not useful on the ledgy rivers I fish and paddle. I’ve seen big skegs like that cause flips (with me in the boat, d’oh!).
The wooden canoe is beautiful, but I abuse equipment. I’d love to have it, but I’d be so afraid to use it it wouldn’t be worthwhile. I’ll stick with plastic.
The long boat is also beautiful, but too long. I don’t get to the Chesapeake Bay but once or twice a year. It’d be great on the southern Potomac and on the Chesapeake Bay, but that’s not where I paddle.
So I’m going for the pool toy. It’d be kind of handy to have an inflatable canoe. I know it’s not a SOAR or AIRE and wouldn’t stand up to abuse, but sometimes I like a relaxed paddle around on a lake too, and it’d be fun on tame sections of the Potomac and Shenandoah with the kids.
So, anyway. I think they’re all good boats after a fashion. I just don’t think they’re all good boats for me.
- Big D
Sorry but
the Cobra maurader does not have any so called skeggs. As for flipping , it doesn’t happen. I can stand on my maurader and use it for a diving platform ,then climb right back on with no problem. The Cobra maurader is by far the best fishing SOT I have ever paddled. I have already rigged it with a wireless trolling motor and a downrigger, next it will get a sail.
Cobra fishing
I use a Cobra Fish n Dive set up with outriggers and an electric trolling motor. Milk crates fore n aft with a fishfinder, lots of rod holders n hatches. Really works well. I am disabled so paddling long distance is out for me nowdays, but I can run all day with a good battery. The Adirondack lakes up here can get VERY rough and this setup can take the white caps well.
I looked at the picture of the hull
If you don’t call those big, flat plastic things that stick down from the main part of the hull molded in skegs, what do you call them? Whatever you call them, I call the large planes that will catch current in the rivers I fish. Maybe you can stand up you Cobra where you fish, but if you did it where I fish, you’d be likely to have a concussion sooner than not. They’re shallow, relatively swift, rocky rivers and creek. The current isn’t always well-behaved. Those large planes sticking down from the main part of the hull that you say aren’t molded in skegs will catch cross-currents and hang up on ledges where I fish, and they are a flip hazard! If it floats, it can flip. Saying a kayak doesn’t flip just doesn’t have any credibility.
I’ll buy that it’s got sufficient initial stability to allow you to use it as you see fit in the conditions you use it, but saying that it doesn’t flip and saying that it doesn’t have a feature easily identified by the manufacture’s photographs of the hull doesn’t wash. Sorry.
- Big D