The Cobia 217CC has enough beef to run through the inlet when conditions allow, yet rigged with our test boat’s 150 HP Yamaha F-150 (max HP is a 200), posts astonishing fuel efficiency numbers. The boat got four MPG—yes, four— while cruising along in the upper 20’s, plenty of speed whether you’re headed for the rips to chase stripers or running for a reef site to fish for flounder and sea bass. On the troll at six knots, efficiency jumped to six MPG. And since the 217CC has a 90-gallon fuel tank, you’ll be able to cruise just as far from the inlet as you’d like.
Efficiency is, of course, only one measure of performance. The boat’s got to be fun to run, too. Throw the throttle down, and this boat leaps onto plane in five seconds. Whip the wheel hard-over and the deep-V hull carves a hair-pin turn so tight you’ll lose your sunglasses. Feel the need for speed? With the thrifty F150 on the transom, swinging a 14.25” x 17” three-bladed stainless-steel prop, the boat breaks 41 MPH. And that’s with the “small” power plant.
Once you get where you’re going the 217CC hits you with fishing features like a 26-gallon livewell (yup, it’s baby-blue and rounded inside, to keep your baits calm and healthy), coaming bolsters, triple under-gunwale rodracks, and four gunwale-mounted rodholders. When you’re ready for a fish-break check out the forward cockpit, with comfortable bolsters all around and a low-profile grab rail. Opt for the bow cushion package and you can kick back to enjoy a frosty beverage in leisure; naturally there’s stowage inside either side of the foredeck, as well. Room for improvement in the bow: the anchor locker hatch doesn’t have anything except its hinges to rest against when you swing it open, and in my experience, this can be problematic if someone puts weight on the open hatch.
Your comfort level—and that of the entire family—gets an extra boost from the fact that this boat has an enclosed head inside the console. On the down-side it doesn’t have an opening port, but on the up-side it has a full-sized console door, instead of one of those bi-fold doors that are always a pain to close properly.
What about construction quality? Grab the recessed bow rail and give it a yank—a tail-roped 500-pound bluefin tuna couldn’t shake it free. Now check out the cleats, fittings, and hardware. Yup, it’s all 316-grade stainless-steel. Electrical connections are the waterproof Deutsch variety, switches at the helm are lighted, and hinges and pull-rings are flush.
Fish hard and save fuel on a boat that can handle both inshore and oceanic duty? That sounds like a winning plan, one the cobia 217CC will help make a reality.
Quick Facts:
LOA – 21’7”
Beam – 8’6”
Displacement – 2,950 lbs
Draft – 1’2”
Transom deadrise – 20 degrees
Fuel Capacity – 90 gal
Water capacity – 0 gal.
Max HP – 200