20' Cobia soft spots???

[SiLiconD17]

Hello all, I am looking into purchasing a 20' Cobia. I'm not sure of the model, but it looks like a bay boat style center console and it's a 1988. It's got a 1988 Evinrude 120hp V4 on it with stuck steering which he says is the only problem. He also mentioned that the deck is a little soft but he was trying to tell me that this is a normal issue with Cobia boats. He said it wasn't too big of a deal and that there is only one small crack by the cooler in the back. Can anyone confirm that this is normal for a Cobia center console, or is this a bad idea and I should run away? The price is definitely right at $1600, but as always it's not worth it if you have to rebuild the danged thing! Thanks!!!

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: 20' Cobia soft spots???

He also mentioned that the deck is a little soft but he was trying to tell me that this is a normal issue with Cobia boats.

That would mean that every Cobia owner without a soft deck has a defective boat. Do a search here for foam core and transom test.

 

[SiLiconD17]

Re: 20' Cobia soft spots???

Well, I went and looked at it and despite it looking like it was in excellent condition, it looked like a bad idea. While walking around on the deck I almost actually stepped through one of the soft spots so it's in dire need of repair. The outboard definitely looked like an older model as well and didn't seem to match the boat's model year. The motor was in great shape, the trailer looked nice but was rusted through in a few spots and probably needed to be replaced soon, and the hull looked great and was very solid (transom was very solid as well), but it just didn't seem worth it to me to have to tear the deck up and redo all the stringers and flotation so I passed it up...

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: 20' Cobia soft spots???

That's using the ol' noggin'! Congrats on a great decision.
You did the right thing. There is a boat out there and in your purchase range.
Just keep a sharp eye open and you know what to look for now.