Ride Along: Boats By George's Cobalt R4
SLAH's Natalie Moore cruises the Queen of American Lakes on the boat this summer deserves.
This post was made possible by our friends at Boats By George.
Before this weekend, I assumed there was nothing better than being out on Lake George on my family’s boat—a 1993 Four Wins Horizon. But then, on Memorial Day, I took a ride on Lake George in a boat made in this century and, well, my opinion changed.
Of course, I wasn’t cruising in just any boat made in the 2000s. I’d found my way aboard Cobalt’s brand-new, tricked-out R4—in the name of story research, of course. (When I lamented, sarcastically, that I had to “work” on the holiday weekend, Tyler, my tour guide, agreed from his sunny spot behind the wheel of the six-figure boat: “This is definitely hard work.”)
The R4, one of Lake George–based retailer Boats By George’s hottest boats for this summer, is truly a floating dream. The first thing my friend Molly and I noticed was the smooth, quiet ride, even in choppy Memorial Day waters. “I could be sipping a drink right now,” Molly said. Speaking of drinks, that was the next aha moment—there are cupholders everywhere, so everyone onboard (the boat holds up to 13 passengers) has easy access to their beverage.
My personal favorite feature of the R4 is the aft seating area, which is adjustable to three positions, so passengers can sit facing forward, backward or can lie down flat on the giant sun pad. Here’s a photo if you need to see it to believe it:
That sun pad makes for a great place to hang out if there are kids (or adults) swimming off the back of the boat, where Cobalt’s signature swim step folds down off the stern for easy water access. “It’s a game changer,” Tyler tells me. “It’s ideal for pets and little kids.” Another plus: the sun pad and rest of the boat’s seating are made with Fresco Chill Marine Vinyl, which stays cool even when in direct sunlight. (No more burning your bum on sunny days!)
And the luxury features keep coming: There’s a wireless phone charger and regular charging ports located throughout the boat, snap-on seagrass carpeting for easy cleaning, ambient lights under the seats, a JL Audio speaker system, and a bow-filler cushion to turn the front-of-boat lounge area into one big, cushiony surface. Halfway through our ride, we spotted a plastic water bottle floating in the water, and, like the good samaritans we are, plucked it out of the water. “Oh, we can just throw it into the built-in cooler,” Tyler said, having forgotten to mention that little feature previously. “It even has a built-in drain.”
While the aforementioned features are important to me (a passenger princess), the R4 has plenty of luxuries for its captain, too: The dashboard features all-digital gauges, including a Garmot GPS system; the anchor drops automatically with the push of a button; the stern light is built into the arch, so you don’t have to go digging for it as dusk falls; and a wide engine hatch makes for easy engine access and maintenance. Plus, the boat has auto-trim (which adjusts the height of the outdrive), a digital throttle (no more wire) and superior maneuverability. “I just love these boats for the steering,” Tyler says, demonstrating how fluid the steering wheel is. “The maneuverability is insane. Docking is so much easier.”
Speaking of docking, Boats By George offers docking—a hot commodity on Lake George—for customers at its two locations in Sandy Bay and Warner Bay.
Those interested in getting out on the water this summer can contact Boats By George to set up a test drive like the one I did; the retailer carries boats at all price points, ranging from $60K all the way up to $700K. But if you end up buying the Cobalt R4…call me.
—Natalie