| If the boats pictured on this site appear to resemble Donzi Marine Company's classic line, it is with good reason. Several of the models in Cobalt's first line-up were copies* of Donzi's early line. These are the Cobalt boats that this page will primarily deal with, thought mention of a few other models will occur as well. The following boats appear in an early Cobalt catalog: Cobalt XV-500 (copy* of Donzi 18-2+3) Cobalt XV-200 (copy* of Donzi Sweet 16 -- or Skit Sporter, its first name) Cobalt GT-500 ( " " " 18 Corsican) Cobalt GT-200 ( " " " Corsican, but in a 16' version -- Donzi did not produce a 16' version of theri Corsican, but this boat is most like Corsican design.) As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words; so, instead of thousands of words, here's a handful of pictures.... * The word "copy (ies)" is used for lack of a better one. While the boats are extremely close in construction and design, a bit of study had uncovered at least a few possible differences that readers should find interesting. At any reat, the word copy will appear often, so now you know the intent of the word, as used herein! |
| First, the COBALT XV-200 (image #1). This boat was Cobalt's copy of the Donzi Ski Sporter 16 or Sweet 16. The Cobalt catalog picture (all of which are artist renderings of Donzi's catalog photos (mostly from the 1970 Donzi Catalog) with slight variations) for this model appears to be a hybrid of Donzi's 16 catalog photo (image #2 - note same angle) and Donzi's 18-2+3 photo "reversed" (image #3 - yellow boat picture is reversed here). Notice expecially the driver in the 18 Donzi picture. He is the same art rendered model (let's call him "Jim") for several of the Cobalt catalog's pictures, including several non-Donzi style models. We'll see him again. If you're wondering about the left hand steering situation of most old Donzis, remember the yellow 18 picture is reversed. It is shown below (image #5 - at it's correct catalog angle) in comparison to the next model in Cobalt's "early" line up. Here we have the COBALT XV-500 (image #4). This little beauty is a copy of the 18-2+3 from Donzi. I have not yet seen one of these Cobalts, but I'd like to. Donzi produced it's 16 foorter first; then, I suppose, sort of evolved into the 18, hence the 18 has some performance advantages. Basically, as with increased length in any boat, it can be made to go faster, safer, so in that sense, I think the 18 is the "better" disign for boats in this size range. Oh yeah, there's the Donzi 18-2+3 photo at its proper catalog angle. Note hardware, grabrail, gage cluster, air vents, bucket seats, etc. etc....all the same. Pretty cool, eh? The next vessel is the COBALT GT-200 (image #6). This model is a bit of a departure from the other Donzi styled models in that it ventured slightly away from the "exact copy" approach. This boat is "most like" (and still very closely resembles) the Donzi 18' Corsican (images #7 and #9), but unlike the other three Donzi styled boats, it was offered as a 16 footer (which, according to reliable sources, Donzi never produced in this style) AND with a seating arrangement that was like the XV-200 (i.e. like Donzi's Sweet 16). Donzi's Corsican 18 was only offered (again, according to my research) with two front buckets and a rear bench seat. It is worth mentioning here that, as of this writing, I have not yet seen one of these Cobalt's either. Again, would love to. |
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| Image #1 - COBALT XV-200 |
| Note: As a result of the construction we're under, not all the pictures are up yet. |
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| Image #6 Cobalt GT-200 |
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| DONZI Ski Sporter |
| Image #2 |
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