User:Vc1492a/cobalt

Cobalt Yachts,, is a luxury Yacht company founded in 2004, under the business license name of Cobalt Yachts, LLC. Cobalt Yachts is an extension of the brand created by Cobalt Boats,, or under the business license name, Fiberglass Engineering Inc, to build Yachts ranging from 36 to 55 feet. The Yachts company extends the current model range of the Cobalt group to 46 feet, and the group will eventually grow to cover model ranges 20 feet to about 55 feet. The Cobalt Yachts Design and Manufacturing Facility is located in Vonore, Tennessee, in the Tellico West Industrial Park, and employs about 200 associates.

The Facility
Cobalt Yachts is currently operating in a 375,000 square foot facility that sits on 72 acres of property in Vonore, Tennessee, that was purchased from Matsushita, or commonly known as Panasonic. The plant is located in the Tellico West Industrial Park, with other manufacturing companies. The facility went into renovation immediately after purchase, and is now producing the Cobalt 343, 36 Cruiser, and 46 Yacht. The plant is the only boat manufacturing facility in the area to be fully air-conditioned, including the assembly lines. About half of the building is currently leased to Sanford Brands for warehousing purposes.

The Boats' Design
The yachts from Cobalt feature most of the design features from Cobalt Boats, including the Stainless Steel Strike Plate and Stainless Steel Rubrails, although the rubrails on the yachts include a rubber strip though the middle of the piece. New design features include the windows, bow rails that attach without any visible fastenings, center walk-throughs to the bow of the boats, and a distinct interior design. It is unclear whether any of these design features will be carried over to the boats division of the company, such as the 323 or the smaller cuddy cabin boats.

The 36
The 36 is a small/medium express cruiser, and resembles a similar look to its sister ship, the 46. The 36 offers a wide variety of options and includes many typed of colors and engine options. The 36 is powered by either Mercury Marine gasoline powered engines or Volvo Penta Diesel powered engines. The new 36, along with the 46, features a new window style for Cobalt, which used ovular or semi-ovular window styles in the past. The 36 hull and look was designed by Tony Castro.

The 46
The 46 is the first Yacht for Cobalt, and features many of the design and innovations from previous Cobalts (See Cobalt Boats). The 46 offers many options, such as Teak flooring, for the ultimate luxury experience. The boat is powered by either the Cummins Mercruiser Zeus Drive System, available with either 425HP or 480HP engines, and conventional drives with 540HP engines, all Diesel. The 1st boat, or the prototype, was finished in a special color called Tromonto, to commemorate the first yacht built by Cobalt. The 46 also features a hydraulic swim platform, in order to be raised and lowered for parking a Jet Ski or Dingy on the back of the yacht. The microwave inside the Galley also raises out from the granite countertop, giving customers a sort-of "James Bond" feel. The look was designed by Tony Castro, while the Helm was designed by Tod Borton, an in-house designer for Cobalt Boats, and the hull was engineered by an undisclosed firm.

Economic Impact
Cobalt Yachts currently employs about 200 associates in Vonore, Tennessee. The town has a population of about 1,150, and any plant closure and opening has a substantial impact on Vonore and the surrounding area. Even though a lot of people working at Cobalt and other plants in the industrial park are from other towns, any large facility closing would definitely cause an economic impact in the region.

Quality Issues
Because of the start-up situation at Cobalt Yachts, the first 46 yachts are just being shipped in the next coming weeks, with the 36 following later. Not much will be known about the craft until the population sees them and hears word from dealers. Many wonder if the new yachts will be anything like the 360, (see Cobalt Boats), or whether they will be more of cruiser type vehicles.