Cobalt Boats 242 2009 vs Cobalt Boats 343 2006 - Boat Spec Comparison

Q: Which is the larger boat — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 is the longer of the two at 35,0 feet overall. The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 comes in at 23,9 feet, making it roughly 11,1 ft shorter — a meaningful difference in deck room and overall on-water presence.

Q: Which is easier to trailer — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

For trailering, the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 has the edge at 46 lbs dry weight versus 1 175 lbs for the Cobalt Boats 343 2006. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

Q: What is the maximum horsepower rating for these boats?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 has a documented max rating of 500 hp. Engine specifications for the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 were not available in our database — check the OEM spec sheet or manufacturer's website for confirmation.

Q: How many people can each boat hold?

The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 is Coast Guard rated for 13 passengers, while the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 is certified for 10. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Q: Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 measures 116" wide, compared to 102" for the Cobalt Boats 242 2009. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Q: Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 has the bigger tank at 5 gallons, versus 2 gallons on the Cobalt Boats 343 2006. That 3-gallon difference translates to roughly 9–15 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Q: Are the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 and Cobalt Boats 343 2006 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 and the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 are built by Cobalt Boats. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

Boat Comparison

Cobalt Boats 242 2009 vs Cobalt Boats 343 2006

Cobalt Boats

Cobalt Boats 242 2009

2009

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Cobalt Boats

Cobalt Boats 343 2006

2006

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Detailed Evaluation & Buyer Recommendation

Cobalt Boats 242 2009 vs Cobalt Boats 343 2006 — Same Brand, Different Boat

The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 vs Cobalt Boats 343 2006 comparison sits squarely in the category of decisions where specs alone won't tell the whole story — intended use, storage, and long-term ownership costs all factor in.

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 measures 35,0 feet overall (2006), giving it roughly 11,1 additional feet of deck space compared to the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 at 23,9 feet (2009). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 tips the scales at 1 175 lbs — 1 129 lbs less than the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 at 46 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 tops out at 500 hp. Engine specs for the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 aren't listed — confirm with a dealer before selecting an outboard.Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 5 gal and 2 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 is rated for 13 passengers, while the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 caps at 10. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 could be the deciding factor.

Bottom line: Choose the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 13 passengers and at 23,9 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 10 that costs less to run day-to-day.

General Boat Info

MakeCobalt Boats

Model242

Model343

Model Year2009

Model Year2006

Measurements / Dimensions

Beam8 ft. 6 in. (2.59 m)

Beam9 ft. 8 in. (2.95 m)

Beam - Meters2.59

Beam - Meters2.95

Beam - Inches102

Beam - Inches116

Bridge clearance - DetailWithout Bimini: 5 ft. 3 in. (1.6 m) With Arch or Tower: 8 ft. 2 in. (2.49 m)

Bridge clearance - Detail69 in. (1.75 m)

Bridge clearance - Meters2.49

Bridge clearance - Meters1.75

Bridge clearance - Inches98

Bridge clearance - Inches69

Deadrise21°

Deadrise24.5℃

Draft [drive up] - Detail21 in. (0.53 m)

Draft [drive up] - Detail28 in. (0.71 m) (with twin engines)

Draft [drive up] meters0.53

Draft [drive up] meters0.71

Draft [drive up] inches21

Draft [drive up] inches28

Draft [max] - Detail37 in. (0.94 m)

Draft [max] - Detail37 in. (0.94 m) (with twin engines)

Draft [max] - Meters0.94

Draft [max] - Inches37

Weight - Detail4,600 lbs. (2,087 m)

Weight - Detail11,750 lbs. (5,330 kg) (with twin big block engines)

Weight - kg2086.52

Weight - kg5329.71

Weight - lbs.46

Weight - lbs.1175

Length - Feet23.92

Length - Feet35

Length [over all with swim platform]25 ft. 11 in. (7.9 m)

Length [over all with swim platform]37 ft. 2-1/2 in. (11.34 m)

Length overall - Detail23 ft. 11 in. (7.29 m)

Length overall - Detail35 ft. 4 in. (10.78 m)

Length overall - Meters7.29

Length overall - Meters10.77

Length overall - Inches287

Length overall - Inches424

Height - Detailnot available

Height - DetailOverall: 87-1/2 in. (2.22 m) With arch or tower: 116-1/2 in. (2.96 m) Without windshield: 73-1/2 in. (1.87 m)

Height - Metersnot available

Height - Meters2.97

Height - Inchesnot available

Height - Inches116.5

Length - Metersnot available

Length - Meters10.78

Length - Inchesnot available

Length - Inches4

Body / Hull

Hull materialFiberglass

Hull materialnot available

Hull typeDeep Vee

Hull typenot available

Engine and Drivetrain

Engine/s standardVolvo Penta 5.0 GXI SX 270 php (201 PkW)

Engine/s standardMerCruiser Twin 496 Mag MPI Bravo 1 375 hp (280 kW)

Fuel tank capacity - Detail50 gal. (189 l)

Fuel tank capacity - Detail200 gal. (757 l)

Fuel tank capacity - Liters189.27

Fuel tank capacity - Liters757.08

Fuel tank capacity - Gal5

Fuel tank capacity - Gal2

Fuel typeGas

Fuel typeGas or diesel

Drive typeI/O

Engine maxnot available

Engine maxTwin 500 hp

Operational Info

Water capacityFresh: 10 gal. (38 l)

Water capacity10 gal. (37.9 l)

Maximum capacity2,250 lbs. (1,021 kg)

Maximum capacityYacht certified

Maximum people13

Maximum peopleYacht certified

Headnot available

HeadElectric

Cobalt Boats 242 2009 vs Cobalt Boats 343 2006 — Common Questions

Which is the larger boat — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 is the longer of the two at 35,0 feet overall. The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 comes in at 23,9 feet, making it roughly 11,1 ft shorter — a meaningful difference in deck room and overall on-water presence.

Which is easier to trailer — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

For trailering, the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 has the edge at 46 lbs dry weight versus 1 175 lbs for the Cobalt Boats 343 2006. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

What is the maximum horsepower rating for these boats?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 has a documented max rating of 500 hp. Engine specifications for the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 were not available in our database — check the OEM spec sheet or manufacturer's website for confirmation.

How many people can each boat hold?

The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 is Coast Guard rated for 13 passengers, while the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 is certified for 10. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Cobalt Boats 343 2006 measures 116" wide, compared to 102" for the Cobalt Boats 242 2009. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 or the Cobalt Boats 343 2006?

The Cobalt Boats 242 2009 has the bigger tank at 5 gallons, versus 2 gallons on the Cobalt Boats 343 2006. That 3-gallon difference translates to roughly 9–15 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Are the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 and Cobalt Boats 343 2006 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Cobalt Boats 242 2009 and the Cobalt Boats 343 2006 are built by Cobalt Boats. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

← Cobalt Boats 242 2009 full specs ← Cobalt Boats 343 2006 full specs