New boat to Complement our Cobalt 226

[Nicad]

Couldn't be happier with the 2003 Cobalt 226 we bought 4 years ago right around now. It has been very reliable, comfortable and does all we ask of it. Feels safe, fast , confidence inspiring and very well built, with a lot of attention to detail. We are on a Lake in Ontario that has varied conditions (Lake Muskoka) and a pretty short season, The 226 gets us back and forth to an island about two miles from a Marina and all the other places on weekends.. I like to get on the island as early as the ice has melted and as late as possible, when there is snow on the ground, so the Cobalt is put away at the end of October and so far not put in the water before June.

Initially we had a 1999 Edgewater 155 CC as a second boat with a 90 HP Tohatsu. It was a good motor and solid boat in rough water, but much too small and was semi water logged, so unable to plane with 400 pounds of load. I also purchased a 1983 Mastercraft Barefoot 200 with the idea of water skiing and having a fun sports car type boat and purchased it at an an excellent price.
Well Juggling 3 boats is a pain the Butt. The BF 200 was designed as a barefoot boat and was not to my liking for water skiing.
So last fall I sold both the Edgewater and Mastercraft and put an order in on a Stanley Mink with a Yamaha Vmax 115 on it. It is a welded aluminum boat made in Parry Sound, Ontario. It is a very beefy but light boat made out of 3/16 plate aluminum. In the early Spring I found out Stanley has had a lot of production issues and there was a huge shortage of Yamaha power plants, so I was VERY lucky to receive my boat last week. Only two of the 16 sold by my dealer have been delivered.
So far this boat is great. It rides very well, holds a ton of stuff and I feel like I can ram ice flows with it. The Yamaha feels very lively as the Vmax is putting out about 127 HP. (10% more than a regular 115). This Hull was up until recently only rated for a 90HP, so the extra power seems like fun.
The biggest thing I am liking about the boat is the safety I will get early in the season. Last week I towed two semi submerged trees I happened upon to the Marina. They were in the middle of the previously frozen lake and the guy who runs my marina says you hit one of those in a lot of boats and you could be going down in 30 seconds if the transom or stern drive gets ripped off. At the current water temps, you would be toast. Both weighed hundreds of pounds and you could barely see one of them.

The new Mink is as bare bones as they get. Doesn't even have a built in fuel tank or gas gauge on the dash....and it is very expensive. But I will be able to throw building materials in it and I suspect it will Outlast me and perhaps my offspring.

[Big Block Power]

Well interesting and congrats!

[Mike in SC]

Very cool boat! You don't often see too many plate alloy boats.
I always admired the Black lab marine/Pacific Skiff/Pacific Salt boats.
Think it's the same company.

[AsLan7]

Nice write up Nicad. Enjoy!