Cobra marauder test

This is the 2nd time to write this since the last didnt post...arrrgh. anyway
The ride was in Astoria, winds were about 8-12 mph , choppy, up to 1' , not really any higher.
Marauder is 14'4" long 31" wide, this one had no rudder. Gear and me were around 250lb.
  My first impression was that its pretty stable, I was almost able to stay standing, but never could quite stay there. I was using my paddle, a carbon Werner meant more for touring. The GPS I brought showed me paddling a steady 3 mph, 3.5 wouldnt be too hard. Bow started pushing a wake over 3.5 , Topping out at 5 mph, not sure if thats fast or slow by you guys's standards. Anymore speed seemed not worth the effort, perhaps a strong paddler might hit 5.5 though.This boat rode well over the small swells, never letting any water in. The footwell had a constant 1/2" or so, never filled up. To me that is "dry" considering the weight. Your opinions on that are welcome too. tracking was real good, only needed to ease a stroke here  or increase one there  to keep it straight in  side or quartering winds. The bow pointed to the wind once I stoppedp addling and it slowed to 1 mph or so. The "hull slap" I hear a lot of..... well, I didnt hear. Only when the waves were on the quarter up front  and going fro trough to peak did I start to get any slap.

 I liked this boat over the revolution,only because I found the Revolution's mirage drive recumbant position ackward a bit , but due to no fault of the kayak.What I dont know, and maybe a Marauder owner/ex owner could say , is why there arent more of them. It struck me as a competent blend of good stability and good speed.

What I dont know, and maybe a Marauder owner/ex owner could say , is why there arent more of them. It struck me as a competent blend of good stability and good speed.

Thanks for the report. It sounds like the Marauder is a decent boat, which doesn't surprise me as Cobra yaks have a good rep where they have significant market presence. (SoCal, which is a pretty big market.)

I don't think Cobras (or Emotions) are rare up here because of any deficiency in the boats. If it is anything, it's a deficiency (lack of aggressiveness) in marketing them up here. I'm not sure what it takes to be dealer for Cobra or Emotion. I do know from experience in the flyfishing industry that some manufacturers require dealers to buy and move "X" amount of stock in a year. They don't want to bother with small volume dealers, just high volume. (Ross is one of those companies, and they don't allow any competition (discounting) on price, either.) For a small shop, in a fairly remote area, moving a lot of stock and carrying a lot of different brands can be difficult. Manufacturers' dealer policies (volume, price, etc.) can have a negative effect on their (the manufacturers') ability to penetrate new markets, because they discourage local dealers from taking the risk on their products. Seems dumb to me, but if the manufacturer is happy with their current market share, it probably won't change.

I suspect there are other factors explaining the dominance of OK and Hobie in the PNW. OK use to have a factory in Ferndale WA and they pumped out the boats. Although I never dealt directly with them, I know a bunch of people that have, and it's my impression that they were pretty easy to work with. (They allowed price competition, sold 2nds cheaply, and offered pro deals.) Hobie is an older company with a well developed marketing department. They have the capacity (production and marketing) to have a presence anywhere in the country (or the world, for that matter) if they want it.

So, thanks for your reports and search for local outlets of these yaks that don't have a strong presence in the PNW. You're doing us all a favor.

I would probably have purchased a Marauder when I was first looking into fishing kayaks, but there wasn't anyone local that had one for me to test drive, nor was there a local dealer that had them in stock. 

Many folks were happy with the Prowler style Ocean Kayaks, and the Tridents (T-11, T-13, T-15) where just coming out then.  I sprung for the T13 and love it.   Picked up a Ho Revo to give my family options on the lake and it kinda turned into my fav yak now.  But when mamma hits the water with me, she gets the Revo.

I picked up two of the Fish N Dives there in Astoria and love the ride they give.  From your write up, it sounds like the Marauder is very comparable to the Fish N Dive in performance.    The only thing that I have had problems with on the Fish N Dive, is that when I put one of my kids out there in the front of the kayak, I have one heck of a time trying to get it to turn. 

I believe it was the next year when I picked up the Revo.  There is just something about being able to hold on to your rod and paddle at the same time that has me hooked.    

You make a good point Pisco.
 Feel like I tapped the water but caused a tidal wave at 2-3 dealers. 2 weeks ago or so I e-mailed Cobra to get a short list of dealers. One won't pre order,one hasn't returned my call to verify shippiing, checked with another and he has one. Just inquiries , mind you. They connected the dots , and now I'm  "that guy from Oregon who wants a Marauder" . They definitely communicate well.  I'm tempted to ask for a purple one (doesnt exist) , but they might come here n paddle-smack me.

I still want to try a Tarpon 140, but don't want to wait 2-3 weeks. Soo many good choices.....

Dang!  That's some serious customer service at it's finest. 
 
Don't remember if you mentioned already, but have you tried an OK T-13 or T-15? 
I'm unfortunately in the upper weight class of 225lbs and my first yak was the OK T-13. 
It fits and floats me perfect.  I still really like this yak, and plan to hang onto it even though I did
sneak over to the dark side and get a Revo too. 

Yea, the  T13 , if its similar or exact to the previous prowler. those 2 were going to be my default n get boats, cant go wrong. But...

today I got through to yet another dealer for the marauder, He isn't used to shipping out of state but he knew the routine and worked through it.
He had the best price, returned the quote back with shipping quickly too.  By next week friday I might have me a lime green Marauder, one with the improved foot clearance, rudder and hatches, one is possible to plumb to a livewell if I recall, doubt ill do that though.

sea trials this june for USS Scupperware!   

That is awesome for ya! I love that lime green color.

Hope yours comes in without the shipping battle wounds like my fish n dives did.  If you still have time have them put it in a crate or extra wrapping..   Mine had scars from fork trucks I believe.  Be sure to unwrap it when you go to pick it up and inspect all of the edges.   That is if it is being shipped to the dealer.  Otherwise good luck! and Congrats! Hope to see you out there on it.

FINALLY got my own Marauder on the water this morning, had it since Memorial day but got sick last weekend. 2 hours w/o a seat went well,inner hull stayed dry, nothing bad to note. The high runoff made paddling up the Columbia sloow, boat tracked well w/o using the rudder. This newer model seemed to have a bit less water in the footwell, could be me losing a bit of weight, expect a wet heel at 240lb, i dont fault the boat though.

I think the kayak is sound and good quality, but I think mine might lack a bit in fit and finish, heres why..... 2 scuppers still have a thin layer where they meet, not sure if I ought to trim them. The cable entries at the rear both are cracked at the fastening screws , goiing to call Cobra and see if they'll send me 2 new ones, 4/6 screws caused cracking in the fixtures. I thought I read in Kayak fishing magazine that it came with a fillet knife, mine didnt, but it might not actually come with one. Lastly , and this might be minor, the sweeping bow lince in the hull is consistent and smooth on the port side, but on the starboard side it does a bit of a rise and relevel as it ends at the bow, i think its in the mold but doesnt effect anything important.

Added so far: Bunjee to the rear and 2 "J" hooks to complete the rear cross pattern(didnt come with one), Benchmade fillet knife still unused for 2 years , 2-3 carbon arrow shaft safety flag ,  West Marine milk crate of real crate quality but at $20 + an older crate cut to a lid and 2"of side, and 4 large reflective strips.

On the way GTS seat(mine had none) , 4 scupper plugs.

Your opinions on the the fittings,and such are welcome, honest input always good for all.

You probably won't use the scupper plugs too much unless you plan to paddle around in your Sunday duds.
I think the Hobie Revo came with a pair and not even sure where those got tossed when I got it.