Hey Stich- if you do the tower I would be Very much interested in one also. I have someone working on a Bimini but last time they did anything for me it was 2 + years :picard1: and FWIW i be 59 this summer. :ernaehrung004:
I would really like a tower but nobody that i have found is capable. I even called Cobalt and got the manufacture of the tower originally and they said NO.

As for your boat- Do you spin In or Our w props? I just noticed mine spin In and i think there is too much transom lift.

The OEM tower was stainless and nobody will go down that road that I've talked to.

Right now I'm trying to get the supplier for Ski-Nautique to work with me. They've agreed to let me bring the boat to their facility and see if an existing tower they build can be customized to fit. The width is very similar but the way the front and rear mounts work is considerably different.

Otherwise, I've reached out to sources in SFL that build towers for OEM's and they will be my backup plan.

I'm going for the brushed anodized aluminum look but the SFL guys only want to do white powder coat.

I'm having the cockpit and swim platforms done with EVA foam and when I get the boat back I'll verify which way the props spin.

Quinlan, I stopped by the boat yesterday and the RH prop is on the Starboard side so they spin outward.

The boat's GPS Speedo said 69 MPH on a 60 degree day and google says the lake elevation is 360'. It was full of fuel with two people, and minimal gear on board. Bravo 1 26P props. I don't know if they have had any specific work done to them. They are high polished so maybe.

Question for the owners: Does the cockpit drain at the rear by the steps work better when the boat is in the water than on the level trailer?

Mine doesn't drain faster than a dribble out the side port.

I ran a drain snake through it and assisted with a shop vac from the hull side fitting so I know the line is clear but still just a dribble when the boat is level.

These guys built a tower for my Glacier Bay cat in 2000. They did a really nice job.

https://www.atlantictowers.com/custom-towers.php

I routinely get water pooling near the midship steps of the cockpit. I've dissassembled the aft cockpit drain several times. IMO, its a design flaw, the right angle fittign they used is not flush in the sump/drain area. They do drain better while sitting in the water than the trailer. But even on my hoist i had pooling with the mooring cover. Speed top installed.

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the reply!

Hull Thickness
 

Since this thread seems to be where the most info is on this model I'm adding another data point.

I just finished installing a new thru hull depth sounder (in the compartment below the helm seat) and had to make the hole larger using a dual holesaw. I measured the section that was removed with calipers and it's exactly 3/4" thick.

If anyone has any questions about how the 343 cobalt is built let me know. I am about half way thru converting the boat from inboards to outboards and from a closed deck to open bow. I have cut or removed every panel in the boat. I can say they are built very well.

We gotta see pictures of this!!!

Here ya go!
https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/...ml#post4869409

Mine is holding water in the bilge both under the engines and the outboard sides of the stringers.

Are there limber holes (drain holes) from the engine stringers to the center of the bilge? Luckily I'm thin enough to get down in the bilge and I crawled down the stbd side and felt with my hands along the outer starboard stringer under the tilt/trim pumps and can't feel any kind of hole. Did you see any holes when you had the engines out?

You are correct, there are no holes in the stringers, which is weird because the stringers are actually hallow. Once the motors were removed I used a hole saw and add drain holes.

I was able to find the two holes under the engines. There was 2 decades of debris (shop towel, socket, screws, zip ties, nuts) that had them obstructed.

The outboard sides are a different story. As you say there aren't drains for that area, The port side is not tabbed in at the transom so it waterfalls into the stringer and there is a hole for it to come out of. The starboard side is completely tabbed in and gelcoated so there is nowhere for the water to go.

The water gets in through the bilge vents when washing or if the boat is caught in the rain without a cover.

I can use my shopvac to remove the water until this winter when it's cooler and I feel like spending time down there to permanently fix the issue.

For those who trailer the 343 can you post a pic of your bow stop and winch setup? After my sea trial the previous owner struggled with getting the boat set on the trailer and yesterday I fought with it for over an hour at the ramp.

The location of the bow eye up high is making this a challenge. Let's see what you guys have come up with. Thanks in advance.

Can't post a pic, but the forward cradle should catch the keel well below the bow eye & trailer winch. Proper setup will have cradle and winch stand as two separate attachments.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a767b5935f.jpg
Here is mine. My winch could be lower by 4 or 5 inches.

Thanks for the pic. I ordered the bow stop and a winch stand like yours. My old one was set up with a roller on the winch stand.

Maritime Eng,

If you can easily access your bilge would you let me know if the deck the trim pumps sit on is tabbed to the transom on yours? The one on the port side is not and water just falls down between the chine and stringer. My starboard side is filling with water and driving me crazy. I'm convinced this is a layup mistake but want to be sure. I need to drill something to solve this issue.

This is what I found this morning after a few days of heavy rain here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kw7XnwawVxTw1LUW8

Stitch King - Just posting your pic so later on when the link is dead, anyone searching for a similar issue can see what you were referring to


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...353ff7780e.jpg
.

I used a 2" hole saw and drilled holes on that stringer right next to the trim pump and on each side of all 4 stringers to allow everything to drain down to the bildge pumps.

Thanks for the reply. I can't believe Cobalt forgot to put drainage holes in place on at least two of their top products from that time period.

Luckily I can get back to those pumps so I can remove them and then cut a hole. I'm fairly sure my stringers have holes to allow water to find it's way to the center bilge but I'll have to verify before I send that water somewhere else.

If not, I don't want to pul the engines so the transom will get a new drain hole/plug right next to the trim tab mount. Luckily the lowest point of where it is collecting water could be drained this way although it's the least favorable option.

Previous posts mention how heavy these boats are so last week I took the boat to the scale so I knew the weight in order to spec out a new truck.

On the trailer she tipped the scales at 14,600 LBS with 1/2 tank of fuel and all of the basic gear. The coolers were empty and no toolboxes were onboard.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4f731d0c91.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bf1e2fbc29.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5ab5a926b9.jpg
They are Heavy MoFos for sure. The lower pic was hauling it w my 07 Classic 3500 SRW.- home from Cumberland to Tulsa.
W NO Trailer brakes. Talk about a white-knuckle drive.
Da 6Fiddy does pretty well And I have brakes in Both trucks now. :ernaehrung004:

I had no idea these were so heavy! how's it take the water like Grand compared to your old TG?

About the same or less weight than a new center console with trips or quads, right?

My guess is the trailer's 2500lbs? What do you think?

Close. 1900 Lbs is what the MSO said.

It's definitely a better lake boat.

I took mine out of Sebastian Inlet (top 3 worst inlets in Florida) 3 weeks ago with 5'+ standing waves caused by outgoing tide hitting an onshore breeze and they were spaced about the same as the boat length. Keeping the bow up high enough and and carrying enough speed to stay on top of them was a challenge. The long pointy nose was definitely a challenge to keep from stabbing the next wave. The back side of the 2nd to last one was bigger than the first 4 and it was as if the bottom dropped out. The props blew out and I couldn't keep the nose up. Had to throttle back so they would bite and by the time they did the next wave sent a 3" pile of water rolling over the bow and windshield.

I definitely learned the value of having a bow with a "Carolina Flare" that day.

When running the Intercoastal in a 1-2' windblown chop its as if it's not even there. Cruiser wakes are nothing and it just eats them up. Confused conditions from multiple boat wakes are never a concern either.

Since most of our boating will be on the Intercoastal it works great for us. After the Sebastian incident, I'm thinking twice about taking it to the Bahamas. It would have to be in the summer when the seas are supposed to be calmer and a tropical storm is nowhere to be found in the Atlantic.

I am learning to Drive it. It takes the water Ok. Not like the Gun for sure. little rougher because it is so heavy, I feel as where the Gun would skip across the tops.
It rides MUCH better now that I switched props to spin out instead of in. More bow lift and that helps alot.

As for the weight- CCs are even heaver. You get to quads and you should be pushing 17-18 K i would imagine.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1b24d5c316.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c13bbfd682.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e133b7fdc2.jpg

NO MORE of THIS :lolhit:

I have been out that inlet in the same conditions, those waves are straight up. Coming back in was fun though. :)

Surprised on the trailer weight, my steal Myco for the little 32 is 1800lbs. I need to run my Aluminum Myco across and see what it comes in at.

Now that I think about it the MSO could be wrong. Many states title trailers over 2000 Lbs.

Last year I had an aluminum Manning Gooseneck triple axle for a Formula 400SS and the MSO for that also said around 2000 lbs. No way with being bigger in every way did that thing weigh nearly the same.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...3970e3f4b8.jpg
Another fine day.

Drive trim for cruise and top speed
 

Can’t seem to find the sweet spot
496ho bravo 1 26p spin out

seems u really can’t trim too far out at all before getting i lil (or big) rooster tail

tips/advice?

With mine, I've found on mine that trimming (on the indicator) past 3-4 is pointless.

exactly ^^

Stereo speaker install
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e19363dde.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9e55e8e12.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...757ceefce.jpeg

Being stainless beast… what do u guys think the speedtop does to speed? 3-4 mph due to weight and wind resistance?

2-3 mph scrub with the 525's

My 343 is currently getting a top built. Here's the sneak peek from today.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c17abecf16.jpg
The builder (who is an OEM manufacturer for Boston Whaler) used photos provided by me to get the styling. It's polished anodized and he's going to add supports compared to the original Speed Top. Hopefully it will be done with the canvas by the end of the week. I'll post the finished product when I pick it up.