Yachting Monthly noted the 850’s popularity as a charter boat, a role well suited to her manageable size and four-berth interior.
Design and Construction
The 850 developed the ideas behind Feltham’s Cobra 700. It has a similar style, but the accommodation is a little more spread out below.
Cobra Yachts built its cruising hulls in solid fiberglass. The 850 has a reasonably long fin keel and a large skeg supporting the rudder, so the substantial skeg carries the steering load rather than leaving the blade unsupported. The deck is also solid fiberglass, with no core to trap moisture.
The boat displaces 7,750 pounds, including 3,500 pounds of iron ballast, and has a 45-degree ballast-displacement ratio. This gives her a steady, purposeful posture without tipping into heavy-displacement lethargy. Her waterline is 22 feet, and her beam is just shy of 9 feet 6 inches.
Cobra also sold some hulls as kits for owners to complete. As a result, build and finish quality can vary from one example to another—a caveat that applies to any used 850, regardless of how original its fit-out appears.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Cobra 850 is a sporty performer with good handling. Her masthead-sloop rig carries 380 square feet of sail area and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.5. That’s enough to keep her lively in a breeze while remaining forgiving for short-handed crews.
The long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder provide directional confidence. With a draft of 3 feet 6 inches, she remains accessible to shallow estuaries and drying moorings. A hull speed of just over six knots is realistic under sail.
Accommodation
Below, the 850 follows the Cobra 700’s four-berth layout but provides more separation between spaces. That’s useful for a couple or small family spending nights aboard.
Her charter pedigree shows in the practical arrangement. The boat can sleep a full crew without leaving anyone unreasonably cramped on the saloon settee. The simple solid-fiberglass hull and deck avoid concerns about trapped moisture in a core, although kit-built examples warrant closer inspection of their joinery and systems routing.
Refit and Ownership Considerations
Cobra Yachts went into liquidation in 1982. For owners of an 850, that is more a historical footnote than a problem for parts; the boat’s simple GRP structure ages predictably. The shaft drive is also straightforward to service.
Prospective buyers should budget for a survey that pays particular attention to kit-finished interiors. Variation in original completion quality is the largest single variable in long-term ownership costs.
Verdict
The Cobra 850 is a well-balanced small cruiser that punches above her length with sporty handling and a practical, spread-out four-berth layout. She offers an approachable entry into coastal cruising without the complexity of a cored hull. Her charter history also shows that she was trusted with paying crews.
The main caution is the inconsistent quality of kit-completed fit-outs. With this model, a careful survey of the individual boat matters more than its general reputation.
Pros
- Sporty performance and good handling from the fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
- Four-berth layout with more separation than the similar Cobra 700
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck, with no core to fail
- Shallow 3-foot-6-inch draft suits estuaries and drying moorings
Cons
- Kit-finished examples show variable quality
- Modest auxiliary limits the margin in strong tides or when beating in calm conditions
