56 Viking Convertible

Source: Tom Thompson, Sea Magazine

New sportfishing yacht is tournament-ready AND cruise-ready

The new Viking 56 Convertible is so popular, you`ll likely have to wait to get aboard one. They`re selling as fast as they can be made at the factory on the Bass River in New Gretna, New Jersey.

Twice I was scheduled to test this boat, and each time, it was sold out from under me. I finally got my chance to step aboard the 56 at the Miami International Boat Show — and it was worth the wait.

The Viking 56 is the successor to Viking Yacht Co.`s popular 55 Convertible. As with all the boats the company builds, it represents a constant improvement in sportfisher design and construction.

Even from one hull to the next on the assembly line, there`s a continual effort to build a better boat. What`s more, no two Vikings are exactly alike because they are customized to match each individual owner`s specific needs.

The 56 we examined in Florida had already been sold — and it well represented how Viking helps each owner to obtain a serious sportfishing boat that is uniquely his or her own.

Running Changes
One of the biggest changes on the new 56 Convertible is that the boat offers a drier ride than its predecessor. The longer, wider hull features a sharper entry and increased bow flare, to better deflect spray.

The cabin sides are flared inward, to further reduce the chance of moisture getting to the cockpit. This also helps deflect engine exhaust.

Viking tweaked the chines for better lift and spray control, as well as adding prop pockets to reduce drag and decrease the propeller thrust angle.

Four peppy twin diesel power options are available for this boat: 1,420 hp Caterpillar 3412Es, 1,520 hp MTU Series 2000 V12s and either 1,300 hp 2842LE404 MANs (the base engine package) or 1,500 hp 2842LE409 MANs.

The boat we tested had the twin 1,520 hp MTUs. With this powerful package, the 56 reaches a top speed of 41.4 knots, at 2,400 rpm. Cruising speed is at 35.9 knots, at 2,000 rpm.

The total fuel burn rate at cruising speed is 110 gallons per hour, which makes for a 562-mile cruising range (to empty) with the boat`s standard 1,500-gallon fuel tanks.

The flybridge helm station of our test boat was custom-outfitted for its new owner with an impressive array of electronics — including several pieces of redundant gear, for safety.

Three 12-inch LCD screens were installed in a glass-covered compartment directly in front of the steering pod. At the center was a Northstar 962XDW GPS chart plotter. Flanking it were Northstar display units; one showed images from a Furuno 25 kW radar while the other displayed images from a Furuno CA50B fish finder.

Another glass-covered compartment to the left held a second, smaller Northstar GPS chart plotter, an Icom SSB radio and a Simrad autopilot. Compartments to either side of the wheel housed VHF radios, a satellite telephone, an AM/FM CD stereo and the boat`s electronic engine control displays.

With all this electronic gear comes a lot of wiring. Fortunately, every inch of it is easily accessible via a doorway to a mini-cabin-like compartment under the helm console.

The Viking 56 flybridge is quite roomy — in terms of space to sit and move around, as well as for its ability to accommodate helm electronics. Visibility fore and aft from the captain`s position is excellent.

Two swiveling captain`s chairs behind the helm are accessible from all sides. There`s an aft-facing bench on the starboard side, which is an ideal vantage point for anglers watching lines.

An L-shaped lounge is forward of the helm console. It offers storage in the base, and there is additional space for gear that is accessible through a door in the flybridge`s forward bulkhead.

The big, 145-square-foot cockpit has generous room for anglers and gear. There`s a large fishbox and two smaller lockers in the sole — one of which can be optionally rigged as a livewell.

The console along the aft bulkhead of the cabin holds a bait prep station, a freezer and five large tackle drawers. Our test boat was also equipped with an optional custom tower, outriggers and spreaders.

The Good Life Aboard
Not only is the new 56 Convertible a superb fishing boat, it is also a splendid cruiser. Its luxurious amenities become immediately evident when you first decide to enter the main saloon.

Your first hint of the 56`s accommodating amenities comes when you find that the saloon door opens at the push of a button. It leads you to a spacious, comfortable place that you`ll find hard to leave.

The cabinetry in our test boat was crafted of teak wood. It richly complemented the speckled granite countertop in the galley and the beige Ultraleather of the U-shaped settee, to port.

A low cabinet along the starboard side concealed a 42-inch Sony plasma-screen television that silently rose for viewing at the touch of a button. This is where you`ll also find other entertainment gear, including a DVD player and a surround sound system.

Moving forward on the starboard side, you`ll find a dinette that seats four. Opposite it is a U-shaped galley. Standard features include a four-burner electric range with an exhaust fan, a garbage disposal in the sink and a microwave/convection oven.

Refrigeration units are located under the aft leg of the countertop. Our test boat had six drawer units — consisting of two freezers and four refrigerators stacked two-high, in three columns. An optional dishwasher or a trash compactor can be installed in place of one pair of refrigeration drawers.

This boat, as with previous Vikings we`ve tested, has abundant and easily accessible galley storage. In addition to drawers and cabinets beneath the countertop, there are unusually large and deep cabinets above. Roll-out drawers let you gain access to items stored at the back with no trouble at all.

There`s one other point worth mentioning about the Viking 56 galley. It, along with both heads below decks, has what appears to be a beautiful teak and holly sole. But it`s not: This is a manufactured flooring material called Amtico that looks and feels like the real thing, yet is considerably easier to maintain and keep clean.

A Place to Dream
The 56 Convertible has three staterooms and two full heads.

The master suite is amidships, to port, and has its own en suite head. A queen-size berth is accessible from three sides and is flanked by a pair of teak nightstands. The mattress is hinged at the head of the berth and lifts for ready access to storage compartments in the base.

Full-length mirrors on the hanging locker doors along the aft bulkhead add an illusion of more space in this already large compartment. His and hers hanging lockers are lighted and cedar lined, and they include shelving for shoes and other items.

The master head features a separate shower stall, a Corian countertop with a molded-in sink and an electric toilet.

Viking offers a choice of layouts for the forward VIP stateroom. Our test boat had one berth placed high along the port side of the hull`s “vee,” and another slightly lower along the starboard side. You can also configure the compartment with a queen-size berth along the centerline.

There`s a floor-to-ceiling hanging locker to port, as well as several smaller ones on either side.

While most third staterooms are relatively tiny, the Viking 56`s is by no means small. I stood in the space with two other people, without feeling confined.

The third stateroom offers two single berths. One is placed along the starboard hull side, while the other is positioned at a 90-degree angle from the aft end of it, tucked under the companionway stairs. A focal point of the third stateroom is an attractive floor-to-ceiling teak armoire, which is cedar lined.

The second head compartment has three convenient access points. Each of the adjoining cabins has its own private access door — and there`s a third entry from the companionway. At night, no one has to stumble out into the companionway to get to the head; yet, during the day, it can be used by anyone on board without disturbing someone sleeping in one of the cabins.

This head, too, has a glass-enclosed shower stall, an electric toilet and a Corian countertop. It`s also where you`ll find a compartment with space for separate washer and dryer units.

With all the hardcore sportfishing features a tournament angler could dream of, along with all the creature comforts a coastal cruiser could want, the new Viking 56 Convertible is truly outfitted to impress. Thanks to a slippery new hull and power to spare, the latest Viking can provide enough speed and seakindly performance for offshore adventures of all kinds.