60 Viking

Source: Nancy Birnbaum, Mad Mariner Magazine

Sport Yacht Handles Like a Dreamboat

Some of us are purists while others need to feel the comfort that only a yacht can provide. The Viking 60 Sport Yacht combines the luxury of a cruiser with the speed and agility of a Sportfish, giving the boater the best of both worlds.

Our boat test commenced on a bright, clear winter day in South Florida. With winds just under 20 knots out of the west the Atlantic was relatively flat, offering up 2- to 3-foot seas off Hillsboro Inlet. It was a great day to open up all the ports and windows and feel the cool breeze as we opened up the throttles and ran up and down the coast cruising at 22 knots at 1950 rpm and a top speed of 27.1 knots at 2250 rpm. The truth is that I almost wished it was blowing hard and out of the north so that I could really put this Sport Yacht to the test. Fortunately we got slapped by a rather big wave, which necessitated the use of the windshield wipers!

With excellent visibility from the flybridge, the Viking 60 is designed for speed. Backing is a bit tougher and necessitates stepping away from the helm and peering down the companionway steps to see the starboard side. As I got her up to speed the bow was still easy to see over. The boat doesn’t feel like it’s riding with high altitude even though the bow continues to rise as power is applied. Steering is instantaneous and effortless and can be done with one finger (though we don’t suggest such a thing) which makes turning this 34-ton boat around quick and easy.

Viking’s relationship with MAN provides the kind of drive that will satisfy a wide range of motoryacht owners. Equipped with a pair of 820 hp MAN 2840 LE401 10-cylinder diesels, the boat can reach a top speed of 33 mph – and can cruise at 28 mph.

Hull design: The Viking Sport Yacht gets its speed from a smart design. Achieving extra lift from the bottom of the cockpit extension which tapers upward creating a hydrodynamic wedge. The rest of the hull has a familiar 15 1/2-degree transom deadrise and the Viking trademark sharp entry for fast wave parting. If the rooster-tails we were throwing off were any indication, I’d say this boat can really move well through just about anything that wind and weather can produce.

Even at close to 30 knots, the boat was super stable without any stabilizers, though you can add them if desired. And to top it off, it’s also fairly quiet, at least up on the flybridge. Our test boat had the optional fiberglass hardtop and hard front enclosure with side and aft curtains which helps to dampen the engine noise.

Following American Bureau of Shipping and American Boat and Yacht Council standards, Viking built the 60 Cockpit Sports Yacht using hand-laid biaxial and triaxial knitted fabrics for optimum strength-to-weight ratios, and modified epoxy resins behind the gelcoats for increased impermeability.

COMFORT BELOW

Our test boat didn’t look like a 12 year old boat – anywhere. Clean inside and out, right down to the engine room, where the gelcoat was clean enough to pass the “white glove” test. Upon entering the aft saloon, the first thing I noticed was the headroom – high enough for my first mate to stand up tall. At 6 feet, 1 inch he had plenty of room to spare. This carries through in every space below decks. The main salon is aft and two steps below the upper salon. This bright, spacious and comfortable space is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing with a good book. There’s an ample-sized chill box for the beer under a small sink and a huge wrap-around sofa with big teak table.

The main salon features L-shaped seating around the table to starboard as well as another L-shaped sofa to port. Convenient handholds along the headliner add to the comfort and safety of this well-designed motor yacht. The well-equipped galley includes two-burner glass top range, convection oven/ microwave, full size refrigerator, Corian countertops and trash compactor. Salon sofa includes standard size Hide-A-Bed for the kids. There’s a teak dining table with leather seating in the salon along with the entertainment center.

The Viking Sport Yacht sleeps six guests in three Staterooms: A full beam master stateroom aft, with private head/shower, walk-in closet, second closet, spacious storage, and a built-in safe. The huge bed is well ventilated with an opening hatch directly above your head. A “VIP Guest Stateroom” is forward with private head/ shower and centerline queen bed. The third stateroom is to starboard with upper and lower bunks with private head/shower. Each stateroom has AM/ FM radio, CD player, separate A/C unit and controls and cable/satellite TV. Across the companionway from the third stateroom is the washer/ dryer in separate closet port side. Companionway door allows entry to third stateroom head.

On deck, you’ll stroll through clear plex wing doors alongside to the broad foredeck where you can lounge on the wide cushioned seat just under the flybridge and stay relatively dry even at top speeds! There are plenty of spaces to hangout on this yacht; the enclosed after deck, the cockpit, the salon, the flybridge, or the spacious staterooms. Truly an accommodating design for a medium-sized yacht.

I was duly impressed with the flybridge layout. There are three, count ’em, three chairs at the full width console! All the electronics within easy reach and a large aluminum-framed glass windshield with remotely operated vents protects the helmsman and crew.

Both the flybridge and aft deck are enclosed and air-conditioned. The 2-feet, 8-inch-deep cockpit has the usual amenities including a transom door with gate, swim platform, freshwater washdown, adequate stowage, and room to mount a fighting chair. I appreciated the automatic shore power cord retractor which comes as standard equipment.

Original list price for the 60 Cockpit Sports Yacht was $1,223,000.00. They currently show a bottom price of around $400,000, a typical price of $505,500.00 and top price of $621,750.00.

The Viking Yacht Company has celebrated four and a half decades in business building luxury performance sportfishing and cruising yachts. Started by brothers Bob and Bill Healey in 1964, Viking Yachts has grown to become a world leader in semi-custom fiberglass yacht production. Other than a few major components, such as engines and appliances, virtually every part of a Viking is designed and manufactured on the premises in New Gretna, New Jersey in their tried-and-true methods.

Viking still enjoys an enviable status as the country’s leading builder of convertible yachts, with many industry observers on record describing Vikings as the best yachts of their kind in the world. In 2001 at the 60th Anniversary Miami International Boat Show, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Motor Boating Magazine honored Bill and Bob Healey with the prestigious Chapman Award in recognition for their contributions to boating for the benefit of the industry and boating public.

With the economy making its slow comeback, we know your dollar has to stretch to the Max. That’s one reason that the used boat market is so hot. Custom yachts like the Viking hold their value and are still a good investment.