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56 Viking Convertible

Viking Yachts

56 Viking Convertible Review

Source: Rick Gaffney, Boatpoint Magazine

For a boat named after the Dark Ages’ most fearsome thugs, the Viking 61 certainly delivers an incongruous level of sophistication. But make no mistake about it – like its namesake, this remarkable boat is tough and merciless when it’s on the attack

Testing new boats is always a great pleasure, and being able to test a sportsfishing boat while it is being worked hard in the pursuit of gamefish is an absolute joy. However, to be aboard when a superbly rigged and flawlessly fished sportsfishing machine establishing itself as the team to beat makes for what I consider to be the ultimate boat-testing experience.

Remarkably, we pulled off that unique hat-trick twice in less than six months, most recently at Los Suenos, Costa Rica on the Viking 61 Dealers Choice.

Truth is I have been lusting after a Viking seatrial since BlueWater Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair and I visited the Viking Yacht Company factory two years ago. Various circumstances conspired to keep a Viking test from happening until now. It was definitely worth the wait.

In March, I was invited to return to the sumptuous Los Suenos Resort and Marina in Costa Rica, to cover the Los Suenos-HMY Signature Series Invitational Tournament, and to fish for a day with Viking executive vice president Pat Healey on the tournament-rigged Dealers Choice. Rest assured, I did not have to be asked twice.

Dealers Choice is owned by Viking Yacht Company’s oldest dealer, Staten Island Yacht Sales in New York, but it was rigged to be a very competitive tournament machine, and as I was soon to find out, it was fished by some very competitive tournament sportsfishermen.

MEET THE CREW
Onboard for the first day of the tournament were the team’s four anglers (who either worked for Viking or one of its largest dealers), led by Pat Healey – son of one of the 40-year-old company’s founders (see Viking story on page 84 of this issue). There were four crew including two mates, a hostess and Capt Bob Watson, and with the tournament observer and myself, that brought the passenger load up to ten.

One of the first things I noticed about the 61 was how well it accommodated a lot of people. Whether we were gathered in the saloon for the ride out to fishable waters, or in the substantial 170-square-foot cockpit, or spread out on the spacious flybridge, the boat never felt crowded.

That ride offshore also introduced me to one of the Viking Yacht hallmarks of which I was not aware. They are remarkably quiet. We don’t use a decibel meter in our boat tests, but I’ve been in a lot of sportfish saloons at speed – and even with people spread between the galley, the port dinette and the U-shaped settees in the saloon proper, conversation rarely required raising our voices.

What’s remarkable is that there were a pair of 1480hp MTU DDC V-12s turning 2000rpm driving a 92,000lb boat with a full tower at 31.5kt under that saloon, and it was still quiet enough for us to carry on a normal conversation.

Pat Healey explained one of the reasons for the relative serenity of the Viking’s main cabin: there was a two-and-a-half-inch composite sandwich of fibreglass, foam and structural aluminium plate between us and those big mills, all contributing to soundproofing, structural integrity and lack of squeaks and groans. The main cabin floor is rigid – literally strong enough to lift the hull – and devoid of any hatches, cut-outs or virtually any other noise-leak.

BEAM ME UP
The main cabin is accessed from the cockpit through a Starship Enterprise-style automatic door from the starboard side of the cockpit.

Up the starboard side of the saloon, below the windows, was a row of finely crafted cabinetry, built of the lovely vertical end-grain teak that matched all the panelling elsewhere in the boat – all of which wore a flawless gloss-varnish finish. The cabinets contained precisely laid-out, clearly labelled electrical panels, audio-visual equipment, satellite-communications gear, an icemaker and secure storage.

Forward to starboard is a capacious, rhomboid-shaped, high-gloss teak dinette supported by a teak column-pedestal. A large flatscreen TV is mounted on the forward bulkhead panelling, and it is visible throughout the main cabin.

To port is a substantial galley space with parallel Corian countertops and a teak-and-holly sole. The forward bulkhead accommodates deep slide-out shelving and china and pantry storage, as well as a microwave/convection oven.

Mirrored wall panels allow a clear view aft to the cockpit and beyond. The forward counter included the galley sinks, trash compactor and stovetop as well.

The island counter that separates the galley from the lounge area contains four Sub-Zero drawer-type refrigerators as well as two freezer drawers.

An accommodating lounge fills the aft port corner of the main cabin, and includes a large U-shaped settee with rod and gear storage underneath, and a cocktail table that incorporates additional storage space inside. Choice of fabrics indicate that a fine eye for interior decoration was involved in their selection, and such touches as air-conditioning registers incorporated into the soffits suggest the manufacturer’s refined attention to detail.

Round edges, handholds and secure latches all suggest that the interior spaces are ready for open-ocean conditions, not just dockside entertaining.

OPTIONS FOR LIVING
The forward living area of the 61 is available with several options for either a three-stateroom or four-stateroom layout, both of which include three heads.

All layouts include a large master cabin amidships with a king-size island berth with tons of storage beneath it, and a huge cedar-lined closet with acrylic mirrored doors.

Here again, valance-hidden air-conditioning registers, fine fabrics, indirect and recessed lighting, fine wood finishes and other touches all suggest a luxurious ambiance.

The bow area can include a second queen berth and the additional stateroom (or staterooms) are along the starboard hull side with single bunk-berths, cedar-lined hanging lockers and additional under-bunk storage opportunities.

The sound and video entertainment system is wired throughout the living spaces and flatscreen TVs are everywhere. A closet enclosing the washer/dryer and central vacuum system is located in the forward living area companionway.

COCKPIT CRASH COURSE
I got my first thorough look at the 61’s cockpit after the action started around 9.00am with the day’s first sailfish. It rose to the massive dredge teaser on the starboard side.

Pat Healey executed a picture-perfect delivery of his circle-hook-rigged ballyhoo, neatly hooked the billfish, then kept it tight as he eliminated the belly, and the fish jumped provocatively for the cameras. After the leader was tipped and the fish was positively identified and released, I had a chance to take a closer look at the ‘pit.

The huge cockpit of the Viking 61 includes substantial in-deck storage space (part of which can be converted to a livewell) as well as a 53in-long x 20in-deep x 20in-wide fishbox. There is a long, moulded console along the main cabin bulkhead that incorporates tackle-storage drawers, bait freezer, rigging area with sink, and access to the engineroom.

You’ll also find chilled drink storage incorporated into the steps from the cockpit into the saloon and additional storage under the ladder to the flybridge, which is mounted to starboard.

The functional tuna door in the transom is grander-sized, solid, fitted with custom Viking hardware and it neither rattles, squeaks nor admits large volumes of water when backing down.

On Dealers Choice the cockpit also included an offset pedestal chair with a rocket launcher incorporating a bait-prep table and rigging drawer where the backrest would be. The chair’s armrest rodholders and rocket launcher were essential to the way the boat was fished, supporting rods with pitch-baits and several backup rods at the ready.

FLYING COLOURS
On the flybridge, Capt Bob Watson’s domain on Dealers Choice, Viking’s dedication to sportsfishing is again pronounced.

Stepping off the practical athwartships-mounted bridge ladder onto the starboard aft corner of the flybridge, your eye quickly notes the expansive bridge console to port, which promises room for an extensive array of marine electronics and substantial storage as well.

There is a refrigerated chill box and freezer space under the midsection of the console, and forward of that is a spacious L-shaped, forward-facing lounge. Dry, secure rod storage is fitted into the areas below the side-facing lounge to starboard, and an aft-facing jump-seat is provided on that lounge to make it very comfortable to watch the various enticers in the boat’s flat trolling wake.

The aft side of the console includes an optional helm pod control station with single-lever controls (also optional) and all the instrumentation and electronics are arrayed under moulded lids with clear acrylic covers for weather protection and easy visibility.

The electronics console space is vast enough to accommodate virtually any electronics array, and everything therein is easily accessible via gas-assist strut-supported lids. Adjacent to the helm pod are additional top-opening cabinets housing electrical switch panels and additional electronics. All engine and bilge alarms can also be monitored at the helm.

The flybridge on Dealers Choice included EZ2C clear surrounds uniquely fitted out with canvas top edges that incorporate zip-open vents to improve the air-flow across the bridge when the surround was in place and conditions allowed. The system worked very well. The front edge of the flybridge is also cut away enough to assure the view plane from helm to bow, and a clear plexiglass panel fills the cutaway.

The aft edge of the flybridge extends out over the cockpit console and is wide enough to accommodate access to the companion seat at the helm. The skipper has a clear view of both the cockpit and the bow from the helm.

NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE
Viking’s moulded hardtops are both functional and a thing of beauty, and the one on Dealers Choice included a moulded-in teaser reel recess for the Miya Epoch electric teaser reels, a drop-down radio panel, flush-mounted lighting and a cockpit fish-cam that will catch all the action from the chair to the third wave.

The tower was built by Viking’s Riviera Beach, Florida-based company Palm Beach Towers, and it exhibited clean, parallel lines, perfect welds and a flawless finish. It was also remarkable in that there was no unnecessary, distracting vision robbing structure.

Handholds could be found everywhere they were needed, but not where they would be superfluous or a distraction.

Drew McDowell who manages Palm Beach Towers was one of the anglers onboard. He learned what works and doesn’t on towers through many previous years of experience as Viking’s tournament captain, before settling down to a landside job when Palm Beach Towers was created.

Access to the top of the tower was easy and comfortable and there I found the same attention to detail was apparent, from the hardtop and the control console and electronics installation to the upholstery. Mate Danny Veid spent the better part of the day in the tower, watching the spread and providing his four anglers with an early warning of the presence of any fish. Danny was quite a nimble guy, and was able to descend from his lofty perch faster than virtually any mate I’ve ever seen.

That would signal the start of the action on virtually every one of the 12 sailfish they caught that day. Danny would sound the alert and descend the tower like Spiderman, as his skipper Bob Watson turned his back to the helm-pod to watch the unfolding action in the cockpit below.

Bob prepared to retrieve the teasers he controlled and throw the big Viking into a turn toward the fish as soon as it was hooked. In the cockpit, mate Charlie Coronand stood by to retrieve additional teasers or provide a backup rod or a new rigged bait, and the four anglers (Pat Healey, Vic Starling, Greg Jones and Drew McDowell) moved with amazing synchronicity in their various angling positions.

BATTLE STATIONS
With four teasers (two massive multi-lure dredges and two daisy-chains), four rods trolling ballyhoo, two heavier outfits rigged with mackerel for any blue marlin that might be raised, several rods in backup with their baits in pitch-tubes, a cooler full of pre-rigged ballyhoo, six guys and an occasional bevy of sailfish in the wake, there could be a whole lot going on in the cockpit at any given time.

The practiced precision with which each of the players onboard undertook their job was a joy to observe. These guys not only knew what they were doing, but they also rarely interfered with each other, almost never missed an opportunity to hook a fish, and they maintained a good-natured banter throughout the day – kidding each other, sharing old and new stories, talking Viking business briefly, but always ready for the next fish.

I only got to fish with them on day one of the event, but they led the field after the first day and steadily built their catch numbers throughout the tournament, eventually catching enough fish to win the event.

It was not the first time a Viking 61 has won an important gamefishing tournament. In 1999 a Viking 61 demo boated a 781lb blue marlin in the 27th Annual White Marlin Open in Maryland. That fish was worth over $303,000 in tournament winnings.

STUNNING SALES SUCCESS
There have been over 123 Viking 61s sold since the model was introduced in 1999 at the autumn boat shows, and the wait for a new one can be as long as a year. No other manufacturer in history has sold that many boats of that size in so short a time period. Good news for Aussies is that you will soon be able to test drive and purchase a Viking in Australia. Brisbane-based company Euroyachts has been appointed Viking’s Australian dealer with plans for the first Viking to hit Aussie shores early 2005.

I saw many reasons for the success of the Viking 61 during my day onboard. The boat was fast (cruising at 31.5kt at 2000rpm, and bigger engines are an option), sea-kindly (although the 3ft swell we ran and fished in was no real test of its rough-water prowess), amazingly agile for a boat of its size, remarkably quiet, comfortably accommodating, exceptionally well put together and great looking.

What didn’t I like? Not much to say here, although I virtually always complain about the vast field of glistening white surfaces on console faces.

If I wanted to be really picky I’d point out that I’ve seen a better finish and teaser reel rigging inside one flybridge hardtop and, for the record, the MTU DDC V12s smoked a lot more than a modern diesel should. Could just have been a mechanical issue that needed some fine-tuning, though.

Like the rest of the boat, the engine room on the 61 is a real pleasure. White powder-coated steel engine stringers are bolted to dedicated transverse stringers and there is adequate maintenance access throughout the engine room and a full 6ft of head clearance at the centreline.

Regularly serviced items close at hand include a full set of gauges, freshwater-fill hose, fuel-priming pumps and an oil change system. To facilitate access, Viking has also provided a separate pumproom forward of the starboard engine, keeping all that gear and its plumbing in one neat space, out of the engine room.

A 20kW Onan generator is standard, as are twin Glendinning Cablemasters for shorepower cords both port and starboard. A second 20kW genset and a watermaker are other options.

HORSES FOR COURSES
The Viking 61 is also available in an enclosed flybridge model (with a spiral staircase option) and there are at least four distinct models of the boat we tested (recognising, of course, that no two Vikings are ever quite the same).

Viking builds for the sportsfishing market, but it also builds the boats for comfortable cruising. Many of these boats are used for less-rigorous pursuits (sacrilegious though that may seem to the dyed-in-the-wool gamefisherman!).

The Viking Yacht Company has spent 40 years perfecting its boats, and that is like a mantra at the Viking factory. Pat Healey says improvements are constantly being made in each boat that comes down the company’s production line.

The 61 I got to ride on out of Los Suenos while the Viking factory team ably pursued their tournament win, was not only a pleasure to behold – both dockside and running offshore – but it was also a masterfully designed, engineered, assembled, finished and outfitted sportsfishing machine rivalling any other vessel anywhere near its size that I’ve ever had the pleasure of being aboard.

It is little wonder that over 120 Viking 61s have been built since it was introduced – nor why buyers stand in line for as long as a year to get their mitts on one.

Boat Specifications: 56 Viking Convertible

Viking 61

Options fitted Engine upgrade, tower, fighting chair, 21.5kW genset, watermaker, trolling valves, granite countertops, 42″ TV, electronics package and more.

GENERAL

Material: Fibreglass composite

Type: Moderate-vee monohull

LOA: 18.82m (61′ 9″)

Beam: 5.66m (18′ 6″)

Draft: 1.47m (4′ 10″)

Deadrise: 15.5° at transom

Displacement: 41,503kg (81,499lb)

CAPACITIES

Berths: Six

Fuel: 6976lt (1843 US gal)

Water: 1196lt (316 US gal)

ENGINE

Make/model: Detroit Diesel DDC/MTU Series 2000-V12 Type: Twelve-cylinder turbodiesel Rated hp: 1480

Displacement: 23.9lt

Weight: 2558kg (5640lb)

Gearbox (make/ratio): ZF 2050A 2.032:1

Props: Viking five-blade