boat test for the 2009 vicem 63 sportfisherman including boat specifications, photo galleries, boat layout diagrams, boat test numbers, boat test result, and boat speed graphs. Also includes pricing, engine test reviews, ratings , standard features, and gear for the 2009 Vicem 63 Sportfisherman.

While the ER is spacious, with walkaround engine accessibility, the Racors and MAN filters are outboard, not convenient for a regular maintenance item. I’d like to see them on either the forward bulkhead or inboard of the motors. In addition, the fuel sight gauge isn’t labeled, so you can’t tell exactly how many gallons are in the four fuel tanks (two on centerline, two saddle tanks), which carry 1,950 gallons in total. The bottom section of the gauge is also exposed and could be damaged by an errant foot or tool; it needs some sort of protective cover. And from the ER, the only access to the lazarette is by crawling through a small companionway under the cockpit. Accessing the area around the rudder posts and strut backing plates is not possible from the cockpit. I’d like to either see a cockpit hatch or the two macerated in-deck 6'x18" x 20.5" fishboxes become removable, instead of fixed, as they are now.

In addition to those fishboxes, my 63 was armed with a livewell and Pompanette offset fighting chair, making her cockpit a great place for a stand-up battle, except for the stern-line cleats that are mounted on deck near the aft corners where most fish fights take place. They need to be under the gunwales to avoid being both an angling hindrance and a stubbed-toe hazard. This 63 was also equipped with a cockpit Bosch grill and Isotherm ‘fridge, reinforcing the fact that she’s more of a casual fishing vessel.

But while my 63 would need some tweaks to run with the hardcore battlewagons, her interior needs nothing to compete with anyone. Her satin-finish mahogany (high-gloss is available) was expertly grain-matched, and imparted a warm, upscale feel to the wide-open saloon/galley/dinette. The light-tone settee to port, set against a sea of rich, dark-brown bulkheads and trim, was a great place from which to watch a movie on the 50-inch Pioneer plasma TV. Other upscale touches included granite countertops and top-notch appliances from Sub-Zero and GE in the well-appointed galley.

Add to the above, a three-stateroom layout with a full-beam master aft, complete with his and her heads, and you have room for a fisherman with a family and then some. And remember, since Vicem is a custom builder, you can pick your own below-deck’s arrangement, too. An at-sea office perhaps?

Taking all this into account, my Vicem 63 was, as Landsberg said, a good family fishing boat and a luxurious cruiser. She was also a very good value at $2.45 million as this price put her under her similar-size U.S.-built competition by at least half million dollars. Combine that with the fact you can outfit your 63 to be anything from family friendly to fish-ready, and you have a vessel worth a closer look.

NOTEWORTHY: Dare the Chair

A fighting chair is the centerpiece of many a battlewagon. (How else would we decorate our cockpits with symmetrically crisscrossed rods and reels?) And the Pompanette 130-pound-class chair onboard the Vicem 63, which was complete with optional rocket launcher, teak seatboard, and offset pedestal, does the job well. (Pricing starts around $10,500.) On the 63 it’s a great complement to the teak-covered cockpit and teak-wrapped gunwales. But this chair is more than flash, it’s functional. It features a four-position gimbal to adjust rod angle when leaning back on that big one and even has diamond nonskid on the footboard. To ensure your chair looks good every season, it features a durable epoxy and urethane finish, which is said to help reduce the effects of UV rays and exposure to the elements. www.pompanette.com. —P.S.

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