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Besides
being dry, our cockpit was also notably free of exhaust fumes, something
Viking attributes to the gently inward-curving house sides, which it says
break up the air flow and thereby reduce the low-pressure air pocket that
typically forms aft of the house—the notorious “station wagon
effect.” Assisting this are new molded-in oval exhaust ports that
look great and accommodate both engines and gensets. (For the ultimate
in low clutter, you can order all through-hulls molded in.)
But
the most impressive design change, in my opinion, lies beneath that 145-square-foot
cockpit (one square foot larger than the 50’s). The 52’s rudders
are an unusual trapezoidal design (see photo on page 152), which are of
normal width at the top but are sharply cut away at the bottom. I heard
a variety of theories on why this shape works, but I can tell you that
work it does. In concert with standard power-assisted steering and a good
turn of speed courtesy of optional 1,300-hp MANs (1,050-hp MANs are standard,
compared to 820-hp MANs on the 50), the result is one of the most remarkable
and enjoyable rides I’ve had at the wheel of any 50-some-footer.
The 52 answers the wheel in an instantaneous, automobile-like way and
banks into a turn like a runabout. I’d estimate her turning radius
at WOT at no more than two boat lengths, and she loses relatively little
rpm as you crank the wheel ever harder over. Spin it the four and a half
turns from lock to lock as energetically as you wish, and she never loses
her poise.
Of course,
there are interior changes as well. The basic plan is unchanged, but the
elongated stem and 1'1" more beam provide enough room for a queen-size
berth in the forepeak, if you select the standard layout. Our test boat
had the optional layout—the only one on the 50—with bunks
to starboard. Abaft on this level the master with en suite head is now
to port and the third stateroom is now to starboard, separated from the
forepeak stateroom by a head. One feature here bears mention by virtue
of its spatial sleight of hand. That head has three doors—one to
each stateroom and a third to the hallway so it can function as a day
head—yet still somehow manages to accommodate all the accoutrements
(including a big stall shower). The standard washer and dryer also moves
across the hall and against the aft bulkhead, where there’s more
space.
Up on
the saloon deck, the galley seems to enjoy the lion’s share of the
additional 2'3" (52'10" versus 50'7"). It’s now U-shape
instead of the angled-J configuration of the old boat. A U-shape is considered
the optimum configuration not only because it maximizes space, but for
its added security underway. Viking enhanced the design by eliminating
the refrigerator/ freezer that stood in the forward port corner and replacing
it with four standard Sub-Zero drawers, two refrigerator and two freezer,
a $5,320 option on the 50. I’d guess counterspace is doubled, and
there’s still enough undercounter real estate to accommodate a dishwasher
or trash compactor. Another nifty space trick: The forward cabinets extend
some three feet deep under the windshield—well beyond arm’s
reach—so Viking fits them with roll-out racks to make them really
useful.
Being
an evolutionary design, much is unchanged on the 52. All hatches are still
built using a resin-transfer process that makes them light and fully finished
on both sides. The cockpit is devoid of cabinet pulls, lending a clean,
custom look and minimizing the potential for line snags. Both heads have
clearly labeled switch panels so your guests won’t be confused.
The engines are still mounted to steel I-beams that bolt to fore and aft
bulkheads to ensure unchanging engine alignment. End-grain balsa is used
in the hull sides, cabin top, and decks. Viking still offers a list of
standard equipment composed as if every owner were a hard-core angler:
transom door, fresh- and raw-water washdowns, four rod holders, fishbox,
and tackle center with bait-prep station and freezer. And the engine room
still looks more like an OR than a mechanical space.
One
of the advantages of an evolutionary approach to boatbuilding is it allows
you to keep what works and eliminate what doesn’t. I couldn’t
find much in that latter category on the 52, although I do have a problem
with the near-vertical athwartship bridge ladder. Yes, I know it saves
space, but it can be tough to negotiate in a seaway—and especially
when the guy at the wheel is having as much fun as I did.
Viking
Yachts Phone: (609) 296-6000. Fax: (609) 296-3956. www.vikingyachts.com.
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