Boat test for the 2008 Viking Convertible 82 with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, engine test reviews and rating for the 2008 Viking Convertible 82.

Also new are corner hawse pipes sized to accommodate both mooring lines and the standard port and starboard Glendinning 100-amp shore-power cords. They pass through a cockpit that is, as you’d expect, laid out for serious angling. The in-sole compartments and the modules that line the forward end beneath the mezzanine seating can be configured in a nearly infinite number of ways, as on any custom sportfisherman. But a number of details belie Viking’s tournament experience. There’s a two-inch plug in each corner scupper that can be unscrewed to accommodate the overflow hose of a portable baitwell. A small locker in the forward port corner is dedicated to chamois and squeegees. (There’s another on the bridge.) The quick-connect in the forward starboard corner lets you change engine and genset oil from the dock—no more lugging five-gallon buckets on and off the boat. (Another quick-connect is in the engine room.) Optional tachs and oil pressure gauges mounted just inside the engine room door tell you what’s happening without forcing you to go inside or up to the bridge.

As for the engine room itself, everything in it, save two aqua battery chargers, is gloss white. It’s such an unrelentingly arctic space, I almost expected to be greeted by a guy in a parka. The impression is heightened by the fact that the ER is also utterly uncluttered, so much so that at first I thought perhaps some equipment was missing. It was not; it was just positioned so as not to be in the way. Twin 32-kW Onan gensets are aft but also out of the way, under the mezzanine; remove a few machine screws and they slide forward so you can easily work on them. Or pull the cockpit fishboxes to reach their aft sides. (Everything aboard from engines to the water heater can be removed.) To keep things quiet in the saloon, the overhead is a single piece of cored FRP, no small feat on a boat that’s 22'4" wide. Beneath the diamond-plate between the engines are two 240-volt swimming pool pumps that circulate raw water to everything that needs it, from air conditioners to washdowns to livewells. Why two? One’s a backup. Why swimming pool pumps? Because you can get parts for them almost anywhere in the world.

There’s more smart thinking on the bridge. The compartment in the hardtop for the teaser reels contains two VHF speakers so the captain can monitor chatter while watching baits. He has great sightlines fore and aft because he stands on an elevated platform. Inside the console are two batteries dedicated to the electronics and a thermostatically controlled exhaust fan to make sure none of the many electronic gizmos fries on a hot day.

Below, a day head by the cockpit door ensures no one has to tromp through the saloon. (Who actually uses a head when they’re fishing?) The galley’s forward and athwartships, with openings at either side for good traffic flow. Between its forward cabinetry and “windshield” is a pair of giant walk-in spaces that can be anything from stowage to another sleeping area. Although with a full-beam master, two VIPs, and two guest/crew cabins, it’s unlikely an owner will be wanting more sleeping space. (Two other plans are available.)

Chances are that owner will be coming out of a Viking. The company has sold a remarkable 45 74s since it debuted the model in 2003. Until now, owners of them who wanted to move up to a bigger boat often ended up going to custom builders. The 82 was designed to ensure that they won’t have to. Or want to.

For more information on Viking, including contact information,click here.

NOTEWORTHY: PICES Steering

Besides having the thruster controls in the gear levers to facilitate backing down (right) the 82’s maneuverability is also enhanced by Viking’s PICES (Programmable Independently Controlled Electro-Hydraulic Steering) system. Each rudder is controlled by its own servo, which is in turn controlled by a microprocessor. For minimal drag and maximum tracking, the rudders are parallel when running straight, not toed in as on most boats. Turn the wheel and the rudders move at different rates—up to 15 degrees different—which shortens the turning radius to a remarkable two boat lengths at WOT. And since the system’s electronic, both feedback and range (three turns lock-to-lock on this boat) are adjustable.—R.T

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