Viking 80 Convertible - Living legend
by Viking Yachts 15 Mar 2023 21:01 UTC
Viking 80 Convertible © Viking Yachts
The Viking 80 Convertible is a living legend, with a track record that proves a Viking sportfishing yacht of this size has everything it takes to consistently succeed on the tournament trail.
Its performance, fishability and accommodations (five staterooms and six heads) make for an unbeatable combination. That's why we've utilized the 80 a half dozen times as the Viking demonstrator boat. Our latest 80 demo - hull No. 51 pictured above on Line 1 in our New Gretna manufacturing plant - will kick off its summer season at Jimmy Johnson's Atlantic City Quest for the Ring Championship fishing tournament, July 16-23.
The demo will come to the battlegrounds with its tournament-ready 217-square-foot cockpit, complete with all the fishing equipment, accessories and technology you've come to expect from Viking. From its immense transom live well and in-deck fish boxes to its omnidirectional sonar and massive amounts of storage, the 80 will be ready to rumble come summer.
With nearly 59 years of experience under our belts, no other boatbuilder possesses our depth of knowledge in the design and construction of sportfishing yachts. And it shows in every area of our 80, including the world-class flybridge with its walkaround center console, ample seating, rod and general storage and integrated freezer and cooler areas.
In addition to our demo, we have three other open bridge 80s on the production line. Each one starts with a resin-infused hull - a sophisticated composite structure of end-grain balsa and foam cores with e-glass and carbon fiber hybrid laminates that provide maximum strength and weight savings.
Above left: a view of the forward bulkhead-and-stringer structure. Right: An aft view shows the resin-infused engineroom bulkheads. This 80 is being prepared to be pulled from its mold in our Fiberglass Department, Viglass.
Left: Also in Viglass is the deckhouse for No. 52. Right: The hull is in the Carpentry stage, with its mechanical equipment (such as the Seakeeper 35 gyro stabilizer), engines (twin 2635MHP MTUs), exhaust system and fuel tanks already installed. Once all its interior living components are in place, like the galley unit shown below being moved to the boat, the deckhouse will be transported forward and through-bolted and fiberglassed to the hull.
The 80 Open that's the farthest up the line is No. 50. As a semi-custom builder dedicated to building a better boat every day, we pride ourselves in making sure owners are able to personalize their boats.
Above: This boat features blue-and-gold color scheme throughout, starting with its custom boot stripe (left) and continuing in the living areas, including the master stateroom head (right), with its gold hardware and blue-accented vanity counter and floor.
We leave you with a beautiful shot of a former demo (hull No. 43). Freak Show is now fishing (and quite successfully) in the Dominican Repubic, as evidenced by the eight blue marlin flags. Like Freak Show, our demo will feature a Palm Beach Towers tuna tower and an Atlantic Marine Electronics package.
For more information about our 80 Convertible, which is also offered with an enclosed bridge (with or without a tower) and as a Sky Bridge model, please contact your authorized Viking dealer.