Above the waterline, the 42 Open is typical Viking, with the same finish and hardware found on the builder’s larger boats. The components are cut to precision on one of the two five-axis profilers at Viking’s facility in New Gretna, New Jersey. The hatches are made by resin transfer molding, and the teak hardwood and veneer give the area belowdecks an elegant appearance.
Our test vessel had the standard two-stateroom configuration, which features a master in the bow, a full head with a separate stand-up shower, a galley and a salon. The guest stateroom sits amidships, built into the space gained by the pod-drive installation. It features two side-by-side single berths and more than six feet of headroom. Viking offers the option of a third stateroom and a guest head to port, opposite the galley, with an over-under bunk. (With this setup, though, you lose the salon and a little bit of space in the master stateroom.) The galley features plenty of usable counter space, with Corian stretching along the aft bulkhead and the starboard wall. I really liked the Amtico vinyl flooring, which looks like teak but will be much easier to maintain.
One thing I noticed on our tour belowdecks: There’s no way to access the anchor locker from the master stateroom if a problem arises with the optional Lewmar windlass — that’s because it’s not needed. The bow locker setup allows for excellent access to the anchor rode, so you’ll never have to kneel on your mattress to deal with a dirty, stuck chain.
Of course, the Skyhook feature, part of the Zeus system, obviates the need for an anchor in some situations. Press a button and pods work to hold the boat in place. We tried it with success offshore in rough seas, but it works best while waiting for space at the fuel dock or for a bridge to open. Or you could just play with the joystick and spin the boat in place in a circle.
See our complete photo gallery here.
LOA: 42’7”
LWL: 35’7”
BEAM: 15’10”
DRAFT: 3’5”
DISPL.: 32,699 lb.
FUEL: 525 gal.
WATER: 120 gal.
DEADRISE: 16.7 degrees
STANDARD POWER: 2 x 440 hp Cummins QSB diesels with Zeus drives
TEST POWER: 2 x 600 hp
Cummins QSC diesels with Zeus drives
BASE PRICE: $941,420
PRICE AS TESTED: $1,200,386
Test conditions: Speeds were measured by GPS in the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach, Florida, with calm seas and 17-knot winds, with a 3/5 load of fuel, full water and three people on board. Fuel consumption was calculated by the electronic engine-monitoring system. Sound levels were measured at the helm.
RPM Knots GPH dB(A)
600 5.4 1.1 73
900 7.5 2.9 75
1200 9.0 6.9 83
1500 10.1 14.4 86
1800 15.0 24.3 85
2100 21.2 29.1 90
2400 26.0 35.2 89
2700 30.9 43.7 91
3080 35.7 62.4 95
Viking Yachts, 609-296-6000; www.vikingyachts.com
