Viking 55 Convertible

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The proud bow of Viking’s 55 Convertible pierced the outer edge of Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Absecon Inlet and entered into a near-flat-calm ocean. She was pointed east and I got the sense that this sport-fisherman wanted to bolt straightway for the distant canyons in search of novel-worthy pelagics that could easily span her 17-foot-9-inch beam. I know it’s what I wanted her to do. After all, this vessel is named Business (hull No. 1) and creating big-game boats is what this builder is all about.

This sport-fisherman is constructed to handle the rigors of such offshore duty. Her vacuum-infused, Baltek-core hull — except for where there are through-hull penetrations, which are solid fiberglass — sports a planing form that follows that of her predecessors, the Viking 60 and 70. (Vacuum infusion is also used on numerous other parts of this yacht for weight savings. All totaled, the 55 comes in at a 77,700-pound, full-load displacement, which is lighter than most in her class.)

Unlike earlier Vikings, this hull form features amplified convex sections forward and aft that help with head-sea performance and enhance stability in a seaway, roll movement on the drift or trolling and lift when throttling up. In addition, two small strakes add to her effortless planing ability.

A raised sheer line above the waterline complements my test boat’s enhanced shape beneath it. The result is increased forward freeboard, which should keep most spray at bay and ensure that the flying bridge’s optional Costa Clear enclosure is relatively salt-free when Poseidon gets an attitude (as he is known to do).

Click here to see a full photo gallery of the Viking 55 Convertible.


Where this boat truly shines is when she’s pushing herself to the ragged edge of performance. During my wheel time, I took the twin ZF single-lever controls and flattened them to the pins. The optional 1,550-horsepower MAN 12-cylinder diesels quickly spooled up in sweet synchronicity at 2,330 rpm, which is well within the 2,300 rpm rating, as the 55 shot in the direction of those calling canyons. (MAN 1,400 hp diesels are standard, and 1,800 hp MANs and 1,625 hp Caterpillar C32s are also options.) I checked the center 17-inch screen of this boat’s three-display electronics setup, featuring the optional Furuno NavNet 3D system, and noted the speed on the GPS: 42 knots!

This velocity created an awesome blow-what-hair-I-have-left breeze that any helmsman would welcome as a wake-up greeting or for cooling off after a long day of trolling for those pugnacious pointy-nose fish that big-game anglers love to chase. That speed will cost, however, about 160 gph.

Dialing back her engines to 1,900 rpm set this test boat at a comfortable 33.5-knot cruise while the MANs burned 100 gph. At this pace, this 55 has a range of 488 nautical miles or 0.34 nmpg based on her 1,619-gallon fuel capacity and a 10 percent reserve. (My test vessel featured an optional 205-gallon tank, which is positioned under the companionway stairs leading belowdecks.) At 1,700 rpm those MANs go through 76 gph, reduce the boat’s speed to a quite-respectable 29 knots and extend that range to 556 nautical miles. In addition, this setting keeps the engine load in the low- to mid-60 percent realm, helping ensure that your vessel’s power plants have a long and healthy run.

Although this model doesn’t feature the fly-by-wire Viking independent programmable electro-hydraulic rudder (VIPER) steering system of her larger siblings, she’s no less agile with her power-assisted tie-bar setup, which has offset tiller arms to enable fast response and quick cuts. I put the wheel hard over while she made 36 knots and this 55-footer carved a near-perfect, three-boat-length circle into the sea while feeling sure-footed throughout the maneuver. This yacht’s pedigree was also evident in her ability to effortlessly spin on her axis and back down with a vengeance. Tournament anglers will really appreciate her agility.