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Family-owned and -operated, Viking Yacht Co. has been building boats for over 60 years in the sleepy town of New Gretna, New Jersey. When Bill and Bob Healey opened the doors in 1964, Bill set the pace with a mission statement to “build a better boat every day.” The new Viking 82 certainly delivers on that promise, replacing the popular Viking 80, which launched in 2015 and enjoyed a run of 54 hulls that raised fish and delivered speed, comfort and luxury. After receiving feedback from owners and crews, and making firsthand observations aboard several demo boats, Viking got to work on the 82.
Sharing DNA with the 90-foot flagship released less than two years ago, the first Viking 82 launched in early summer of 2024. Its lineage is recognizable at a glance, thanks to its unbroken, swept sheer; faux teak toe rail; window design; distinctive hullside vents; flybridge lines; and tuna tower by Palm Beach Towers.
Cockpit
Thousands of tournament hours shaped the 229-square-foot teak cockpit with features crews crave. A Release Marine Trillion Series fighting chair takes center stage, and the transom fish box doubles as a livewell. Available on-deck livewells drain through threaded scuppers in the cockpit corners. Lockers, which sit below the teak cover boards with rounded coamings, are home to the Glendinning Cablemasters, as well as 12- and 24-volt outlets for electric reels. The port in-deck fish box and mezzanine storage box are fed with crushed ice from two Eskimo chippers.
The lazarette hatch accesses the Seakeeper SK40 gyro, steering and trim tabs. Air conditioning chills the aft-facing lounge on the mezzanine, and the extended flybridge overhang provides shade. Recessed refrigerated boxes in the mezzanine and salon steps keep drinks handy. A Garmin GPSMAP with a 19-inch screen is mounted to the starboard haunch, while the faux teak transom and bulkhead add flair to the Pamlico Blue gelcoat hull.
Flybridge
Viking designed the 82 with a massive flybridge, extending the wings the full width of the deckhouse roof. The centerline walk-around command station has three Release Marine Trillion helm chairs and sits on an 8-inch-tall teak platform for increased visibility. The extended aft roof overhang leaves ample room to move behind the helm and companion seats, and the aluminum railing provides added safety.
A custom teak helm pod from Release Marine has single-lever controls and a stainless-steel wheel. Flanking the pod are recessed radio boxes with split lids, engine instrumentation and accessory controls. Four flush-mounted 17-inch screens nest in a raised pod, and additional electronics are located in a drop-down box in the hardtop. A second box above the helm seat conceals teaser reels and an additional Garmin multifunction display.
To ease maintenance, a battery system dedicated to the flybridge electronics lies under the bridge console with a separate charger. Lounge seating with removable backrests sits to port and starboard, as well as forward of the helm. The forward lounge also features backrest air conditioning and a freezer. Armrests and drink holders are everywhere. Cavernous stowage can be found below each lounge, with even more available space below the eyebrow. Forward, you’ll find a dual-top freezer for bait and food, a refrigerated box, and a freshwater outlet and sink. A three-sided enclosure provides all-weather comfort.
Salon and Galley
The salon boasts horizontal-grain walnut joinery with ebony inlays, walnut strips and ample natural light from wide windows. The gloss finish showcases the details of the wood, and a satin finish is available at no additional cost. Air circulates throughout the interior via two 6-ton chilled-water air conditioning units with individual temperature controls in the salon and staterooms. Immediately to port, the day head has a vanity, a window and blinds. Moving forward, cabinets house the ship’s power service, the home theater entertainment center with a 65-inch TV, and bottle storage. On the starboard side, you’ll find a U-shaped lounge with stowage underneath and a hi-lo walnut cocktail table.
The galley, which maximizes the space, includes stone countertops, a pair of under-counter Sub-Zero drawer refrigerators and a freezer. A double stainless-steel sink, a dishwasher, a four-burner electric cooktop, an oven, a trash compactor and a convection microwave oven, along with plenty of cabinetry for supplies, round out the amenities. Three bar stools and a five-place walnut dinette table to port handle hungry anglers and guests. The dinette is mounted on a platform with a pull-out drawer to store rods, and a second television is mounted to the dinette bulkhead. More stowage can be accessed in the walk-in pantry forward of the dinette, while a larger pantry to starboard can be transformed into an extra cabin.
Accommodations
The five-stateroom layout features a full-beam master suite that offers privacy, thanks to a curved staircase separating it from the companionway. Walnut interior is highlighted by ample natural light. Indirect rope lighting along the bed base and behind the valances complements the dimmable LED lighting in the headliner. Flanking end tables, credenzas and hanging lockers easily handle a month of wardrobe changes. A portside reading area, a starboard vanity and a 40-inch TV allow for comfort and relaxation. The en suite head has a quartzite double sink countertop, a glass shower door and a Headhunter MSD system.
Each stateroom is similarly outfitted with a TV, reading lights, stowage and private head access with generously sized shower stalls. The forward and starboard staterooms feature queen-size beds, while those on the port side add flexibility with upper and lower berths.
Noteworthy highlights in the companionway include a laundry center with a linen locker and stackable washer and dryer units. A locker on our test boat safely stored 20 rods and reels and other gear.
Performance
Viking is well regarded for its engine rooms, and the 82 carries on that tradition, with the twin MTUs and twin Kohler 32 kW gensets set against a backdrop of Snow White Awlgrip. Viking sweats the details with its system installations, such as the Furuno omni sonar, ventilation and fire suppression, Spot Zero watermaker/purifier, centralized seawater with two pumps for redundancy, ElectroSea Clearline and hydraulic bow thruster. Viking utilized computational fluid dynamics to measure longitudinal center of gravity, water pressure, trim and running angles, and added custom rudders and struts designed to enhance water flow to the propellers.
Initial sea trials delivered a two-way average of 31 knots at 1,800 rpm, burning 153 gph; at 2,100 rpm the speed increased to 36.7 knots consuming 206 gph. In our sea trial, the 82 ripped to a top speed of 41.7 knots with 14 people aboard, 2,500 gallons of fuel, tournament fishing equipment and spare parts as the crew prepared to head to Bermuda. In tournament fishing condition, she has topped 42 knots.
While the first Viking 82 features an open bridge, Viking also offers an enclosed bridge model that can be fitted with a Palm Beach Towers tuna tower. For the owner that wants the climate-controlled helm station with the added room of a second salon abaft the helm, but also likes being outdoors while running the boat, Viking has the 82 Sky Bridge, which places an open flybridge atop the enclosed bridge.
With Viking’s consistent focus on building a better boat every day, the future looks bright for owners of this impressive new model.
Read Next: Viking Yacht Company Celebrates 60 Years of Boatbuilding.
Viking 82 Specs
- LOA: 82’11”
- Beam: 21’5”
- Draft: 5’9”
- DISPL: 154,647 LB.
- Fuel: 2,671 GAL. (Standard)*
- Water: 425 GAL.
- Power: 2X 2635 (MHP) MTU 16V2000 M96L
- Gears/Ratio: ZF 3070 A 2.750:1
- Propellers: VEEM 5 BLADE
- Climate Control: DOMETIC
