Why I don't like Vikings

[rsmith]

I don't know but back in the day Vikings just sucked. One step above a Broadwater. I guess I'm just prejudice. Walking around the boat yard as a kid most of the boats with holes and rotten planks had that big V on the bow.

 

[Bob Bradley]

To be fair, they have upgraded their construction methods a tad. Seriously, I was never a fan of carvel planking for wooden boats. Give me a plywood lapstrake any day.

 

[Milacron]

Yes, they did suck back in the day. Viking was later to fiberglass than Hatteras.... 1971. Latest holdout of the larger convertables might have been Egg Harbor, which was not all glass until 1978. (I used to own a 78 Egg Harbor 40C with 6v71 naturals)

I don't keep up with the new yacht industry like a hawk but Viking seems to be way more sucessfull than Hatteras these days.

 

[saltshaker]

That old 38 looks real tired. Viking has stepped up their game but that's only in the last 10 years or so. A lot of the late 90's early 00 boats aren't so hot. A 2000 Viking 55SF isn't so great but that 2013 55SF Polarizer just bought is supposed to be a fantastic boat.

 

[nor'easter]

That old 38 looks real tired. Viking has stepped up their game but that's only in the last 10 years or so. A lot of the late 90's early 00 boats aren't so hot. A 2000 Viking 55SF isn't so great but that 2013 55SF Polarizer just bought is supposed to be a fantastic boat.

I had a 98 43 open. Nice riding boat for a 43. Some construction details, if you looked hard enough, were not up to snuff compared to my prior Hatt and Cabo. Overall a good boat.

 

[MikeP]

I was under the impression that Vikings were pretty good boats from reading reviews from Pascoe, etc. But I have no experience at all personally with them other than casually - there's one on either side of us here at the marina, a mid 40' and a mid 50'. Both seem like decently made craft but I have never been on either of them in operation.

 

[Milacron]

I was under the impression that Vikings were pretty good boats from reading reviews from Pascoe, etc. But I have no experience at all personally with them other than casually - there's one on either side of us here at the marina, a mid 40' and a mid 50'. Both seem like decently made craft but I have never been on either of them in operation.

FWIW, when I was looking for a delivery captain for the Viking 55 MY I had a contract on in Seabrook, Texas I spoke a long time with this guy http://deliveryskipper.com/ who has decades of experience delivering all manner of craft.

He stated in his opinion the best boats in that size range were Bertram, Viking and Hatteras...in that order. He was talking about convertables, not motor yacht style, and it was a pretty general statement as I suspect it depends on models, years and conditions of each....but still thought the comment interesting. For my purposes, too bad Bertram never made a modern looking motor yacht.

 

[Avenger]

He only told you that because he knew you needed post-purchase affirmation because of your decision to buy an inferior product with lousy support.

 

[Milacron]

He only told you that because he knew you needed post-purchase affirmation because of your decision to buy an inferior product with lousy support.

Uh....no...he brought up the subject, not me..... and as I said, he was talking about Viking sport fish boats, not the MY designs of which the one of interest to me was more Gulfstar than Viking. Plus I hadn't actually bought it yet.

As I recall it was close to a toss up between Viking and Hatteras. He felt Bertrams were the best by far.

As to support, Viking does have lousy support for the mid 90's and older MY style boats but they may have excellent support for the C or sport fish boats....or maybe not...don't know really. My impression is Hatteras support for mid 90 and older boats is not that great either...it seems ok because there is Sams...which is not Hatteras.

 

[GCSI]

I have to disagree on the support comment. My 52 is a 1989 boat, can call support and a well spoken person who is intamately familiar with the product will be immediately available to discuss my issue. Additionally, EVERY TIME I've needed an obscure widget, they've had it in stock and shipped that day. Maybe on of these days they'll not have a part for my 26 year old boat, but, so far, there batting 1000! By any rational definition, that's outstanding product support.

 

[bobk]

My son was interested in buying a late 80's 44 Viking Motor Yacht. He and I looked at several, and while they looked great, each shared the same problems....wet cores under the aft cabin windows and in the transoms under the spare shaft storage tubes. My son surveyed one of these and was told the cost to repair the issues was prohibitive.

Wasn't there also some discussion here years ago about stringer rot problems?

Bobk

 

[captddis]

Uh....no...he brought up the subject, not me..... and as I said, he was talking about Viking sport fish boats, not the MY designs of which the one of interest to me was more Gulfstar than Viking. Plus I hadn't actually bought it yet.

As I recall it was close to a toss up between Viking and Hatteras. He felt Bertrams were the best by far.

As to support, Viking does have lousy support for the mid 90's and older MY style boats but they may have excellent support for the C or sport fish boats....or maybe not...don't know really. My impression is Hatteras support for mid 90 and older boats is not that great either...it seems ok because there is Sams...which is not Hatteras.

Viking has excellent support for Vikings.
Viking would like to forget about the deal with the Lazazzra's. The 50's had issues and the deal almost put Viking under. There was a lot of acramony between the two families. The Lazazza's won out.
Vince bought a 54 Hatteras MY and named it victory.

 

[Milacron]

I have to disagree on the support comment. My 52 is a 1989 boat, can call support and a well spoken person who is intamately familiar with the product will be immediately available to discuss my issue. Additionally, EVERY TIME I've needed an obscure widget, they've had it in stock and shipped that day. Maybe on of these days they'll not have a part for my 26 year old boat, but, so far, there batting 1000! By any rational definition, that's outstanding product support.

OK, I admit to being wrong about that then. I said "my impression" but thinking back on it now, it was based on trying to find out various specs about older Hatteras (like a specific prop pitch and diameter for a given model) not actually ordering parts. In fact I found out more talking to Tom Slane than I did anyone at Hatteras about models such as the 1990 54ED. However they may be much better than Viking at parts sure enough.

 

[Milacron]

My son was interested in buying a late 80's 44 Viking Motor Yacht. He and I looked at several, and while they looked great, each shared the same problems....wet cores under the aft cabin windows and in the transoms under the spare shaft storage tubes. My son surveyed one of these and was told the cost to repair the issues was prohibitive.

I rejected the 1991 Viking 55 in Texas largely based on wet core under one of the windows. But that boat was neglected on the outside...all the window frames were bubbling paint like crazy....a mess. They fooled me with 5 year old photos on Yachtworld.

But to be fair, heard tales from the surveyor in TX and broker about Hatteras's with much worse core damage than that. I rejected a 1990 Hatteras 60 largely due to core damage also (flybridge) It can happen to any boat if neglected or a fitting put in at some point and not sealed properly.

 

[Tinman]

Our first flybridge sf was a 1989 45C Viking, really like it, but it rode like a brick in sloppy head seas plus wet on the bridge. Then they upgraded to those famous Man engines. Of course the newer Vikings are much better, but so are all the other brands. I did get good service from Viking for whatever was needed back in 1999-2003.

 

[saltshaker]

Bertram built a great boat but not the best boat for drifting or hanging on the hook. Viking doesn't belong in a comparison with Hatteras and Bertram unless your talking about boats built in the last 10 years. Viking made their mark in the late 80s through the late 90s with very good looking fast SF. Anyone who knows anything about these boats will tell you the ride is stiff and wet. Construction is fair but nothing compared to Hatteras or Bertram. The newer Vikings are a different story. Not perfect but a huge leap ahead of the earlier boats. Bertram is just the opposite. The old hulls are fantastic but the boats built over the last ten years are junk. Hatteras may have given up the market to Viking but they never built the crap that Viking did. Hatteras has always built a solid well built boat. Viking and Bertram can't say that. There are plenty of Vikings that have a lousy ride. Can't think of any Hatteras that do and even the poorly built new Bertrams still ride nice.

 

[Boatsb]

Jack

While your right on for the sporty boats the hatt motoryacht were not the same. The issues with getting all that space meant building a higher cog and a few hulls were not the best to begin with.

As a coastal boat the 52cpmy is ok but when the weather picks up its less than comfortable. The 1510 boats are a bit rolly polly without stabilizers. Just my opinion but a boat that needs stabilizers for offshore travel is not a boat I want to be on. Yes stabilizers make the ride more pleasant but to build a boat that needs then for basic travel is just not right in my mind.

 

[rsmith]

Jack

While your right on for the sporty boats the hatt motoryacht were not the same. The issues with getting all that space meant building a higher cog and a few hulls were not the best to begin with.

As a coastal boat the 52cpmy is ok but when the weather picks up its less than comfortable. The 1510 boats are a bit rolly polly without stabilizers. Just my opinion but a boat that needs stabilizers for offshore travel is not a boat I want to be on. Yes stabilizers make the ride more pleasant but to build a boat that needs then for basic travel is just not right in my mind.

Stabs are more for landlubber owners and seasick admirals than a seaworthy nessasity.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Anyone care to comment about hull integrity issues on modern Bertrams? I have seen/heard stories about the hull sides falling apart. Are they true? Seems like they were from reliable sources.

 

[saltshaker]

Anyone care to comment about hull integrity issues on modern Bertrams? I have seen/heard stories about the hull sides falling apart. Are they true? Seems like they were from reliable sources.

Bertram has had a few boats break apart. A few had serious delamination were the hull sides were separating in sheets. Some boats cracked and one boat had the bow separate and the transom came off. Not sure what the cause was but that boat sank while underway.