Burger 63 Sportfishing Motor Yacht
The Wisconsin-based yard known for superyachts draws up a sportfish to add to its lineup.
When I think of the Burger Boat Company, I tend to picture superyachts measured in meters, not feet. So you can imagine my surprise when an email landed in my inbox with a Burger signature accompanied by renderings of the company’s 63 Sportfishing Motor Yacht. This was different—in a good way. While still in the concept stage, the Vripack design combines the sleek lines and custom craftsmanship that the yard is known for with a dedicated fishing cockpit and flybridge, in a size reminiscent of the Burger Cruiser line. When I spoke with Ron Cleveringa, vice president of sales and marketing, I wondered aloud: why now?
“Why not?” laughed Cleveringa. “We’re seeing activity in that size range and thought we’d expand our available options.” That’s as good of a reason as any. And while entering this category might seem like a first for the Wisconsin-based builder, it’s not. In 1989 they built a 90-foot sportfish and followed it up with a 109-footer in 2001 based on an owner’s request. This time, however, the 63 is a concept they developed in-house first. “We had a few folks in mind, but basically we did it on our own,” Cleveringa said.
The premise is simple: a platform that combines the advantages of a motoryacht with the ability to go fishing. Currently, accommodations include three en suite staterooms, with an open salon/galley area with retractable glass doors that open onto the cockpit, separated from the interior by a mezzanine with stair -access to keep spectators away from the action.
Up above, a flybridge can accommodate tender storage if that’s what an owner wants. Prospective owners also have the ability to add custom touches throughout the yacht’s interior and exterior. Owners can include a tuna tower or an enclosed flybridge if they so desire. “We’re a custom yard. We’ll do whatever you’re looking for,” Cleveringa added. “What’s going to happen is, someone is going to come along and say ‘I like it,’ but I want to change this, that or the other thing, and that’s when the fun begins. The options are pretty much unlimited.”
With an almost 20-foot beam, the 63 will be built out of aluminum and powered by three 12.8 liter in-line 6-cylinder Volvo Penta 1,000-hp D13s paired to IPS30 pods. Burger claims that configuration will allow for a top speed of 35 knots. At a 30-knot cruise the 63 should see a range of 600 nautical miles. It will also be built with Vripack’s Slide Hull—patented by the Dutch designers in 2016—that reportedly increases comfort in all sea conditions and improves speed, handling and fuel efficiency. Burger has tapped Vripack in the past, most recently to design the Cruiser line that also utilizes its Slide Hull. Like the other models, the 63 will be built at the Burger shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
“We’re excited about the prospect of this boat, and hopefully we’ll find someone to move forward with it in the near future,” Cleveringa said. If successful, I asked him if there’s a possibility we’ll see a larger Burger sportfish in the near future. “You never know; it all comes down to what people are looking for,” he said. “It’s a starting point, and we’ll go from there.”
