Sometimes bigger is better. A case in point is Viking Yachts’ 82 Convertible, eight feet longer and about two feet beamier than the builder’s current flagship 74 Convertible. Don’t get me wrong, the 74 is no slouch. But I never warmed to her lower-deck layout, with its meandering passageway along the starboard side leading to a modest stateroom nestled in between the master suite and the engine room. Not only did it gobble up floor space, the passageway prevented the master suite from extending full beam.

Viking 82 Convertible

The extra few feet in the 82 make a huge difference in her lower-deck layout. In the standard four-stateroom configuration, a palatial master suite extends across every inch of the copious beam, offering a seating area, dressing table, two large hanging lockers, and a head that’s nearly as big as a stateroom. Forward there are three guest staterooms, including a VIP in the bow, each with en suite facilities. And the optional five-stateroom layout is nearly as spacious, with a master suite angled forward along the starboard side with en suite facilities tucked into the bow. Four guest staterooms flank a passageway that runs fore and aft along the centerline. In either layout, the guest staterooms are roomy enough to offer either a queen berth or a pair of single berths.

Benefiting similarly from an extra couple feet of beam is the saloon. On her port side she boasts an L-shape settee big enough for six or more and a U-shape dinette of equally generous proportion. Opposite the dinette is a gourmet-quality galley, while aft in the saloon is a full entertainment center complete with 52-inch plasma TV.

Not to overlook the yacht’s primary mission, the 82 boasts a 235-square-foot cockpit and a mezzanine deck that lets guests take in the action under the shelter of the flying-bridge overhang. The open flying bridge features a center helm console set well back to afford a good view of the cockpit. An air-conditioned enclosed bridge is also available, offering a center helm seat flanked by two leather upholstered companion seats, a raised settee and teak table, a wet bar, and a full entertainment system.

For more information on Viking Yachts, including contact information, click here.

Specifications

  • Builder: Viking
  • Boat Type: Sportfisherman
  • LOA: 82’6″
  • Draft: 5’6″
  • Beam: 22’4″
  • Weight: 131,500 lbs. (dry)
  • Fuel Capacity: 3,000 gal.
  • Water Capacity: 425 gal.
  • Standard Power: 2/1,825-hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT diesel inboards
  • Top Speed: 35 knots
  • Cruise Speed: 30 knots
  • Construction: hand-laid fiberglass
  • Designed By: Viking Yachts Design Team
  • Interior Design: Viking Yachts Design Team

This article originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.