Viking Yachts, the Healey Family's Sportfish Benchmark

Two brothers and a small New Jersey yard

Brothers Bill and Bob Healey took over Viking Yacht Company in 1964, when it was a small New Jersey builder. They moved the company to New Gretna, near the Mullica River and the Atlantic sportfishing grounds, and grew it into the most important builder of convertible sportfishing yachts in the US. The 1991 federal luxury tax nearly broke it, shrinking the workforce from about 1,500 to fewer than 80, and the recovery was led by boats such as the 1997 Viking 55. The Healey family still owns and runs Viking, with Pat Healey leading the company today.

Viking's strength comes from vertical integration. The company builds most of each boat in-house, from fiberglass parts and machined metal to cabinetry and canvas, and it has expanded into a group that includes Valhalla Boatworks for outboard boats, Atlantic Marine Electronics and Princess Yachts America, the US importer for Princess. Its service centers, including the large facility in Riviera Beach, Florida, are a major reason owners stay with the brand.

The convertible, from the 38 Billfish to the 92

A Viking convertible combines a tournament-ready cockpit with fighting chair, livewells and tackle storage, a large saloon and galley, multiple staterooms below and a flybridge or enclosed bridge for the captain. The hulls are built to run hard in the Gulf Stream, often past 40 knots. We cover thirteen Vikings, and because the company reuses model numbers, the year often matters as much as the length.

The smallest is the Viking 38 Billfish, built from 2019 at the Mullica River plant that came with Ocean Yachts and also sold as an Open express. It has since left the range, which now starts at 46 feet.

The owner-operator convertibles run from 48 to 60 feet. The Viking 48 Convertible has carried the name since the 1980s, and its 2016 version, a three-stateroom boat on twin MAN V8s, gave way to a new 50 in 2025. The Viking 52 Convertible came in 2002 and 2013 generations, the later one resin-infused with prop pockets. The Viking 54 Convertible appeared in 2007 and returned as an all-new boat in 2020, taking over the slot once held by the Viking 55 Convertible, whose 1997 original sold well over 100 hulls before a 2012 remake. The Viking 58 Convertible has two lives too: more than 110 originals from 1991 to 2000 and a 2018 redesign still in the lineup. The Viking 60 Convertible of 2007 replaced the 61 with a higher bow and convex hull sections and was later followed by the 62.

Above that, the boats are usually run by crew, most on MAN, MTU or Caterpillar diesels with gyro stabilizers. The Viking 70 Convertible won tournaments from 2010 to 2016, and a narrower four-stateroom second generation premieres in 2026. The Viking 72 Convertible replaced the first 70 in 2016 and reached 75 hulls before the 74 took over in 2025. The first Viking 82 Convertible of 2009 was the largest Viking of its day, until the lighter Viking 80 Convertible of 2015 took its place and sold 54 boats; a new-generation 82 replaced the 80 in 2024. At the top, the Viking 92 Convertible delivered 21 hulls from 2014 to 2021 before IMO Tier III emissions rules ended production, and the Viking 90 Convertible, kept just under 24 meters to avoid SCR exhaust treatment, took over as flagship in 2023 with the same six-stateroom concept.

Viking resale and used buying

Vikings have the best resale in the sportfish segment, helped by brand loyalty, the service network and steady demand from tournament anglers. Older generations are the value entry point: an original 55 or 52 can sell for a mid six-figure price, while a first-generation 70 or a Viking 60 usually trades between about $1.5 million and $4.2 million. Used boats are traded actively through brokers in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf, and the factory itself supports refits on older hulls.

• Confirm the generation: the 48, 52, 54, 55, 58, 70 and 82 names each cover more than one boat.
• Review engine hours and overhaul history, especially on boats used in tournaments.
• Inspect the fighting chair base, transom door and cockpit for stress cracks.
• Check generator hours and air conditioning, which run constantly.
• Confirm the condition of tuna tower and bridge structures.
• Look for blistering or bottom repairs on boats kept in warm water.