Viking 70 Convertible Guide to the First and Second Generations

Why the Viking 70 name is back

Anyone searching for a viking 70 in late 2026 will hit two different boats. The first Viking 70 Convertible arrived in 2010 and was replaced by the 72 in 2016 after a run that Yachting put at 36 hulls including Enclosed Bridge models, while Viking's engineering team has cited about 40. The second-generation 70 Convertible was announced in 2026 and makes its world premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show that October, as an open-bridge boat with a Palm Beach Towers tower. Viking also offers it as an Enclosed Bridge and a Sky Bridge.

Viking says it has delivered 220 yachts between 68 and 72 feet, which is why it keeps returning to this size. A 70-footer can run 100-plus miles to the fishing grounds every day of a tournament week, sleep a team and a crew, and still spin on a fish like a much smaller boat. This guide covers both generations, because most 70 ft Viking buyers will compare a used first-generation boat with a new order.

The Gen II hull, narrower than the 68 by design

Viking design manager David Wilson's team continued the length-to-beam progression established on the 74, 82 and 90, so the new 70 is three inches narrower than the Gen II 68. Viking's specifications list 70 feet 10 inches overall, an 18-foot 11-inch beam, a 5-foot 6-inch draft and 118,500 pounds with standard fuel. Yachting reports 12.3 degrees of transom deadrise, 7 feet 11 inches of freeboard forward and 3 feet 1 inch aft, with changes to deadrise, chine placement and strake geometry aimed at a smoother, drier, more efficient ride.

The hull is resin infused with end-grain balsa core and strategically placed Corecell foam. Running gear is part of Viking's Advanced Propulsion System: flow-aligned rudders and struts, prop pockets that reduce shaft angle and draft, Veem Interceptor propellers on Aquamet shafts, and electronic power steering.

Power choices are the MAN V12X 2200 at 2,200 hp and the MTU 12V2000 M96Z at 2,222 hp, with Yachting also listing a standard 1,550 hp MAN package. Viking's stated performance goal is to match its latest 68 demo boat, which reached about 43 knots on twin 2,200 hp MANs. Until Hull No. 1 has been independently tested, treat that as a target rather than a number.

A longer cockpit and a four-stateroom, five-head interior

Viking lengthened the cockpit and engineered the extra length into the hull and machinery layout from the start so trim and sightlines stay balanced. Yachting measures it at 194 square feet, with a transom livewell, an aluminum backing plate for a fighting chair, mezzanine seating with a bait freezer, four flush rod holders and split-lid in-sole fishboxes as standard. The flybridge has a reshaped overhang, a repositioned center console with flush-mounted displays, three helm chairs, a forward lounge and back-to-back lounges to port and starboard.

Inside, a day head sits immediately to starboard of the salon door, followed by the electrical panel, bottle storage and a pop-up TV. The salon has an L-shaped settee to port, a raised dinette to starboard with rod storage below, and a galley in either peninsula or island form. Below are a large master, a forward VIP and guest staterooms, plus a crew stateroom aft with private access to the engine room. Joinery is horizontal-grain walnut from Viking's in-house woodshop.

The 2010 to 2016 boat that won the circuit

The first 70 was a statement of how far Viking had pushed big-boat speed. Power and Motoryacht tested it in 2010 with optional 2,600 hp MTU 16V2000 M94s, an $899,000 upcharge on a $3,742,000 base, and recorded an average 43.7 knots (50.3 mph) at 2,450 rpm on 274 gph. At 1,750 rpm it cruised at 32.2 knots on 130 gph, and at 2,000 rpm it made 37.3 knots on 172 gph. Viking's captain Ryan Higgins preferred about 39 knots at 2,100 rpm for 150-mile canyon day trips out of Cape May. Marlin's test topped out at just over 44 knots.

Specs for the original are 70 feet 11 inches overall, a 19-foot 7-inch beam and a 5-foot 8-inch draft, with Marlin listing 127,859 pounds, 2,068 gallons of fuel and 11.8 degrees of transom deadrise. A 600-gallon auxiliary tank was optional. Steering was Viking's VIPER electro-hydraulic system, which adjusts rudder toe to sharpen turns, and the boat could back down at more than 7 knots in Marlin's test.

Standard power was a pair of 1,550 hp MANs, with MAN, Caterpillar and MTU options up to 2,600 hp. The Viking team boat that Power and Motoryacht tested had already released 53 white marlin in 24 hours in early September, and later Viking 70s kept turning up in tournament results. The original layout put two crew berths beside the engine room, an amidships master to port, a bunk cabin and a forward queen cabin, and Marlin observed that Viking had fit essentially the whole Viking 74 interior into it.

Buying a first-generation 70 for sale

Viking 70 for sale listings in 2024 to 2026 ranged from $2.549 million to $3.895 million. The spread is mostly about engines and upgrades. The 2011 Enclosed Bridge at the low end had 2,030 hp MTU M91s with about 3,000 hours, while the 2014 Convertible near the top had the Viking Performance Package with 2,600 hp MTU M94s, carbon fiber in key areas, a factory Seakeeper 26 and extra fuel. Several boats have also had omni sonar, Starlink and modern Garmin or Furuno packages added.

Be careful with listing specs. At least one brokerage summary for a 2014 boat quotes the second-generation dimensions of 70 feet 10 inches and 18 feet 11 inches, which belong to the 2026 boat. The original is 19 feet 7 inches wide.

• First-generation LOA 70 ft 11 in, beam 19 ft 7 in, draft 5 ft 8 in
• Fuel about 2,068 to 2,100 gal standard, 600 gal auxiliary tank optional
• Power and Motoryacht test with 2,600 hp MTU M94s: 43.7 knots top, 37.3 knots at 172 gph
• Cockpit 206 sq ft (Power and Motoryacht) or 208 sq ft (brokerage data)

Crew, fuel and the real cost of a 70

A 70-foot convertible is a crewed boat. Expect roughly $450,000 to $800,000 a year for a captain and mate, insurance, a 75-foot slip, MTU or MAN servicing, gyro and generator maintenance and fuel. Power and Motoryacht's 172 gph at 37 knots means a 150-mile round trip burns roughly 700 gallons, and a busy tournament season can run past 30,000 gallons.

The engine room is designed to make that bill manageable. The Gen II carries a Spot Zero double-pass watermaker and purification system, ElectroSea raw-water treatment, Viking's ventilation and fire suppression, and Snow White Awlgrip paint so leaks are easy to spot. Original 70s had twin 27.5 kW Onan generators and a centralized raw-water system using two pool pumps, which are cheap and easy to replace almost anywhere.