Viking Yachts 38 Open Billfish Walkthrough
Step aboard the brand-new Viking Yachts 38 Open Billfish for a private walkthrough led by HMY Yacht Sales Professional and Viking Yachts Specialist Doug Donohue.
The 38 Open Billfish is a completely new model for Viking Yachts that is completely rigged for fishing, a breeze to maneuver and offers the desired amenities typically found on board a larger Viking model. This particular vessel we are touring is in the whisper gray hull color. She offers 109 square-foot cockpit and a beam of 14 feet with solid fiberglass combing.
In the cockpit you’ll find a transom fish box which is also plumbed as a live bait well and with a 460 gallon capacity there's a high horsepower pump that provides very good flow to your bait. There are two full-length in deck fish boxes port and starboard side with a discharge for the Eskimo ice machine that's installed in the engine room. If you happen to harvest something that is too big to fit in the fish box there is a pass-through gate to the transom door. If you’re family cruising one day this is also a great way to get on and off the boat and jump in for a quick swim.
On the forward portion of the cockpit is a mezzanine seating area which is a nice feature that keeps you comfortable in the shade while you're watching your bait and your anglers. The command deck area is completely air-conditioned with two L-shaped setees with good storage capacity underneath them. Ultra leather cushions with piping is a nice upgrade to the setee. There is a Release Marine teak helm chair with a nice stainless pedestal and a Release Marine companion chair. Stepping up to the helm you can see we have a nice standing platform and a teak helm pod with single lever Palm Beach style controls. Buttons for the bow thruster allow you to use the bow thruster while you're working the throttle which is easier for maneuvering the vessel. The Cummins joystick system allows you to easily maneuver the boat at the dock so you can step away from the controls and use the joystick to sidewalk the boat. You can bring the bow or stern and help yourself tie up. It's also a great feature if you're live baiting or kite fishing because you can sidewalk the boat when you have multiple hookups.
Inside the radio box you’ll find a new switching system that is all carbon fiber and push-button which is very clean and neat. In here you have your VHF radios, engine controls, auto pilot, Fusion stereo, port and starboard trim tabs. Most of your features are in here and they're out of the elements so you can keep all of this stuff clean. The Viking 38 Open Billfish features a Garmin electronics package which is radar GPS sonar backup GPS autopilot speed and distance logs. It’s all touchscreen and it's the top of the line product out there as far as navigational equipment. If you look forward through the windshield you can see that the 360 degree visibility is very impressive on this model. There's not a lot of framing in the windshield so you can really see all the way around the vessel clearly - it's one of the unique designs to the Viking 38 Open Billfish.
When you remove the cushion on the starboard settee you can see the ample storage that we have under the command deck - same thing on the port side. When you open the hydraulic hatch you will get access to your engine room. The Viking 38 Open Billfish is powered by a set of Twin 550 horsepower Cummins Diesel's QSC 6.7s. This boat is going to cruise at about 32 knots. It is extremely quiet and extremely fuel-efficient burning under 50 gallons an hour at 32 knots, which is very impressive.
This boat includes a Sea Keeper SK6 which is mounted on the stringers and when you turn that unit on it takes roughly 85 to 90% of the lateral motion out of the boat. It's an amazing piece of equipment and everybody should have one. Forward in the engine room to the portside is your Onan generator. There's plenty of capacity to run everything on this boat comfortably. If you look forward against the bulkhead you will see the electrical distribution panel and then forward in the engine room is an Eskimo ice chipper which is plumbed to the starboard fish box. It is easy to access all portions of the machinery space from above and from the side.
Viking’s are well-known for their elegant, lush interiors and their utilization of space no matter what size the model. Entering into the salon you have a nice settee area which can be used for sleeping. As you go forward, there is a hanging locker area. The interior wood finishes on the Viking 38 are high gloss Juno teak. Continuing up forward is a nice-sized double berth that can sleep two people and a single berth up above. The Viking 38 Open Billfish comfortably sleeps four adults. Looking down at the floor this is custom Amtico laminate flooring which is rich and elegant. There is a well-equipped galley with nice Corian countertop, a sink and faucet, recessed electric Kenyan stove, and up above there is a microwave and convection oven. Additionally, there is a freezer and refrigerator.
You’ve got everything you need on this boat for a couple of days at sea or a couple of days at the dock. Another great feature inside this boat is the size of the head. There is a full stall shower, full head and fully functional vanity. It is the size of a head that is typically found on much larger models which is a great utilization of space. The Viking 38 Open Billfish is a very simple boat with all the amenities that Viking’s bigger models offer.
For questions or more information on the Viking Yachts 38 Open Billfish please contact an HMY Viking Yachts Specialist. (561) 331-5200
