Timeless Classics – July/August 2026

By Scott Shane

VIKING 61

A WELL-BRED CONVERTIBLE 

Successful manufacturers continuously re-invest resources to define and refine their mission and it’s not always bigger is better. Viking Yachts is perhaps the template for forward-looking companies. They extrapolate the best of each construction and incorporate them into new models. The 61-foot convertible benefited from this philosophy. This version was built for five years with hull number one splashed in 2001.

The Healys have been producing boats since the early 1960s. Their boats are like sourdough bread, that original DNA creeps into every build. The fully cored 61 has the genes and characteristics of the 55-, 65- and 72-footer in her.

Capt. John Pfeiffer has run nothing but Vikings for 40 years and the last three were 61 convertibles. He has a great handle about how special this boat is. The current Good Chemistry is a 2006.

“These vessels are workhorses,” he said. “The ones I’ve captained all have been powered with MTU 2000 engines with between 1,200- and 1,500-hp. These are sequential turbo engines that have tremendous boost once the secondaries chime in. These all had prop tunnels, which is a feature that enhanced handling and performance.” (Prop tunnels also decrease shaft angle and create a shallower draft.) With five-blade props, these machines averaged a 27-knot cruise at 1900/1950 rpm and a solid ride.

“All the boats I ran had the optional mezzanine,” Capt. John said. “The engine room had plenty of room to work. Two 21kW Onan generators were positioned aft, midship were the MTUs and forward was a separate pump room where HVAC, water maker, A/C pumps and hot water heater were located. The electronic controls for the DDEC system were also there. Getting to the outboard sides of engines is tight but very workable. Lighting is good and the exhaust fans get the hot air to a tolerable level.”

The 61 was available with either a three- or four-stateroom layout. The salon remained constant with a large, U-shape settee to port and the galley forward of that. A dinette was starboard side along with the entertainment center. Viking’s top-of-the line joinery makes the area exquisite.

“With three cabins, you’ll find the master stateroom to port with a queen-size berth. Opposite is an over/under bunk cabin with head. Finally, the forecastle has a low double berth to port and a higher, single bunk to starboard. Both along the curve of the hull. Each cabin has its own private head,” Dean Travis Clarke wrote in his review for Marlin Magazine.

“The four-cabin configuration features two, fore-and-aft doubles in the bow to port, each with a private head, and two over/under cabins that share a head to starboard,” he wrote.

“If you consider yourself a classic yachtsman, you’ll love the Viking 61’s interior. Teak varnished to a high-gloss simply cannot be beat in my book. We managed to comfortably sleep five on the deeply carpeted floor and the great, three-sided settee,” Clarke wrote.

Hull revisions receive Viking’s architect’s full attention. The 61 received a deeper, sharper bow entry that improved the head-sea ride. The chines were also tweaked and refined with better capacity to knock down spray for a drier ride. The 18-foot beam, 90,000-pound displacement and hull modifications, by all accounts, afford the Viking 61 a sturdy ride, soft entry and minimal spray.

“With this hull you need to use a good amount of trim,” Capt. John said. “Unlike the new Vikings that run bow high the 61 loves the flat profile. The best fuel and economy are achieved with the bow down. You have to play with it and find the trim that gives you your best speed and the rpm you are running.”

“All the 61 Vikings I have run have a 600-gallon forward tank and 1,200-gallon aft with the forward transferred by a fuel transfer pump. On the head sea you have to find the sweet spot, but again speed, fuel forward and conditions dictate all of that,” he said. “A following sea is where you balance the fuel so you can lift the bow with trim.”

Viking Yachts’ convertibles are incredible fishing machines, but for many there’s more. The décor and interior fit and finish elevate the experience aboard. The Chakrabarti family owns the Good Chemistry. For Deven Chakrabarti, the owner’s son, it’s much more than a fishing machine.

“We fish as a family and, as we got more and more involved fishing the canyons, we wanted a platform that would provide everyone with enough comfort in any conditions. We also enjoy stand-down family vacations aboard,” he said.

“Fishing the Cape May Offshore Showdown in 2023 we had boated a few yellowfins and released a white. However, as we began our 100-mile run back, a 25-knot northeast wind picked up, in combination with a ripping Delaware Bay outgoing tide. Most of the ride consisted of oncoming 8- to 12-foot swells that would consistently break over the bridge. We did make it back to the inlet in time to weigh in,” he said.

The flying bridge and helm area consume the entire footage afforded by the massive salon below. An overhang extends further into the cockpit providing some shelter for those sitting on the mezzanine. The centerline helm is a sponge for flush-mounted screens of all sizes and shapes. It’s nearly full-beam so it accommodates a large contingent of crew with seating forward of the console.

The positioning of the helm affords the captain an unobstructed, bird’s-eye view of the palatial cockpit and the lures swimming behind.

“What I discovered working the cockpit was that I couldn’t tell the difference between the cockpits of the 61 and the 65. Both have more than enough room for a half-dozen anglers and crew to work without getting into each other’s way,” he said.

In typical Viking fashion, the 61’s cockpit could be described as sterile. No coolers are needed and no pipes, latches, mops, shoreline cables or gaffs remain in view. Viking even makes use of the step up to the salon, turning it into a refrigerated drink box.

“At a 3- to 4-knot trolling speed (5 gph total), the wake features virtually no wash. At 8 knots, the prop wash becomes visible to the first wave, but still without chine turbulence,” Clarke wrote.

The Viking 61 has proven to be a fishing raising, sea bustin’ luxury yacht. Seems like the bloodlines held true to form with this convertible.