Six decades of uninterrupted family ownership haven’t dulled the Viking Yacht Company’s commitment to building a better boat every day. This resolve remains ironclad with the introduction of the latest model, the Viking 50 Convertible. Although the convertible line ranges to 90 feet, the 50C is the smallest boat in that fleet, and a strong example of the builder’s expertise in producing boats that become bluewater benchmarks. While well-suited for offshore tournaments, the 50C is also well-matched for an owner/operator who enjoys cruising adventures as much as wetting a line with family and friends.
With a length overall of 51 feet, 8 inches and a beam of 17 feet, 1 inch, this is a big 50-footer. The self-draining cockpit has 131 square feet of usable space and includes such fishing features as a molded non-slip fiberglass sole, insulated fish wells, rod holders, tackle stowage, fresh and raw-water washdown systems, and a transom fishbox and livewell. There’s a refrigerated drink box, too, plus a large lazarette hatch that provides access to steering, drain and bilge pumps, and the Seakeeper gyrostabilizer. Anglers and others will appreciate the observation mezzanine with aft-facing lounge that’s protected from spray and rain by the flybridge. The cockpit also has stereo speakers, freezer stowage, a transom door, a lift gate for boarding from the water and the dock, and easy engine room access. Another nice amenity is the dockside water connection located in a cabinet under the starboard gunwale.
The climate-controlled salon, which you enter through a sliding fiberglass door, offers a comfortable environment when underway, at the dock or anchored in the islands, with cooling and heat circulating from hidden registers behind the window valances to minimize noise and drafts.
The deckhouse has a home theater system with a 40-inch flat-screen television, and an L-shaped lounge with a high-gloss, hi-lo cocktail table opposite the AC/DC electrical panel. The raised dinette to starboard seats four and includes concealed rod stowage. In the peninsula-style galley with engineered stone counters, meals and snacks are easy assignments for the chef, with an electric cooktop, a microwave/convection oven, deep-drawer refrigerator and freezer, an icemaker, and a stainless-steel sink with garbage disposal. Ample stowage and cabinetry complement the satin-finished walnut joinery throughout the salon and galley. An electrical subpanel controls the galley accessories and appliances.
Accommodations include three staterooms and two heads, each with a fiberglass shower stall for maximum privacy.The master stateroom is spacious and features a walkaround queen-size bed with an innerspring mattress, end tables and a flat-screen television. The forward VIP stateroom also has a queen bed, and the starboard stateroom offers upper and lower berths. An alternative plan allows crossover berths in the forward stateroom. Both guest staterooms share the starboard-side head. For travel convenience, a washer and dryer are in the companionway.
Viking shows its boatbuilding prowess in the Awlgrip Snow White engine room. Gauges at the entrance let you monitor the digital tachs, oil pressure and coolant temperatures, and you can see them when standing in the cockpit. Daily engine checks are accessible thanks to 5 feet, 2 inches of headroom at the entrance, which tapers slightly as you move forward. The test boat was equipped with a Furuno Omni sonar tube between the engines, which tightened the passage somewhat; once past the unit, however, getting outboard of each engine was not difficult. The aft bulkhead is lined with battery chargers and the Dometic cockpit freezer equipment. More Dometic equipment for air conditioning is forward of the starboard engine. Raw-water strainers are labeled for routine attention. Equally convenient, the oil-change system pump line for the engines, transmissions and Onan 21.5-kW generator run to the cockpit entrance to simplify labor and maintenance. Dual Racor water separators protect the 1,200-hp MAN V-8 diesels. A voltage stabilizer isolation transformer ensures consistent and cleaner voltage when dockside to better manage electrical power brought aboard at the marina.
The flybridge features a pair of pedestal helm seats with room to walk behind each one, thanks to the overhang that protects the mezzanine in the cockpit. Visibility is excellent. The helm station has single-lever controls, electronic trolling valves, Optimus electric steering and a Sleipner bow thruster. A raised pod at the helm console is home for a pair of Garmin 22-inch touch-screen multifunction displays. Side boxes handle VHFs, accessory controls and switches. Grabrails are handy and within reach as you move about. Flanking lounges, as well as a forward lounge, deliver comfort when trolling or running at cruise.
This is the third generation of the Viking 50, and it features a new hull design utilizing computational fluid dynamics modeling. In the ocean off Atlantic City, New Jersey, the 50C rushed to a top speed just under 40 knots with full fuel and water. The MANs were quiet, and at full tilt the water rushing past the hull dampened machinery noise. Normal conversation at the helm remained pleasant. At 1,800 rpm we averaged just under 28 knots consuming 80 gph for a range of 402 nautical miles. At 1,900 rpm we saw 30 knots for a range of 381 nautical miles using 90.5 gph.
The 50C is quick and responsive. At the wheel I felt the way I did heading home on the last day of school with summer vacation about to begin. I’m still grinning when I think about this boat. One last note: With its subsidiaries Atlantic Marine Electronics and Palm Beach Towers, Viking delivers this boat turnkey ready.
- LOA: 51’8”
- Beam: 17’1”
- Draft: 4’10”
- Displ.: 66,631 lbs.
- Fuel: 1,000/1,211 gals.
- Water: 180 gals.
This article was originally published in the July 2026 issue.
