Submitted: 03-31-2006 by feltman
A year plus into owning the Viking I can add to my below review that this boat rolls very well and with a minimum of effort. Laying back is enhanced by that nice sloping cockpit rim (really, I can’t say enough about that feature—kinda surprising that more manufacturers don’t copy it.)
I can also attest to its’ speed as detailed in every review. There is no sacrifice in speed trading down from a 17 footer—even a reasonably quick one. The trade-off as always is turning performance, but only slightly, it’s still a very maneuverable craft.
It tracks quite well without the skeg. These days I find myself using just a tiny bit of skeg when I’m feeling lazy or when I have a crosswind or I’m in a following sea.
The boat has held up quite well to the harsh treatment we are forced to expose our boats to here in NYC. This is a city of very hard edges—there isn’t a soft landing anywhere here—and while it has it’s share of surface scratching, the Viking’s lay-up has fared quite well, especially the deck.
As a confirmed boat junkie (I am averaging more that one boat trade-up a year) I really can’t find an adequate reason to upgrade or switch away from this one. The carbon fiber Chatham 17 is somewhat tempting, but I really don’t know what I’d be gaining over the Viking besides a very slightly lighter boat.
Overall, I am quite satisfied and make no hesitations recommending this boat. |