Marlin Magazine New Fishing Boats for Offshore Fishing: The Viking 52 Express

The 52 ST utilizes Viking’s proven 52 Convertible hull form with the addition of a new topside layout and elegant interior. The 142 square-foot cockpit boasts twin-mezzanine seating with a built-in freezer and stowage space, engine-room access, a step-box cooler, tackle stowage, recessed in-deck fish boxes and a walk-through transom door with a lift gate. There is gaff and tag-stick stowage, dockside water connections and raw-water washdown outlets forward of the gunwales. The three-stateroom, two-head layout features a master stateroom forward with a queen-size walk-around berth and a private head. Two additional staterooms share the second head. Construction methods include molded strakes for lift and planing efficiency, a resin-infused hull featuring a matrix of Aramid and E-glass hybrid knitted-fiberglass laminates, foam and end-grain balsa coring, custom-blended modified epoxy and polyester resins, and vacuum-bagged composite bulkheads throughout. Power options include twin diesels from MAN and Caterpillar.