RETURN OF THE LONGSHIP

Viking mythology tells us slain warriors find a place in Valhalla — a Nordic Hall in the afterlife that is full of bliss. So, Valhalla was a fitting name when Viking Yachts established a new boatyard in 2019 to introduce their brand of centre console fishing boats.

Viking is a family-owned business, and the new venture is run by the third generation of owners, brothers Sean and Justin Healey. Its long history as an iconic American game boat builder goes back to 1964, and since then, the company has built more than 5000 semi-custom vessels between 38–90ft.

Large, open recreational fishing boats like the Valhalla V37 are relatively new developments. Even so, there are already over a dozen builders in the US pushing the envelope of speed and range to open fishing grounds, particularly around the southern states, and advances in outboard power have accelerated the trend. These new motors are relatively light weight compared to diesel shaft drives, and power output has jumped