Drawing Board: Valhalla V-28 and V-29
Today’s bay and hybrid boats are much different beasts than those of ten years ago. As part of the third generation of Viking Yachts’ founding family, Justin Healey would describe it, the market is trending towards twin engines for speed, maneuverability and redundancy. Thus come new stallions like the V-28 Bay and V-29 Hybrid.
“We saw an opportunity to bring modern ideas based on the market trends that our team has the pulse of,” Healey says. “Fortunately, our partners at Mercury and Yamaha have done a tremendous job delivering more horsepower and reliability.”
Thanks to new power options, he says, it’s now possible to build a new breed of capable, multidimensional boats. Instead of a boat only suited for calmer bay waters or flats fishing, the V-29 (which along with the V-28 will be produced at Viking Mullica in New Jersey), is a boat you could run from Miami or the Keys fishing the flats in the morning then fish offshore with in the afternoon. The 29 will also don an optional Seakeeper 1, making it even more friendly on the open ocean. The gyro can be mounted in two different locations depending on the engine package chosen. With twin 300 Yamahas or Mercurys, for example, it would be located below the console lounge. If a lighter weight engine package is chosen, the Seakeeper is mounted below deck aft of the helm seating module. Healey assures that both locations will have sufficient structure and accessibility for service.
“That’s a big thing that we’ve seen in the boats in that market: serviceability is compromised,” Healey says. “You can’t really get to your bilge pump, so you’re going to be paying a mechanic crazy time and labor to be able to swap something out as opposed to in the Valhalla 28 and 29 just flipping up the bench seat and you’re right where you need to be.”
The V-29, which shares some characteristics with the V-33, also comes with an optional bow thruster and stern anchor with windlass and has an aft casting deck that can be converted to a large upholstered platform with a backrest.
The V-28, with an 18-degree deadrise, will have a bit shallower, flatter bottom than the V-29 hybrid whose 22 degree angle will provide for a little bit sharper entry. Inshore anglers will have the option of a trolling motor and/or dual power poles for shallow-water fishing along with ample live well capacity and rod storage (eight rod holders). But perhaps the 28 and 29’s most stand-out feature is an easy-access side-entry head in the console. With some boats, says Healey: “When a woman wants to get in there to use the bathroom it’s kind of an awkward pulling motion, like a garage door down in front of you; we felt that the ability to get in and out of the console through the side entry was very important.”
As for power options, there are multiple ranging from single and twin offerings from Yamaha and Mercury. Predicted speed and range numbers on the V-28 and V-29, which will debut at the 2024 Palm Beach Boat Show, have yet to released, but the models will hold 135 gallons of fuel so it’s safe to say that their range should be sufficient for the passionate fisherman.
As of now Viking plans to build 13 V-28s and 19 V-29s in their first year, as a result of incredible demand shown at 2023 Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. “We initially planned to announce the two new models at our Viking/Valhalla VIP boat show in February, but my father had a change of heart,” Healey says. “I’m glad he pushed up the announcement because we sold almost two years of build slots in only five days. Yes, five days.”
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This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/outboard/drawing-board-valhalla-v-28-and-v-29
