Viking 68: No “I” in Team
by Viking Yachts 7 Jun 2023 10:55 PDT
Building a better boat every day requires teamwork and communication. Various production departments must coordinate with each other to keep each build moving down the manufacturing line.
Every stage is bustling, and sometimes several departments are working on the boat simultaneously, as illustrated in this Viking View that focuses on hull No. 50 of the Viking 68, a four-stateroom tournament-proven battlewagon. That's right - she's the 50th build in this extremely popular series. Only a day after coming out of our Fiberglass Department (Viglass) a team of boatbuilders has already made significant progress with mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations.
The boat will soon receive its twin 12-cylinder 2002MHP MTU M96X engines, which push the 68 to 40-plus knots. The Mechanical Department will use overhead electric hoists to position the powerplants in the engineroom.
But first, aluminum foundations ("saddles") will be installed to secure the engines to the 68's stringer and hull. These custom aluminum extrusions are powder-coated white and dry-fitted to ensure proper engine alignment, and then they are permanently affixed to the tops of the stringers using a specialized adhesive for bonding aluminum and fiberglass materials.
As we said at the top, different departments work cohesively to build the boat as efficiently as possible. In this image, Mechanical Department team members (for a few minutes) have moved away from their work areas so an interior unit - the bunks and hanging locker for the crew quarters - can be safely transported from the production floor into position. "There's no 'I' in team," says Berlindo Meza (top), shown lowering the unit. "We work closely with each other." One of the highlights of our 68 is the location of the crew accommodations - just forward of the engineroom to provide direct access.
For more information about the Viking 68, please contact your authorized Viking dealer. Meantime, explore the boat here for a 360-degree virtual tour.