“The bridge is air conditioned, and it has a huge Seakeeper—a 26—which is larger than many other boats in her class,” he adds. After leaving the HMC event in the Outer Banks, the boat was on display at Bluewater’s Hampton location while preparing for her next big excursion. The team ran the Bluewater 64 north to Ocean City, Maryland to be front and center at our August featured tournaments: Marlins for Mason and the White Marlin Open (WMO). Members of our Maryland team, including Roger Mooney, David Black, Chase Sutton and John Prather were all involved in fishing and logistics for these outings. Poised conspicuously on the bulkhead at Sunset Marina, the 64 was the center of attention for the thousands of people who fished or visited the WMO that week. One of the standout features to Carl was on display for all: “Our teak team at Safe Harbor Bluewater is top-notch, and basically craftsmen of a lost art. They pulled teak out of storage and the work they did on the covering boards for the cockpit blows away what anyone else can do, including the boats leaving the factory.” CRITICAL OPPORTUNITIES Stressing the importance of a demo program, Carl explains, “Viking’s boats change and evolve a lot in a short period of time. People in our area need to see the difference and how they’re getting better and better each day.” That means the ride and functionality, not just the look. “Viking’s demo program is amazing and says a lot about where they are. They’re not just competing at a high level, but always using their boats, and learningwhat’s going on out there to make them better. It’s important to show that to people first-hand.” While it makes good sense to undergo these exciting demo programs for sales and marketing exposure, they remain substantial investments in time and resources. Not only are the demo teams balancing movement logistics, tournament and provisioning fees, VIP appointments and countless other costs and concerns, they’re also being careful not to put unnecessary hours and wear or tear on a new boat that is ultimately intended for resale to a lucky new owner. Carl points out at that having the 64 instock and on display led directly to the sale of a new Viking 58 Convertible to the Curtis family [read about Simple Man, pages 22-25]. “They fell in love with the 64 seeing it here in Hampton and decided they definitely wanted a Viking. They ordered their 58 about three days later,” he concludes. Overall, the availability of new boat demos creates a natural platform for meaningful conversations, hands-on experiences, and building relationships that last well beyond the Mid-Atlantic fishing season. The result is that customers walk away not just impressed by the boats, but confident in the teams that build, sell and support them. VIKING 64C LOA: 63’ 10” Beam: 18’ 11” Draft: 5’ 7” Cockpit Area: 180 sq. ft. Fuel Capacity: 2,201 gal. Water Capacity: 302 gal. Gross Weight: 99,738 lbs. Power: Twin MTU V12 M96X @ 1,550 hp ea. Genset: Onan 21.5 kW Stabilization: Seakeeper 26 Cruise Speed: 33.1 kts. Top Speed: 41.5 kts. 16 BLUEWATER
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