Since its inception in 1977, South Florida-based Strike Sportfishing Yachts has established a reputation among hardcore offshore anglers for its uncompromising approach to boat building. Today, Strike Yachts offers 13 models of fishing boats ranging from 18 to 51 feet that include center consoles, cuddy cabins, walk-arounds, and express sportfishers. And because they are shipped factory-direct, they can be built semi-custom to order.
Hearing good things about Strike’s 37 Walk-Around since it was introduced in 2006, we decided it was time to check it out for ourselves. Strike put us in contact with Doug Williams, a proud owner of a 37 WA, and we arranged a sea trial out of Dana Point.
For Serious Fishermen
Among the first things we noted upon stepping aboard the 37 Walk-Around were its high gunwales that don’t dip at the bow, as they do on other walk-arounds, and the generous amount of room between those gunwales and the cabin. We measured a consistent 20 inches of walkway all the way forward, so if you need to follow a fish to the bow in a hurry or gaff a fish amidships, you have plenty of room to do so. What also got our attention was the absence of the usual step up when moving forward from the cockpit. These three features combined creates 360 degrees of safe, unobstructed, fish-ability.
Speaking of fish-ability, the 37 WA comes standard with a 45-gallon bait tank and four gunwale rod holders, but you can order it with a larger bait tank and additional gunwale rod holders. Our test boat sported seven per side. Five rocket launchers are standard, but you can add many more if you opt for the hardtop and tower, as Williams did. This test boat was also equipped with a pair of outriggers and eight horizontal overhead rod holders in the cabin, and the tower was decked out with Vessel View digital engine- monitoring gauges, a Simrad radio-direction finder, Furuno sonar/GPS with Navnet, a 16-man inflatable lifeboat, and controls for the Lenco trim tabs. Three tackle storage centers, freshwater and saltwater wash-downs, and a huge, 85-gallon fish box are all standard on the 37 Walk-Around.
Designed for Performance
Strike offers the 37 Walk-Around with twin I/O diesel power up to 1,200 hp from Cummins, Caterpillar, Yanmar, and Iveco, and they’ll even rig it with triple outboards, if you’d prefer to go that route. Twin Cummins QSB common-rail 480 hp turbo-diesels are standard power, but Williams opted for a pair of Cummins 425 hp turbo-diesels that were housed in a neat and well-equipped engine compartment that is readily accessible from the cockpit. Some of the standard equipment in the engine compartment includes a 3.5 kW generator, two high-water bilge pumps with alarms, and a 30-amp, four-bank battery charger. Everything, from switches to panels to filters, wiring and plumbing are either mounted or routed neat and clean.
In addition to a hull that features a sharp 60-degree entry for slicing through chop and a 23-degree deadrise, the 37 Walk-Around’s “propeller pockets” allow for a more efficient prop shaft angle, as well as a shorter shaft length, which translates to reduced drag, improved speed and fuel efficiency, and allows for a rather shallow 33-inch draft. The helm is neatly finished with switch panels and rocker switches, Lenco trim tab switches/indicators, Vessel View electronic engine gauges (when you purchase it with Cummins power), and it offers plenty of room for mounting a pair of 10-inch sonar/GPS units, VHF radio, and more.
Cabin Fever
Poke your head into the cabin, and you’ll find a dinette
to port and a complete galley to starboard. Slide the navigator’s seat forward to convert it to a second seat for the dinette. In the galley you’ll find a single-burner stove, refrigerator, microwave, a pair of 110-volt outlets, and a stainless sink with a Corian countertop. Teak and holly flooring is also standard, as are television with DVD and CD player, air conditioning, and a 3.5 kW generator for running all of those appliances.
A V-berth offers a hanging-clothes closet with a deep, rich cherry door to port and a stand-up head with shower to starboard. There’s plenty of storage for personals overhead in the matching cherry cabinets, and the cabin also features mood lighting and an overhead hatch for ventilation and letting light in. A quarter berth aft and a bunk sofa to port allow the 37 Walk-Around to sleep up to five.
Put to the Test
Come the day of the sea trial out of Dana Point, we were greeted with wind, waves of two to three feet, and variable swells from three to five feet at ten seconds. Pretty typical conditions for late March in these parts, but certainly not what we’d call rough. In addition to taking sound measurements, we recorded speed and fuel consumption at various rpm increments to determine its range and optimum cruising speed. It’s important to note that range is a serious concern to Southern California anglers who cruise all the way down to Cabo and La Paz, Mexico, and Williams wisely opted to have an additional 125-gallon tank built in to supplement the standard 350-gallon tank.
At a trolling speed of 7.2 knots (or 8.3 mph), the 37 Walk-Around burned just 4.4 gph, giving it a trolling range of 594 miles with just the standard 350-gallon tank and 806 miles with the additional 125-gallon tank. Both of those numbers are based on 90 percent of each tank’s fuel capacity, leaving 10 percent in reserve. At that speed, we measured just 77 dB(A) at the helm. Our optimum cruise speed came in at 23 knots (or 26.5 mph) turning 2,450 rpm. At that speed, we burned 27 gph (that’s .97 mpg), giving us a range of 306 miles on the standard tank and 415 miles with the additional tank. We’ve got to say that 1 mpg is exceptional for a 37-foot fishing boat. At that speed we measured 85 dB(A) of sound. Finally, running wide open at 3,050 rpm, we recorded a top speed of 31.4 knots (or 36.1 mph) and a sound reading of 95 dB(A).
Sea Star steering combined with Glendenning digital fly-by-wire throttle controls made for effortless maneuvering – both underway and when docking – and quick, silent shifting and precise acceleration. We ran directly up swell, down swell, and in quartering seas, and the 37 Walk-Around handled each of the conditions nicely. When all was said and done, she ended up with only a slight bit of spray on the gunwales, but none on the windshield.
Strike’s 37 Walk-Around gets exceptional marks from us for its overall “fishy” design, and we especially liked the high gunwales forward and all the room for passage to and from the bow. Its fit and finish is top notch, as is the rigging throughout. Add exceptional fuel efficiency, sleeping accommodations for five, a stand-up head with shower, a complete galley shower, and a smooth, dry ride, and you have a very comfortable fishing boat that the whole family will enjoy. Because Strike Yachts sells factory-direct to its customers, you’ll need to contact them directly at (850) 838-1400. And be sure to tell them how you came to hear about their 37 Walk-Around.
