ABOVE LEFT Even with a queen bed in place, the cabin is spacious – and bright thanks to the overhead hatch and plentiful lights
ABOVE The lower helm had been deleted in our test boat but the stock set-up doesn’t take up too much space. Comfortable C-lounge
to port converts into extra sleeping space for guests and the whole space is clean, simple and workable
LEFT The captain gets a pretty flash chair and an even better view of everything that’s happening on and around the boat. Big modern
multi-function screens are swallowed with easeespecially when it comes to having
either serious fishos or kids on board
- not having to pussyfoot around to
protect fancy teak flooring or luxury
furnishings is a bonus. It looks good, it’s
easy to maintain, and is quite simply
far less stress for everyone.
As for performance and ride, well
the 37 Billfish is simply mind blowing
considering the size of the boat.
You’ll experience genuine sportsboat
performance in a gameboat thanks to
the twin Cummins QSB550s – 550hp
turbocharged diesel shaft-drives.
Knock the hammers down and she
holeshots more like a trailer boat with
outboards. Straight up the Viking 37
smoothly topped 35kt at WOT, which
is fairly cracking along considering the
boat’s size. Hugely improving the X
factor top-end speed is a comfortable
and dry ride in moderate conditions.
It’s quite a nimble hull and locks into
tight turns with ease – you actually
need to remind yourself that it’s a
gameboat and not designed primarily
for hooning.
The economy at this speed should
be considered yet another bonus,
swallowing what you’d have to think of
a well-restrained 210L/h combined at
WOT. That’s a pretty light appetite to
say the least; on larger gameboats you’d
expect to be caning the credit card with
anything from 400L/h.
Drop the throttles down to a more
civilised speed, I found the Viking 37
tackled a nasty ocean comfortably at
18-20kt. On test day the seaway threw
an 18-22kt south-easter our way, along
with a 1.5-2m swell. Regardless of
direction to the swell, she produceda decent ride when manually driven.
Underway, the stability up in the
flybridge was good; she maintains
a solid track and, best of all, she’s a
manageable and enjoyable gameboat
to drive. Again, the economy is
impressive, with the diesel burn
only around 80-100L/h at cruise
speeds in rough conditions. Having a
1665-litre fuel capacity, that gives you a
substantial range.
At the business end of a gameboat
running a spread, the cockpit has
all the necessities covered, with live
well, transom door, insulated and
refrigerated fish box, deck wash, tackle
storage, game chair, and the gunwales
at a good workable height.
At troll speeds the tracking is again
good, and in that slow 4-7kt range the
consumption is a miserly 5-12L/h –The boat you want is easier to find tradeboats.com.au^27
Viking 37 Billfish