With several 38-foot walkaround boats on the water, Tim Winters and his team at Winter Custom Yachts in North Carolina have optimized the walkaround concept in order to take full advantage of its inherent versatility. Anglers are no longer confined to the limited space in the cockpit and have the freedom to fight fish 360 degrees. Even just taking the family on a shorthanded picnic cruise is safer and easier since everyone has full access to the bow without having to navigate a slippery deck.
If there’s a drawback to the walkaround design, it’s a loss of interior volume, as the boat’s command deck and salon are compact to accommodate the walkaround alleys that span the perimeter of the hull. To make up for it, Winter upsized his latest version to 46 feet. The result is Hull No. 37, Thumper. This 46-footer was designed to be a fishing tender as part of a globetrotting mothership-and-game boat operation, and is a tough-as-nails workhorse designed to fish hard and well.
The 46 is a yacht tender, and it has yacht-level finish to match the mothership. Descending from the air-conditioned command deck via a semi-spiral staircase, the galley and couch are immediately below, along with a day head. The full-beam en suite master is forward, with a guest stateroom with twin bunks aft.
Power is a pair of 850 hp MAN i6 engines. At a 35-knot cruise, Thumper is riding comfortably while burning 60 gallons per hour; with 600 gallons of fuel, that’s a range of 350 nautical miles. At top hop, it hits 39.3 knots on initial sea trials while burning 80 gallons per hour. The performance illustrates the vessel;s efficient hull form and the CJR flow-aligned running gear and propellers.
The program for this mothership-gameboat operation includes fishing adventures in far-flung destinations such as Magdalena Bay, Mexico and the distant seamounts off Costa Rica.
Other notable features on the Winters 46 include a 25 kW Northern Lights generator and a Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer. The satin-finish interior showcases the builder’s woodworking talents, with the horizontal grain teak veneer selected to match the interior of the owner’s larger yacht.
On the command deck, the peninsula helm stretches from port with multiple Garmin displays as well as joystick control, FLIR night vision and omnidirectional sonar.
“Since our inception, I have strived to perfect every technique and component to optimize the unique fishing experience my clients want to achieve,” Winters says. “During the process, I work alongside my clients to make the build process enjoyable, so much that some have repeated the process several times. They recognize their boat is not only a fun venture, but it also affords an excellent investment. I never compromise on details and will always deliver the finest custom sportfishing boats that my clients are proud to own.”
Winters considers Thumper to be the ultimate gameboat, thanks to the smooth transitions from bow to stern with no steps to impede an angler as well as the boat’s overall size and nimbleness.
Take the next step: wintercustomyachts.com
Quick Specifications
- LOA: 46’1”
- Maximum Beam: 14’2”
- Draft: 3’2”
- Displacement: 33,000 lb.
- Fuel Capacity: 600 gal.
- Water Capacity: 75 gal.
