In 2005 Winston Knauss took delivery of his eleventh vessel designed by DeJong and Lebet, in early 2007 he took delivery of the twelfth. These represent the third and fourth vessels built at Keith Marine, Inc. of Palatka, Florida. These vessels have many unique features including an elevator from the hull to the top deck and spuds for convenient mooring in the canals of south Florida. The vessels are also certified for carriage of a helicopter.
Following is the text from the press release on one of Winston's boats:
PRESS RELEASE
The new 120’x33’ SIR
WINSTON was recently delivered to Sir Winston Luxury Yacht Charters.
The company is owned and operated by
PVA Member Captain
Winston
Knauss
out of
Bal
Harbour
, in
Miami
Beach
,
Florida
. The
vessel was designed by DeJong and Lebet,
Inc., Naval Architects,
Jacksonville
,
Florida
. The
new vessel is the tenth in a line of DeJong
and Lebet, Inc. designed SIR WINSTON
vessels starting in 1993.
SIR
WINSTON features five levels that are accessible to
passengers, all of which can be reached by an elevator.
The hull level contains passenger and crew staterooms.
The Main Deck has a 1600 sq.ft. lounge/dining room and a large galley.
The Second Deck features a 2600 sq.ft. dining room
with a capacity of 200. Both the
Main
and Second Deck passenger areas have large windows
the full length of the spaces.
The Third Deck space is a partially covered and
enclosed passenger lounge and dining area.
The Fourth Deck is an open passenger deck with a
hot tub. The pilothouse is also on
the Fourth Deck. Restrooms are
installed on all levels.
SIR
WINSTON is U.S. Coast Guard certificated under Subchapter
K, and measures less than 100 gross tons. She
is licensed to carry 400 passengers on Protected Waters, and 300 passengers on
Partially Protected Waters.
Another unique feature of SIR WINSTON is the three mooring spuds.
These spuds allow the vessel to be moored at virtually any location that
will accommodate her shallow 5’-10” draft, without needing a dock.
She can be moored next to any dock without being tied to it, or she can
be moored offshore. SIR
WINSTON carries her own tender to ferry passengers ashore, and has a swim
platform aft for convenient boarding.
The vessel was constructed at Keith Marine,
Palatka
,
Florida
. SIR
WINSTON is powered by a pair of 450-HP Cummins 6CTA diesels with ZF gears.
Electrical power is provided by two 95 kW Cummins 6BTA generators.
Another Cummins Diesel powers a 150 HP bowthruster.
The previous SIR
WINSTON’s have been sold to other operators in both the dinner cruise and
casino businesses. They are
operating in
Florida
,
New
York
,
New Jersey
,
Los
Angeles
,
and
San
Francisco
Bay
. A
recent vessel was sold to an interest in
China
and operates in
Shanghai
. The
previous vessel delivered in June 2002 is currently for sale.
SIR
WINSTON is the second passenger vessel delivered by DeJong
& Lebet, Inc. this year, with a third delivery scheduled for December
2004. DeJong
& Lebet, Inc. currently has three other passenger vessel designs under
construction, as well as a 137’ luxury expedition yacht.
Following are some photos of the most recently (2007) delivered Sir Winston:
