Private Event Yacht Cruise in South Florida

Meet SIR WINSTON

• Early Inspirations

  Winston Knauss grew up in Indianapolis, IN, on Crooked Creek. As a child, Winston constructed rafts, boats, dams, and even a suspension bridge across the creek. His early interests included creating trails along the creek, reflecting his love for nature and innovation. Winston’s dream of building boats ultimately would serve as his inspiration for the luxury charter yachts that he still builds and operates today, many of which have ultimately found their way to ports all over the globe.

• A Foundation of Expertise

  In the early 1960s, RCA moved their headquarters to Indianapolis and fortunately, Winston was hired as a trainee cost analyst under his then mentor and now longtime friend, Richard “Dick” Hintz.

  In later years, after Dick retired from RCA, he came to work for Winston Development Co. Winston developed a keen understanding of cost analysis and management. His curiosity about the cost of everything, often noted by those who know him, can be traced back to these formative years.

  Winston left RCA and assisted various owners of several construction, demolition, and underground utility companies. By the late 1960s, Winston had gained enough experience to start his own AAA Wrecking, a successful demolition company headquartered in Indianapolis. There, he used his costing expertise to win the lion’s share of demolition contracts in the Midwest and Indianapolis.

• Developing Various Properties

  Winston invested much of his time in buying, building, and developing hotels, bars, and real estate. His Dearborn Hotel hosted the first Black-operated radio station to broadcast from the tenth floor of the hotel. These improvement projects are part of his legacy and contributions to the resurrection of Indianapolis and a large extent of the Midwest.

  Winston bought the Town of Shore Acres, and as a land developer, he installed sewers, water, power, and widened the road to 4 lanes. Winston’s true passion lies in combining the tranquility of nature with upscale living. His passion led to his most ambitious project yet: Winston Island Woods, a 100+ unit luxury condominium development within the Town of Shore Aces.

  These first-of-their-kind condos in the greater Indianapolis area are nestled in the heart of the woods, offering residents a unique blend of luxury and nature. Adjacent, he built and operated the Winston Yacht & Country Club, a multi-venue banquet facility built around a twelve-acre spring-fed lake. Winston Yacht & Country Club instantly became one of the city’s most unique venues, having hosted thousands of events from wedding receptions to elegant galas.

• First Large-Scale Boat

  His childhood desire to build boats and the allure of water always remained at the core of Winston’s entrepreneurial heart. The 1970s marked a significant milestone for Winston as he built his first large-scale boat in his backyard along White River in Indianapolis.

  Using salvage materials from his demolition and building companies, Winston’s boat building journey began. His transition from demolishing structures such as buildings, manufacturing plants, smokestacks, water towers, and bridges to creating beautiful yachts brought him immense satisfaction. These yachts, admired for their beauty, symbolized his ability to create something enduring and aesthetically pleasing.

• From Destruction to Creation

  AAA Wrecking had become one of the most successful demolition companies in the United States. The company mastered the science of imploding buildings and structures as a more efficient and safer method of demolition. But even though the company was thriving, Winston felt a desire to step away and focus on other dreams.

  After so many years of “tearing things down”, he wanted to focus his efforts on bringing beauty to the world. He gifted AAA Wrecking to his employees and embarked on his journey to “build things up”. Winston was involved in overseeing that the Dearborn Hotel was donated to the Wheeler Mission, aligning his business decisions with philanthropic values and an in-kind gift.

• A New Chapter in His Life

  In 1977, Winston bought properties on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Shortly after settling in Fort Lauderdale for a peaceful winter, Winston was approached by a yacht broker who asked him if he would be interested in chartering his then-62-foot luxury yacht. Winston agreed, and thus began the yacht chartering business that he has gone on to perfect over the last 45+ years.

• Elevating the Experience

  In the beginning, his charters did not include any catered food aboard the yacht. But that all changed one day when show business luminary Liza Minelli chartered his yacht and insisted he’d serve stone crab, shrimp, oysters, and the like, which he was able to quickly source. Now, SIR WINSTON Luxury Yacht Charters offers South Florida’s finest culinary offerings, elegantly displayed food stations, and premium bar service while you cruise the scenic Intracoastal Waterway.

• An Enduring Partnership

  Winston and his wife Diane, who have been married for More than 25 years, have enjoyed the designing, planning, and contracting involved in building these well-thought-out charter yachts.

  Winston and Diane are both U.S.C.G.-licensed captains and have played a dominant role in every boat, from laying the keel to the launch. In fact, they have christened some 30 luxury yachts which have found their way into markets worldwide. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Shanghai, and Mumbai are just some of the places you can find one of the former SIR WINSTON Luxury Yachts that have been built and operated by Winston and sold on to other investor operators.

  Winston and Diane now reside in Alva, FL, on SIR WINSTON FARMS on the scenic Intracoastal Waterway on the Caloosahatchee, with 800 feet of waterfront. They continue to be actively involved in the daily operations of the two SIR WINSTON charter boats in South Florida. The last SIR WINSTON yacht is in Palm Beach, FL, to serve Southwest Florida, and the other SIR WINSTON is in Port Myers/Alva, FL, to serve Southeast Florida. This beautiful sunset is from the dock in Alva, Florida where we have a gorgeous sunset every night! We are excitedly exploring future dockage opportunities in Miami to expand our services and better serve our esteemed clientele in this vibrant coastal city.

• A Lasting Legacy

  Winston is still living his childhood dream of building and operating boats just like he did 75 years ago as an imaginative child playing with his handmade crafts on Crooked Creek. His intent is to keep the SIR WINSTON legacy alive as a testament to the power of vision and determination, and give thanks to “our one and only God, Creator, Navigator and Savior.” “Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me.”