Winner Speed Queen was built in the 1970's by Dynamic Shipbuilding (Camcraft Shipbuilding) in Louisiana as an oilfield crewboat and was then named Acheron. It was purchased and converted to a passenger fishing and cruise boat by Skeets Winner, owner of Winner Party Boats in Carolina Beach, NC. The conversion was completed by Gulfcraft Shipyard in Louisiana in around 1983. The boat was at that time renamed Winner Speed Queen. A flare was added to the hull to make the vessel wider, a pulpit was added to the bow, a rounded stern was added, and exhaust boxes were added to have the exhaust exit from the stern rather than from the side of the hull. During this entire time the vessel was powered by three Deteiot Diesel 12v71TI engines. It also carried two Detroit Diesel 3-71 electrical generators. This was the ownership and arrangement of the vessel as it was during the filming of Weekend at Bernies in 1988. The vessel was chartered by Carrolco Studios in Wilmington, NC to ferry the crews to and from Bald Head Island, NC and was also filmed as it was seen in the movie.
In around 2005, Capt. Winner sold the vessel to Fisherman's Wharf in Lewes, Delaware. The boat was then painted white and renamed Thelma Dale V. They have since repowered the vessel with Deutz Diesel mains. It remains under this name and in that operation to this day. If you google Fisherman's Wharf Lewes or Thelma Dale V, it will come up with newer pics and information about the current career of the vessel.
I hope that this answered your questions about the vessel. I see that this thread is over three years old so I don't know if you will even get the messages.
