A native of eastern North Carolina, Tim Winters wanted to build boats for as long as he can remember, even penciling in “boatbuilder” as his dream job back in kindergarten when other kids wanted to be superheroes or astronauts. He also does not have a family lineage of boatbuilding; instead, he started Winter Custom Yachts while attending North Carolina State University, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. And yet his company quietly turns 20 this year, where it continues to build a unique variety of custom boats from a tiny coastal community just outside Swansboro, North Carolina.
M What made you want to be a boatbuilder?
I grew up