CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Over 50 options to charter a boat in Charleston are available through Get My Boat, a boat rental service that has recently gained traction amongst Charleston charter boat captains.
Doug Warner, the Vice President of Media and Innovation for Explore Charleston, says that local and visitors like to come to the Lowcountry to enjoy the area’s waterways.
“When I have visitors in town I usually encourage them to get on the water because of how beautiful it is from every vantage point,” said Warner.
Captain Dave Held of Southern Moon Charters has been using Get My Boat for a couple years.
“I love the water. I love boating. What better way is there to get on the water everyday than by doing that?,” said Held.
Boat trips with Captain Dave take at least two hours, but he gives people some flexibility on how long they can stay. Local Helen Enghauser booked with Southern Moon Charters with her friends while they were on vacation.
“I booked with Captain Dave over my spring break,” said Helen Enghauser. “He took us all over. I liked the experience. I think it’s amazing. It was so welcoming.”
“There’s two kinds of time I tell people about. You have regular time and you have Charleston time,” said Held.
Captain Dave’s favorite part of his job is meeting new people.
“I’ve had people cry on the boat at a sunset. They’ll say ‘Oh it’s so beautiful,’ and they cry. I’m thinking that we’ve done something wrong and they’re like ‘No we’re so happy,'” said Held.
Explore Charleston thinks that anything that gets people out on the water benefits the Lowcountry.
“The more things we have for not just locals, but visitors to do too and the easier we can make those experiences, the better it is for everyone,” said Warner.
Get My Boat sees potential in Charleston to add to their number of captains and customers.
“There’s plenty of room for growth there. We have a ton of demand for captain charters for people travelling in for bachelorette parties and birthdays,” said Val Streif, the Marketing Manager for Get My Boat.
If you are planning to book a charter on Get My Boat this summer, Strief suggests doing that quickly before spots fill up. She has some other tips to make sure your trip goes well.
- Book a charter with a boat captain to show you around.
- Communicate what you want to do and where you want to go.
- Follow all local laws while on your trip.
- Cancel the trip if the weather is too dangerous and be safe on the water.
