How it started – meet the crew!
Capt. Weatherly has been on and around the water her whole life but it was years before she started meeting other lady boat captains. Countless guests on a boat tour have said “if only I lived closer I’d love to learn how to do this!” The time is now! We are here to empower other ladies to take the reins (or at least know how to get back to the dock in case of an emergency) to get on the water alone. Of course, we also get that it’s SO NICE to sit back and let someone else do the work on occasion. As I like to tell my mom: you need to learn how to do it, but you don’t have to tell anyone else you know how. The choice is yours!
Capt. Weatherly Meadors
USCG Inland 50 ton Masters, Sailing Endorsement | MS. Marine Biology | 15+ years in the ecotourism industry | CPR, Red Cross, Lifeguard certified
A James Island native, Capt. Weatherly has been driving boats since she was old enough to see over the steering wheel. She got a SCDNR boat license at the age of 12, took off into the wild on a 13′ Boston Whaler to explore every creek between IOP and Morgan Island. What started in 2010 as a “just-for-fun” job to balance long nights at the microscope turned into a full-blown career in ecotourism. She’s operated everything from that whaler to a passenger ferry, made multiple blue water crossings (including one 10-day ocean trip that need never be repeated), run sailing charters in the USVI, and even spent a stretch living aboard a 43′ catamaran. Her favorite boat? Still a small Whaler. That said, racing down ocean swells under full sail comes in at a close second.
She loves teaching close-quarters maneuvering and trip planning — but more than anything, she’s passionate about teaching the intangible. Boating is a feeling. You don’t just drive the boat — you become one with it and the ocean.
Off the boat Weatherly enjoys surfing (or photographing it), music, feeding people, and avoiding shoes whenever possible.
Capt. Olivia Hirst-Wilson
USCG Inland 50 ton Masters | 7 years as a captain | CPR, Red Cross, Lifeguard certified
Hi, I’m Olivia! I’ve been a licensed, working captain for 7 years, with multiple years of first mate experience prior to that. I’ve captained a variety of vessels, including skiffs, pontoons, center consoles, and catamarans from 18 to 49 feet. Through the years, I’ve had many women express to me the frustrations they’ve faced when learning to operate a boat, so I’d like to use my education background to help women enjoy the experience of becoming confident behind the helm. I’m particularly excited to teach trailering and docking because I know how daunting they can be, but anyone can do it with practice and it feels so rewarding when you put the time in and you finally nail it!
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