Murrells Inlet Boat Captains

In the early twentieth century, seagoing Murrells Inlet captains began taking small parties on day-long fishing charters, often in boats they built themselves from local materials. Navigating by compass-bearing courses and dead reckoning, they laid the foundation for Murrells Inlet’s rise as the Seafood Capital of South Carolina. Their pioneering work developed into the headboats that run Gulf Stream trips from Capt. Dick’s Marina and into the area’s extensive private-charter recreational fleet. As fishing expanded, the restaurant trade also flourished, and fishing from Murrells Inlet became a multi-million dollar industry. This growth rested on the courage and vision of captains including Ira Vick, Albert Jordan, H. C. Strickland, Hoss Johnson, Charlie Strickland, Sr., Charlie Leonard, Buc Kempson, Rusty Draper, Leo Garner, Jimmy Stevens, Bobby Mintz, Luther Smith, Mac Oliver, Orsa Hayden Bashor, Everett Ayers, Tommy Sing, Lemuel Stickland, Howard Wesley, Sr., Buddy Dew, Sanford Wells, and B.H. Vereen.

South Carolina · United States