The crew standard, guests included
Every Dockside charter sails with your own captain, and we mean your own: you rent the whole yacht, then hire your captain under a separate agreement, either a USCG-licensed captain you bring or one you pick from the Dockside captain wall. The wall is where the standard lives: USCG-licensed captains, trained deckhands, and hospitality crew who know that a bachelorette's golden-hour toast matters as much as the lines being cleated right.
Open roles
⚓ Charter Captain
- Master's / OUPV (six-pack) or better
- Charleston Harbor local knowledge
- Host energy: the captain is part of the show
- Weekends + golden-hour slots
🧭 Deckhand
- Lines, fenders, anchoring, float rigging
- Guest safety briefings
- Swim-stop watch at the sandbar
- Strong back, easy smile
🥂 Stewardess / Steward
- Guest experience end to end
- Setup: decor kits, champagne service, cake runs
- The Captain's Toast, staged right
- Photos guests frame later
What "Dockside-qualified" means
- ✅ USCG licensing verified for every captain, current and on file
- ✅ Safety briefing on every charter, no exceptions, no eye-rolls
- ✅ Host training: crew on the wall make the party, never just watch it
- ✅ Local water knowledge: The Battery, the Ravenel, Shem Creek, the sandbar
Catering partners
Guests are welcome to bring their own food aboard, and for catered charters we keep a short list of Charleston kitchens that deliver dockside and plate beautifully at sea. The list stays short on purpose, and Dave and the Dockside team keep it current. Cater in Charleston and want on the list?
Join the catering listOwn a boat? Join the network.
Dockside is adding vessels. Put your yacht to work on the same engine that runs this site: the booking calendar, the Dress Your Day extras overlay on the main booking page, the captain wall above, and the marketing rails, all working for your boat while you collect the income.
- ✅ Bookings & payments handled: online calendar, deposits, secure Square checkout
- ✅ Cleaned and charter-ready between rentals; guests hire their captain separately, their own USCG-licensed captain or one from the Dockside captain wall
- ✅ Marketed on this platform: the reels, the builder, the occasion pages
- ✅ Flat-fee rails, not a percentage toll: more of every charter stays with the boat
- ✅ Delivery and brokerage services when you want to move or sell
The Helm Program
Dave and the Dockside team believe the water gets passed down, not gated off. The Helm Program is their commitment to teaching the next generation of Charleston boaters: youth mentorship days at the wheel, partnerships with local veterans, and first-job pathways onto the deck for young people who show up curious. If you run a youth program or veterans organization in the Lowcountry, come talk.
Partner with the Helm Program