We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Captain Megan McLaughlin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Captain Megan below.

Captain Megan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Our family started this company in 2008. We rented a boat for my Mom’s Birthday and I absolutely fell in love with the waters of the Low Country and surrounding areas and knew right then that I wanted to make this my new office!
-I had been on boats my whole life, my Grandpa Linville taught me how to drive a John Boat with a trolling motor when I was 4 years old and had to sit on hit lap to reach the handle to steer.
The entrepreneurial excitement started to take over and led to a business plan on how I could do this on a daily basis and make it easier for friends and families to share in a private experience be able to enjoy these beautiful waterways and have less stress on vacation.

Captain Megan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started with my 6-pack or OUPV License just to be a better boater in the area, salt water and 8-foot tide swings every 6-hours is a lot different than boating on a lake.
*My new office was everything I had dreamed of and more! Being surrounded by nature led me right back to Sea School the very next year to get my Master’s License. I now carry a 100-gross tonnage Master Captains License issued via the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center. (Typically 65 feet or more, 1 gross ton is 100 cubic feet)
-I also use my Master Captain’s license for boat deliveries, ferry services, and other private excursions via larger vessels. My true passion remains in serving families and small groups creating memories and Fun Times on Island Time!
-It was our focus to figure out how to provide a luxury, high-class service that would include a Captain to enjoy, Fun Times on Island Time!
Island Time Charters is a private boat charter company offering quality and comfortable excursions for up to six passengers around beautiful Hilton Head Island. Browse our variety of exciting charter options running from 2 to 7 hours. Start planning your trip and get ready for the ultimate charter experience. All ages are welcome and we will do everything we can to ensure Fun Times on Island Time!
We very much value the precious time with loved ones and enjoying the simple things in life. To honor this valuable time, we dedicate the highest quality of service. Whether you choose our Dolphin and Nature Cruise, Sunset Cruise, or enjoy brunch or lunch by boat, we promise memories you won’t soon forget. We take pride in being a small business, and want to treat you like family. So, from day one our charter options have been private to maintain the intimacy and service you deserve.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When I started this business in 2008, I spent almost a year creating a business plan. This included marketing plans and financial strategies all put together with the help of my friends, family, and my past college professors from Northwest Missouri State University. I printed off and created 12-beautifully curated presentation binders and proceeded to start calling banks to setup appointments, hoping someone would believe in my vision. The no’s just kept coming and it was definitely character building. Please keep in mind, this is right before the economy collapse. I got down to the 12th and final binder and I was so nervous, what if this was it? We did all of this planning and prepping for nothing? The bank said no. A few days go by and friend reaches out to inquire about how everything was going with the banks and I had to share the disappointing news. She informed me that her Cousin works for BB&T and is always happy to speak to small businesses about funding opportunities and she would love to introduce me. I was over the moon with hope! I only had my binder left, lucky #13. I walked out of the meeting with a Business Line of Credit and full funding for Island Time Charters!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As you can imagine, as a small business in the tourism industry, the pandemic had a huge impact on Island Time Charters. We had to change everything and were even forced to close for 6 weeks, as they closed the boat ramps in Beaufort County. We had to ask people to consider purchasing a gift certificate for use later in the year, to help get us through.

We used the time to get our boat and equipment in top shape for our return. These included a fresh paint job, fiberglass repair, new cushions, a new wax coat inside and out, a keel guard for our sandbar expeditions, installation of a new state-of-the-art Bluetooth stereo system, and a complete bleach cleaning from top to bottom with new cleaning procedures put in place.

We diligently kept in touch with all of our customers by posting some of our favorite pictures and videos on our social media pages. They were scary times as a business owner but our customers helped us through and came back in full support and we couldn’t be more thankful to them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.islandtimechartershhi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islandtimecharters/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/islandtimechartershhi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=island+time+charters+hilton+head