Enjoy summer fun on the Water with Captain Brad

Sonny Boy Charters

If you are planning a trip to Seabrook or Kiawah Island don't miss the opportunity to experience the true Lowcountry.  The Lowcountry isn't just a position relative to sea level.  The Lowcountry is about the sights, sounds, smells, flavors and nuances that make our area so magical.  I can't think of a better way to get the true feel of the Lowcountry than to spend a day with  Captain Brad Rumph.  Brad is the epitome of Charleston charm.  Brad grew up right here on Johns Island.  As a youngster he looked no further than the back yard to see the majesty of spanish live oaks draped in moss.  The tidal creek laid just beyond teeming with shrimp, crabs, oysters, and numerous species of fish.  For over 30 years Brad has navigated these waterways stalking redfish on the flats or casting a net for the succulent white shrimp. 

Now Brad is sharing his love of our natural environment with everyone!  Join Sonny Boy Brad for a day on the water.  Brad offers several options for guests to experience the Lowcountry at its best.  Take a half day inshore fishing trip out to the reef and cast for spanish mackerel, black sea bass, cobia, BIG channel red fish, spade fish and our beloved flounder.  Spend 3-4 hours with Captain Brad casting and trolling on his 25 ft. Seacraft center console. 

If you are a serious angler, Brad will take you out on is 18 ft. Hughes Red Fisher.  Bring your best buddy because this trip only accomodates two at a time.  You'll be stalking our native red fish on the flats in very skinny water.  This excursion challenges your senses with lots of visual cues.  Let your instinct guide you.  Four hours will fly by!

Whether you are a seasoned angler or just learning the ways of the water he will make sure you enjoy a great day.  He includes bait, ice, tackle and the fishing licenses too!!

Not up for fishing?  No problem.  Brad also offers sunset cruises.  This 2 hour trip meanders up the Bohicket River.  You'll pass the historic village of Rockville.  This community started as a summer retreat for plantation owners seeking to escape the stifling humidity and mosiquitos of the farm.  Here folks gathered to enjoy the frequent ocean breezes and a slight reprieve from life without AC.  The Sea Island Yacht Club at Rockville hosts the oldest sailing regatta on the east coast.  The first weekend in August sailors will gather for the 120th Rockville Regatta.  The event has evolved into a party as much as a race.  The Sea Island One boat is a design distinct to this area and races primarily only in this event.  It's a great tradition and a good time to see old friends and make some new ones.

Rockville Regatta on the Bohicket River

While you are enjoying the best sunset imaginable you will certainly be greated by a family or two of dolphins.  Their presence is pretty constant during the summer.  They are so close you can almost pet them!  Its wonderful to enjoy them playing in their natural environment. 

One final option with Sonny Boy Charters is a custom tour.  Make your own day with Brad as your guide.  This is a great choice for families.  You may package a day with tons of variety sure to keep the kids interested.  Dolphin watching, crabbing, shelling and learning to throw a cast net are some of the activities you may enjoy.  Four to six guests may enjoy a custom cruise. 

If you are visiting with us on Seabrook Island this summer, treat your family to a taste of the true Lowcountry.  If you need an extra crab pot for dinner, call me and I'll find you one!! 

Call Brad at 843-708-1486 or visit his website www.sonnyboycharters.com

Save some shrimp for me!

Enjoy Mothers Day at Seabrook Island

Mom & Son at the Beach

When I think about the beach, I always think about my mom.  Some of the best times we shared were our "girls" vacations at the beach.  It would usually start with a "wouldn't it be great to go to the beach?" and soon after a plan was hatched!  Mom would pack everything but the kitchen sink in the trunk of her car.  Me, being the impulsive and impatient sort would be ready in 10 minutes.  What do you need other than a couple of pairs of shorts, flip flops and a bathing suit?  It was truly an art how she managed to bring fans, heating pads, clothes for all occassions, and Lord knows what else she might need for our sojourn.  So off we went in search of sun, sand and relaxation.  My dear father would stay home, tend to the animals and hold down the  home fort.  He always smiled as we drove away, maybe a bit relieved to enjoy the peace for a few days :). 

Once we arrived at the beach, all our daily cares and troubles evaporated or were carried away with the ocean breezes.  We sunned too much, ate decadent meals without respect to caloric intake and took long, leisurely walks along the beach.  During these walks we shared our successes and hopes for the upcoming months, and gossiped about this cousin or that aunt.  Mom is older now and dad needs her around more.  Our beach time is restricted to a quick walk on the scenic shoreline at Seabrook Island.  We are so fortunate to live close to the beach now.  I hope you get to visit with your mom this weekend and share each others company.  I hope to see you walking with your mom at the beach Sunday!

Chasing the Little White Ball

If you like to commune with nature by slapping a little white ball around a manicured lawn, dodging hazards like sand traps, lagoons, alligators, and tidal marsh then come see us at Seabrook Island!  The Seabrook Island Club offers two championship golf courses that offer a great challenge to golfers of all levels.  I am a lady golfer and I get really tired of going to courses where the lady tees are an after thought.  You wait for the manly men to blast it away and then when you get up to the ladies tee it's a slanted, tiny postage stamp sized area that is so far to the right you would have to hit a banana slice to get around the trees and be back in the fairway.  Thankfully at Seabrook Island the tee boxes are thoughtfully laid out to give all golfers a fair chance at a decent tee shot. After that, you're on your own!

Ocean Winds opened to play in 1975.  Willard Byrd designed this 18 hole track that plays 6805 yards from the tips.  With a slope rating of 138 this course has all the challenge you want!  It's a beautiful layout, winding through a maritime forest steeped in nature.  The course heads out to the Atlantic ocean and comes back in along the tidal marsh.  The course was renovated in 2004 when the Club installed Champion Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grass greens.  

Once I had a great golf outing in North Carolina and I sort of let it go to my head.  I thought, "yeah I've figured this game out.  What is everybody whining about?"  Then I returned home to Seabrook Island.  I went out and after just a few holes on Ocean Winds, I threw my bag down in the fairway, sat on it, and began to cry.  Ahh, my first truly humbling memory of learning the game.....and know this.....we are always learning no matter what level of play we attain.  I am lucky because I can't think of a better place to learn the game! 

Our second course is Crooked Oaks and yes they are!  Crooked Oaks golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr.  It plays to just under 6800 yards from the championship tees with a slope rating of 139.  The live oak trees are draped in spanish moss, lining the perfectly manicured fairways. 

Did you know that Seabrook Island's golf courses are a certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf?  It's an awesome accolate that comes with a good bit of environmental responsibility.  The golf maintenance crew has to work really hard to maintain the pristine condition for golfers while maintaining a healthy, welcoming environment for the abundant wildlife that makes its home here. 

There's a slight breeze out this morning, "just enough to keep the bugs away" as Henry Picard the great Masters and PGA champion would say.  I think it's time to dust off the cleats and go beat some range balls.  Maybe I'll see you at the 19th hole!

This is our Lowcountry Paradise

Hi Everyone from Seabrook Exclusives!  We are excited to join our great friends, colleagues, guests and business partners here to share great stories, timely information, and awesome specials.

For those of you who don't know us yet, Seabrook Exclusives offers the finest vacation and long term rentals on Seabrook Island.  We are just 30 minutes from downtown Charleston, South Carolina and only 5 minutes from our neighbors on Kiawah Island.