Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine (Cat) Sidwell.
Hi Catherine (Cat), we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in South Carolina. I moved to Santa Cruz, California 10 years and that’s where I met my wife. We moved back to Charleston in 2019 to settle down and start a family. I’ve always loved the water. I grew up surfing, fishing, and being on the beach all day. I would say that the ocean was where my brother and I would go daily for peace. We were lucky to live close enough to walk down almost every day in the summer or, more accurately, all year. If I had to say who raised us, I’d have to give much credit to the ocean. Whether on a boat or surfing, we were always on the water. The ocean saved my life many times. Growing up in the 90s, as a dyslexic kid with ADD, in the South Carolina public school system is not the easiest thing in the world.
As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to learn that being a Neurodivergent human can have its superpowers. I have also been non-binary my entire life but only in the last 5 years have I learned the language to describe it. The ocean was an escape from a world I felt I had no place. I figured out by about 6 years old that the water was a safe place for me. When we moved back to Charleston in 2019, we traded one of our cars, a Hyundai Elantra, for a boat. My wife and I joke, and every time we are out on the boat, one of us says, “this is way better than a Hyundai Elantra.” We laugh every time. With almost two decades of experience, I decided I should get my captain’s license. At the time, I thought it would be nice to make a living on the water, but I had not decided to start my own business. I started looking around at jobs and realized that the company’s owners were the only people making a decent living running charters. We started thinking of what we could do with what we had. I say we because my wife, Sam Sidwell, has been a huge help in the website design, logo design, and the overall artistic/logistical aspect of starting Uncle Charlie’s Charters. Fun fact, our logo is a picture of our sweet dog Charlie. We named the business after her. The boats (soon-to-be boats) are named after our dogs. Our current 18ft panga is named after our dog Nesta. He was my best friend for 14 years, and I miss him dearly. Since we have a smaller boat, the “Nesta,” we have started with charters for couples. On the Folly River, we do dolphin tours, sunset cruises, and Morris Island trips to check out the lighthouse and look for sharks’ teeth, fossils, etc. We plan to get a bigger boat this year to take larger groups. I have a few close friends that also do charters on the folly river, and one of them said to me the other day, “Cat, you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. Every time I see you on the river, all I see is your big smile peeking up over your windscreen.” I thought that was funny, sweet, and also very reassuring. I recently got my real estate license because I figured why not do a little of that on the side. I’ve finally found my place in the world, and I am happy.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I covered most of that in the 1st question. Suppose my biggest struggle is directly related to this question. In that case, it is fluctuating between starting Uncle Charlie’s Charters from scratch with nearly no money and my ability to stay positive and believe in myself. I know I’ve got this, but occasionally, those old patterns try to creep up. It’s hard to describe how I was treated in school as a child. I was told I was never enough back then. I know I was always enough, and it’s nobody’s fault. They didn’t have the education or resources back then to handle kids who learn differently. I don’t blame anybody, but it certainly hasn’t been easy.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
In addition to my story above, I was a quiet kid publicly. At home, I was sad and angry. There were happy times, and I mostly remember them being around water. I was able to find peace in the ocean. I could wash off the day and everybody’s expectations of me.
Pricing:
- $250 for a 2 hour dolphin tour
- $250 for a 2 sunset tour
- $350 f0r a 3 hour tour + beach stop
Contact Info:
- Website: www.unclecharliescharters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unclecharliescharters/
Image Credits
The photo of me surfing, hand out touching the water (photo 4) taken by Libby Wood and the very next photo of me body surfing, also taken by Libby Wood.
