Long before Justin Ravenel ever ran charter boats or guided clients inshore around Edisto Island, he learned what it meant to survive on the water by watching his mother do the impossible. In 1990, a family friend who worked as a crabber became seriously ill. While he was in treatment, the crabber asked Justin’s mother if she would be willing to run his traps for a few months to keep the business alive. She had driven dump trucks for him occasionally, but crabbing was unfamiliar territory. When asked what she knew about it, she answered honestly: not much, but she was willing to figure it out.
When the crabber never recovered, Justin’s mother didn’t walk away. She bought
the business.
At the time, there were twelve crabbers on the island, and she was the only woman among them. Eleven of those men wanted her gone. They cut her traps, stole her crabs, and used intimidation to try to force her off the water. Family members urged her to stop before she got hurt.
She refused.
Justin’s mother kept her head down and worked harder than anyone else on the water. Over time, the harassment stopped. The men who once tried to run her off accepted that she wasn’t going anywhere. For nearly twenty years, she pulled every crab cage by hand. People still call her the “crab lady,” a nickname that reflects grit, survival, and a mother’s determination
to provide.
Justin grew up on the boat with his mom. As a child, he would drive while his mother pulled traps, watching in awe as she worked. Only later did Justin fully understand how rare her strength was. Her work became a foundation and proved that consistency and determination could create security even in the hardest conditions.
After high school, Justin joined the Navy, drawn to the water but it took him too far from home. He decided not to re-enlist and returned to his hometown where he took a corporate job at a hospital. It was safe and predictable, but it never felt permanent. Justin knew the water would eventually call him back.
That moment came in 2019. As COVID began to spread and uncertainty filled the world, Justin’s twin daughters were born. Looking at them, he realized he didn’t want to live his life wondering what if. Remembering his mother’s example, Justin took the leap.
He launched his charter fishing business on Edisto Island that year. From the start, reliability mattered. If Justin was going to take clients onto the water, he needed equipment he could trust. Justin purchased his first new Yamaha motor from Hanckel Marine and mounted it on a used Action Craft®. His decision to choose Yamaha was rooted in experience. Justin’s mother had always insisted on Yamaha because she needed one constant in her life. If she said it, it was gospel. When Justin started, there were eight charter guides on the island, five of whom graduated high school alongside him. They knew Justin’s mother. They had watched her endure what she did and saw her resilience reflected in Justin. “You’re the crab lady’s son,” they told Justin. “Go get your captain’s license—we’ll help you.” And they did.
His first charter season was strong, and each year his business has grown. Today, Justin has two small operations: inshore fishing charters and dolphin and gator eco-tours. Justin runs three boats: a 23-foot Carolina Skiff® with a 150 Yamaha, an Action Craft Coastal Bay with a 150 Yamaha, and a 14-foot micro skiff with a 25-horsepower Yamaha used for sight-fishing redfish on the fly. Justin specializes in inshore fishing targeting tarpon, redfish, trout, and sharks. Because he focuses on inshore excursions, he can put clients on fish year-round.
Justin is a father of twin daughters in the hopes that they will carry on some of family legacy. They’re still too young to fully understand the stories, but one day they will. They’ll know what their grandmother built and what it took to build it. They’ll understand why it’s special to come from a third-generation angling family.
The old Carolina Skiff® Justin’s mother ran decades ago still floats, powered by a Yamaha from the late 1990s. And it’s running strong with basic maintenance - a quiet reminder of the values that built everything Justin has today.
Justin Ravenel’s story is his mother’s story—and every day Justin is on the water, he carries that legacy forward.
To learn more about Justin’s charter business, visit ravenelfishingcharters.com.
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When the crabber never recovered, Justin’s mother didn’t walk away. She bought
the business.
At the time, there were twelve crabbers on the island, and she was the only woman among them. Eleven of those men wanted her gone. They cut her traps, stole her crabs, and used intimidation to try to force her off the water. Family members urged her to stop before she got hurt.
She refused.
Justin’s mother kept her head down and worked harder than anyone else on the water. Over time, the harassment stopped. The men who once tried to run her off accepted that she wasn’t going anywhere. For nearly twenty years, she pulled every crab cage by hand. People still call her the “crab lady,” a nickname that reflects grit, survival, and a mother’s determination
to provide.
Justin grew up on the boat with his mom. As a child, he would drive while his mother pulled traps, watching in awe as she worked. Only later did Justin fully understand how rare her strength was. Her work became a foundation and proved that consistency and determination could create security even in the hardest conditions.
After high school, Justin joined the Navy, drawn to the water but it took him too far from home. He decided not to re-enlist and returned to his hometown where he took a corporate job at a hospital. It was safe and predictable, but it never felt permanent. Justin knew the water would eventually call him back.
That moment came in 2019. As COVID began to spread and uncertainty filled the world, Justin’s twin daughters were born. Looking at them, he realized he didn’t want to live his life wondering what if. Remembering his mother’s example, Justin took the leap.
He launched his charter fishing business on Edisto Island that year. From the start, reliability mattered. If Justin was going to take clients onto the water, he needed equipment he could trust. Justin purchased his first new Yamaha motor from Hanckel Marine and mounted it on a used Action Craft®. His decision to choose Yamaha was rooted in experience. Justin’s mother had always insisted on Yamaha because she needed one constant in her life. If she said it, it was gospel. When Justin started, there were eight charter guides on the island, five of whom graduated high school alongside him. They knew Justin’s mother. They had watched her endure what she did and saw her resilience reflected in Justin. “You’re the crab lady’s son,” they told Justin. “Go get your captain’s license—we’ll help you.” And they did.
His first charter season was strong, and each year his business has grown. Today, Justin has two small operations: inshore fishing charters and dolphin and gator eco-tours. Justin runs three boats: a 23-foot Carolina Skiff® with a 150 Yamaha, an Action Craft Coastal Bay with a 150 Yamaha, and a 14-foot micro skiff with a 25-horsepower Yamaha used for sight-fishing redfish on the fly. Justin specializes in inshore fishing targeting tarpon, redfish, trout, and sharks. Because he focuses on inshore excursions, he can put clients on fish year-round.
Justin is a father of twin daughters in the hopes that they will carry on some of family legacy. They’re still too young to fully understand the stories, but one day they will. They’ll know what their grandmother built and what it took to build it. They’ll understand why it’s special to come from a third-generation angling family.
The old Carolina Skiff® Justin’s mother ran decades ago still floats, powered by a Yamaha from the late 1990s. And it’s running strong with basic maintenance - a quiet reminder of the values that built everything Justin has today.
Justin Ravenel’s story is his mother’s story—and every day Justin is on the water, he carries that legacy forward.
To learn more about Justin’s charter business, visit ravenelfishingcharters.com.
Back to Blue Tales