Meet the Captains “Dos Capitanas”
Welcome to Sundog Sailing, Charleston’s only premier woman-owned and operated sailing charter business. We take immense pride in our commitment to empowering our guests, especially women, in the sailing experience, particularly in a city with a rich maritime history like Charleston, South Carolina.
We started this endeavor with the passion and love of sailing and being on the water as much as possible!
Historically, women have faced significant barriers in the sailing world, with traditions currently practiced to this day in our local institutions like the Carolina Yacht Club (est.1888) and the James Island Yacht Club (est.1898), which are male-only memberships. Why is that? Doesn’t everybody like sailing?
Despite these challenges, women Captains like ourselves, have persistently broken through the glass ceiling, demonstrating a resilience and a passion in a sport that has often sidelined women.
At Sundog Sailing, we are dedicated to changing the narrative and providing a supportive platform where our guests and especially women can be strong, excel, and can feel confident sailing on the largest women-owned 50 ft racing/cruising blue water sailing vessel for charter in Charleston.
We find this passion ultimately carries on well past and outside of our sailing experiences on the water and conveys to our “on land” experience as well.
As your Captains, Jen Lamar and Janet Ellis, we embody the spirit of mentorship and leadership in sailing.
Captain Jen holds a 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Master Captain with Auxiliary Sail Certification and brings decades of experience on the water as a sailing charter captain. A Masters Degree in Marine Biology and her dedication to sharing with guests and teaching, especially women, how to sail, navigate, understand and operate sailing systems is a rare and invaluable opportunity not to be missed.
Captain Janet is a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Licensed Master Captain with Auxiliary Sail and has spent decades sailing the Charleston Harbor and beyond….Key West, Cuba, The Dry Tortugas, & the Bahamas, and north and south along the Atlantic East Coast. Her passion for sharing the art and joy of sailing while being on the water with guests is at the heart of our mission.
