Leave your worries at the dock and step aboard the Folly Tiki
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
Captain Ryan Carroll’s love of boats began at a young age. At 13, he mowed lawns around his neighborhood in Suffolk, VA to save up enough money to buy a jon boat.
“I was pumped just to be paddling around,” says the now-seasoned boat captain, who owns Seas Life Sailing Charters, a Folly-based boat tour company. The following year, Carroll recalls saving enough to purchase a six-horsepower Evinrude outboard for the boat.
“Exploring creeks and rivers, watching fish jump and birds dive—being able to go solo or with my sister—it all cracked something wide open in me.”
The hook had been set.
After attending East Carolina University, Carroll financed his first sailboat, having never sailed a day in his life. A neighbor, who was an avid sailor, became a close friend and mentor.
“I’d return from the Chesapeake, and he’d patiently walk me through what went wrong,” says Carroll, who ended up crewing with him from Guadeloupe to Norfolk on a Catana 431. Ironically, 12 years later, Carroll would sell his house to buy the same model catamaran and chase his dream. Aboard Seas Life, Carroll embarked on an extraordinary journey through 13 countries, sailing all over the Caribbean and down to South America and back.
“That’s when I really learned how to be safe offshore, and that the wind can take you to the most remote, awe-inspiring places on Earth—trolling lines for tuna and eating fresh fish under a big sky,” says Carrol. “Arriving by water lets you feel the soul of a place in a way land travel can’t touch. You’ve crossed days or weeks of weather, waves, stories, and silence. When you arrive, the boats around you have too, and there’s instant camaraderie, curiosity, and energy, no matter who you are or where you’re from.”
Carroll often gets poetic about the experience of being on the open seas.
“I often imagine what it felt like 300 years ago when ships were the main way to arrive. Some places still feel untouched or are dotted with relics, like the Panama Canal locks or the old Spanish forts in Cartagena and San Juan,” he says. “And there’s the pace. You’re already where you’re going—no highways, no terminals. You can hear monkeys howl, smell the salt, watch whales breach, and be in the moment. You meet people more openly, you live more simply, and you realize you don’t need much. My health, my wellness, my peace—they’ve all been stronger on the water.”
Carroll, a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed 50-ton Master Captain since 2011, wanted to share that feeling with people, if only for an evening. Six years ago, he moved to Folly Beach and started Seas Life Sailing Charters, offering private sailing charters on the same catamaran that he had previously sailed all over the Caribbean.
In those early days, Carroll recalls walking up and down Center Street, drumming up business the same way he did when he was living in the Caribbean.
“I’d throw on a captain’s hat, grab a clean-enough shirt and a conch horn, print a few flyers, and go walk the beach blowing. I could usually line up a couple of sails within the hour,” he says.
This spring, Carroll added a new boat to his charter fleet. The Folly Tiki is a pontoon outfitted with palm fronds, a long live-edge wood table, and ample room for up to 18 passengers, plus Carroll, his mate Summer, and his new puppy, Cruiser. The Folly Tiki leaves the docks every Wednesday and Friday evening for group sunset tours (and Saturday for an adult-only Tiki Party). The Folly Tiki is BYOB and is also available for private charters.
“I’ve always felt connected to the Caribbean, and that’s why I chose Folly. Over the last six years, I’ve tried to bring that down-island spirit to every guest aboard Seas Life—but she only holds six people. I wanted a way to blend that island vibe with the soul of our barrier island, and create an experience where, the second you step onboard, you feel like you’ve left the mainland—no passport required.”
Carroll says the idea for the Folly Tiki has been kicking around in his head for years. This is actually the second one he tried to build and he’s pleased with the way this one turned out. So far, his passengers have been pleased too. For two hours, folks can leave their worries on land and cruise up the Folly River and see dolphins play while sipping a cocktail, stepping off onto a sandy island, and being regaled with Captain Ryan’s stories of life on the water.
It’s not just the passengers who have a good time aboard the Folly Tiki Boat, Carroll is in his element and his happy place. For him, watching people physically relax and let loose of their worries is the best part.
“The smiles. The belly laughs. The pure happiness when people step off the boat—that’s number one,” says Carroll. “I’ve had people thank me for helping them feel something they hadn’t felt in years. An 11-year-old told her friend it was the best birthday party ever. And even too-cool teens have told their parents, ‘That was actually fun.’ That’s the magic—letting nature guide them back to joy.”
To book a private sailing charter aboard Seas Life, call (757) 672-5000, email seaslifeforgood@gmail.com, or visit www.seaslifeforgood.com. To reserve a spot on a Folly Tiki sunset cruise or to arrange for a private cruise, visit www.follytiki.com.
