Getaway Charters

Getaway Charters has been running fishing trips out of Orange Beach since 1995, operating from Zeke’s Marina with a pair of matched 46 foot Hatteras Sportfishing Yachts named Getaway and Another Getaway. Captain Don McPherson leads the operation, which has stayed centered on deep sea and family fishing trips for close to three decades even as the marina around it has grown into one of the busiest charter hubs on the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Both boats in the fleet are capped at six passengers, keeping every trip a private charter rather than a shared boat filled with unrelated groups. Each vessel carries a climate controlled cabin with comfortable seating, sleeping accommodations for six, a restroom, and a Sirius Satellite Stereo on deck, along with Furuno radar and Simrad bottom machine and chart plotter electronics that help the captains find fish on unfamiliar structure. The company markets itself directly to families, and its trip lineup reflects that, with dedicated family fishing and kids fishing options alongside more standard deep sea trips built around red snapper and grouper.

Trip lengths run from 4 hour nearshore outings up through 5 and 6 hour trips, 6 to 8 hour offshore runs, full day charters, and overnight excursions for guests who want to push further offshore than a single day allows. A shark fishing trip is also offered for guests looking for something outside the usual bottom fishing routine, with bull sharks in the 100 to 300 pound range among the more notable catches, alongside deep drop fishing trips aimed at species that hold in deeper water off the reefs and wrecks.

Target species across the trip lineup include red snapper, bonito, mahi, wahoo, amberjack, mackerel, grouper, and triggerfish, with red snapper season running from June 1 through late October and the boats fishing seven days a week during that stretch. Every charter includes a fishing license and tackle as part of the trip, removing one more logistical step for visitors who may not fish regularly and do not want to track down a license before their trip, and attentive captains and deckhands are on hand throughout each outing.

The company’s own materials note its location at Zeke’s Marina puts it about 10 minutes from both Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Perdido Key, Florida, a convenient middle point for visitors staying anywhere along this stretch of the Alabama and Florida coastline. That central position, combined with a fleet that has stayed consistent for years, has helped Getaway Charters build a steady base of returning guests who book the same captain and boat on repeat trips to the Gulf. The business also runs spring break trips for families visiting during that season, in addition to its standard year round charter offerings.

Photos shared by the company show a mix of family groups, including young children reeling in their first catches, alongside more serious offshore trips targeting larger fish. That range reflects the dual identity the business has built over its history, a serious deep sea fishing operation for anglers chasing red snapper and grouper, and a welcoming family outfit for visitors who simply want a memorable day on the water without needing prior fishing experience. Getaway Charters can be reached directly by phone or text at 251-600-5850, by email, or through Facebook, Instagram, and other social channels to arrange trip dates, boat selection, and group size. With two boats, nearly three decades of continuous operation from the same marina, and a trip lineup built specifically around families as well as serious anglers, the company remains one of the longer running independently owned charter operations working out of Orange Beach.