Salty Dog vs. Salty Dawg

What is a Salty Dog vs. Salty Dawg?

Without a doubt there are real “Salty Dogs” out there. A Salty Dog is an experienced sailor, but not just any experienced sailor. They’ve been around the block (sometimes the World). The water and passion for boating is in their blood. It’s who they are. They’ve probably forgotten more boat stuff than you or I. But they are humble, no-nonsense, generous, and actually knowledgeable. They value simple truth over bravado. Every last one of them will acknowledge there’s more than one way to solve a problem. They will remind you we’re all learning, all the time, no matter what our experience. They will tell you their failures just as often as their victories. They don’t need to brag.

I profile many “Old Salts” on my channel. I show what they really look and sound like.

But a Salty Dawg thinks they know it all. There is no room for another way. They often spout misinformation just to get attention. When challenged, they shout louder. They argue obscure details to make unintelligent points. They’re the type who critiques your ten foot paint job, because they never mastered holding a paint brush themselves. Their complaints are personal and typically irrelevant. When challenged, they’re quick to boast about a “…guy they once knew…” or a story they once heard. Worse, they’ll brag about once being a sailor while wallowing in the cushions of their mother’s basement sofa. Trust me, they’ve never actually done what they said, or even stood next to a guy who did.

Salty Dawgs often appear on Facebook and the boating forums. They lie in wait to derail a conversation or distract the unsuspecting. Confusion is their currency. Nonsense is their road to fame. They bemoan the budget restorer, repeat internet vox populi, cut and paste without attribution. You’ll see them swap apples for oranges, and enlist the moderators when their feelings get hurt. Salty Dawgs are the harbingers of fake sailboat restoration. They have no place in my Boat Werks.

My Boat Werks isn’t about who’s salty or not—professionals vs. amateurs, wealthy vs. budget, wood vs. fiberglass, sailboat vs. power. MotorCity Boat Werks and the joy of boat building and restoration is for everyone. Just say NO to the Salty Dawgs.