Salty Dog Yacht Club: The Journey of a Passion Becoming a Community

Yelkencinin Gazetesi: Can you tell us what inspired you to create SALTY DOG Yacht Club? What moment sparked this idea?

Coşan Yeğenoğlu: During the pandemic, I was looking for a way to take a vacation without being in physical contact with other people—and that’s when I discovered sailing. I immediately began taking lessons and was incredibly lucky with the place I chose; it had a very special atmosphere that shaped my entire perspective on the sea and sailing. Soon after, I bought my own boat and began participating in races.

I really enjoyed spending time with the people I met in the sailing community. Over time, I noticed how the culture of respect on the sea  is reflected in people’s personalities. In this world, there are often small groups of tightly bonded individuals who have a great time together. Sometimes they’re teammates; other times they’re just sailors who happen to share the same pontoon.

That’s exactly where the idea of SALTY DOG Yacht Club was born: to create a refined sailor ecosystem where these friendly circles could come together, connect with each other, and speak the same language. My goal wasn’t just to start a club, but to build a community that brings together people who embrace this lifestyle and encourages sharing.

Y.G: Coming from finance, how did you find the transition into sailing and building a sea-loving community?

C.Y: I’m still actively working in finance. It can be intense and stressful at times. Sailing became a space where I could escape. When you’re on a sailboat—especially during a race-you’re forced to adapt to the conditions nature throws at you and try to turn them to your advantage. That forces you to focus entirely on the moment and the task at hand. It’s one of the rare places where I can truly clear my mind and feel relaxed.

As someone with a finance background, the challenging part of building a community like this is that you sometimes ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”—especially when you look at things from a financial perspective. For example, organizing social media challenges and giving away sailing holidays as prizes might not make much sense from a purely financial standpoint.

But being able to step away from my hectic work life and spend time with the amazing people I’ve met through SALTY DOG Yacht Club is what keeps this passion alive in me.

Y.G: What has been the most memorable adventure or sailing experience you’ve had so far with the club?

C.Y: Considering that our mobile app only went live in March 2024, we’re still a very young startup. That said, our most unforgettable experience wasn’t just on the water, but in the broader impact we were able to create.

Last year, we collaborated with Givin.co, a platform working to reduce inequality in education and promote sustainable consumption. As part of a charity auction, we offered a one-week sailing holiday provided by SALTY DOG. The proceeds were used to support the education of girls. Being able to help them take a step closer to a brighter future was incredibly meaningful for us.

We also sponsored the Fifty Fifty Sailing Cup in 2024 and 2025 after participating as racers in 2023. This race requires equal numbers of male and female athletes on each team, making it one of Turkey’s most inclusive and—in our eyes—most fun sailing events. Its values of gender equality, teamwork, and progress align perfectly with the mission of SALTY DOG, and it was unforgettable to be part of it.

These experiences taught us that our impact doesn’t have to be limited to sailing; we can also make a meaningful difference in our community.

Y.G: How do you balance your professional careers with the demands and joy of running the club?

C.Y: As the founders of SALTY DOG, our experiences in the corporate world give us a big advantage when it comes to managing the club. Of course, just like in any venture, there are occasional setbacks, ups and downs, or overly optimistic or pessimistic phases depending on your mood. These fluctuations feel even more intense when it’s a new initiative.

But we believe the most important part of this process is turning it into something enjoyable and meaningful for everyone involved. The responsibilities may seem overwhelming at first, but for us, the learning and motivation that come from this journey make everything much more manageable—and even exciting. So instead of exhausting us, this balance between work and the club actually energizes us.

Y.G: SALTY DOG emphasizes fun and community spirit. How do you keep that energy alive among your members?

C.Y: In our first year, we focused on keeping the community energy high through challenges organized on social media. Our aim was to make all our members part of the fun and create a space where they could share the experience.

At SALTY DOG, we believe that by increasing time spent on the water and adding a touch of friendly competition, we can build a community that people are genuinely excited to be part of. In 2024, we awarded seven week-long sailing holidays and a SAIL BREAK Göcek trip for a couple. For 2025, we’ve already awarded five week-long holidays.

We believe these prizes help our members truly connect with the SALTY DOG spirit. As participation in the competitions grows, we’re fueled by that energy—and it motivates us to keep creating new prizes and events.

Y.G: What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck in a corporate job but dreams of a more adventurous lifestyle?

C.Y: My corporate job offers me opportunities to learn new skills, gain experience across different fields, and most importantly, earn the funds needed to turn my hobby into a fun and meaningful project for others. So for me, the phrase “feeling stuck in corporate life” doesn’t really apply.

If someone is lucky enough to work at a company like I work, they might discover hobbies that fulfill them through their company’s social clubs. For example, if that hobby happens to be sailing-as it probably is if they’re reading this interview—many companies already have sailing clubs or racing teams. And if not, there’s nothing stopping someone from starting one themselves. Of course, finding that starting point can be tricky. For anyone who needs support at that stage, they’re welcome to message us on Instagram. We’re happy to guide them and point them in the right direction.

In short, saying “quit everything and follow your dreams” isn’t always realistic. Instead, it’s entirely in your hands to make your workplace more livable and take the lead in creating structures that support your hobbies.

Y.G: Social media played a big role in your journey. How important is digital storytelling for SALTY DOG’s growth?

C.Y: My connection with the sea—and the birth of SALTY DOG—largely started by watching content creators’ videos on social media. These videos were not only informative but also inspiring, encouraging me to pursue life at sea. Eventually, watching wasn’t enough, and I took the leap.

Today, we use SALTY DOG’s social media accounts for two main purposes. First, we want to be a gateway into this world for those who feel the same way—who are saying, “Watching isn’t enough anymore.” We run open, simple challenges on social media that anyone can join. All participation steps are explained directly in the competition post. For full terms and conditions, participants are directed to our mobile app, where they register by accepting them.

Thanks to these competitions, sailing holidays become more accessible for many people—and they take their first step into this world.

Our second aim is to create a platform where our members can share their experiences. Instagram is our standout channel here. When our members tag us in their posts, their content reaches more people, and our account becomes more dynamic and community-focused. The posts that best reflect the SALTY DOG spirit are born from these authentic moments.

Y.G: What are your future plans or dreams for the club? Any exciting upcoming projects or destinations?

C.Y: Right now, our mobile app is mainly used to follow and participate in competitions. But very soon, we’re taking a major step toward becoming a full ecosystem for sailors.

We’ve created a private space within the app just for members. Every member will be able to create their own profile and connect with other members. Similarly, yacht and sailing clubs and racing teams will be able to create their own profile pages and bring their crews onto the platform. With the forum feature we’ve added, members will have a place to socialize and also get support from each other when needed.

This new section will be available only to SALTY DOG Yacht Club members. Membership will be granted through a special code generated via referral from an existing member, directly within the app. We chose this referral system to ensure we grow with people who share our club’s intimate atmosphere and passion for the sea. Right now, we’re testing these new features and making small adjustments. Once everything runs smoothly, we’ll begin sharing membership codes.

Y.G: How do you select or design the challenges and activities that you offer to your members?

C.Y: Since there’s no similar concept we can model after, we have to be as creative as possible when designing competitions and activities. To be honest, we try whatever comes to mind! But we always make sure each competition involves a spirit of challenge. That’s why we steer clear of purely luck-based methods like random draws.

Our goal is to create concepts that are easy for everyone to join and genuinely fun to compete in. At the start of the year, we ran a poll among our Instagram followers and designed our last two contests based on the top-voted idea. We’re always open to new suggestions and really value feedback from our members.

In addition to time-limited social media challenges, we also have long-term competitions like “First Officer Challenge” and “Captain Challenge” that can be tracked through our app. In these, the basic principle is to be the one with the most shackles (our in-app digital item) on a designated boat.

For example, the person who remains “First Officer” on a specific boat for the longest time in a year earns a free week-long holiday on that boat the following season. In our view, it’s the easiest way to win a holiday with SALTY DOG. Also, any member who is “Captain” of the same boat for 3 out of 5 years gets that boat as a gift. That might sound like a long-term goal with our current member count, but we believe competition for Captain status will really heat up in the years ahead.

Y.G: Finally, what does the phrase “Stay Salty” mean to you personally?

C.Y: Every moment spent on the boat feels like a temporary escape from the world for me.

Contrary to how it looks from the outside, sail racing is physically exhausting—you don’t even know if the salt on your skin is from sweat or seawater. As for sailing holidays, they’re probably the least comfortable type of vacation: Water is limited, long showers are impossible, and salt lingers on your skin for days. But whether you’re racing or relaxing, both are incredibly enjoyable. In those moments, there’s nothing left in your mind about the “real world.”

“Stay Salty,” to me, means just that: a world where I’m in harmony with nature—simple, calm, mentally refreshed, and having a great time.

Reportage: Banu Demir / The Sailor's Newspaper

Photograps: Coşan Yeğeoğlu Archive 

Prepared for Publication: Doruk Agency / Founded by Sailor's Newspaper