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Salt air, guitar strings, and a catamaran that doubles as a tour bus—this conversation sails straight into the heart of Gulf Coast life. We sit down with Captain Matt, a charter captain turned songwriter who chose six knots over forty and found his voice again between sunrise watches and storm-tossed nights. From a generous offer on a 2002 Gemini 105MC to dockside concerts after Hurricane Helene upended plans, he shows how a boat can be both home and headline.

The journey is anything but tidy. A rogue gust shreds the mainsail like a zipper, buoys shift a hundred feet after a storm, and a night approach in Louisiana becomes a lesson in leadership under pressure. Matt talks candidly about keeping calm so your crew can, too, and how the slow cadence of sailing leaves room for writing—three to five songs on a good night—shaped by solitude, starlight, and the mental health valleys many listeners know well. We get two live originals, including Sail Away and a wink-filled ode sparked by a dinghy upgrade, and we explore the sound he’s carving: Gulf Coast Country, where Texas outlaw grit meets Florida sandbar ease and Louisiana rhythm.

We chart the next legs together: a Texas Gulf Coast run, the Freeport-to-Freeport plan from Texas to the Bahamas, and a bigger vision to make Galveston’s Strand a true music harbor, much like Key West once became for Trop Rock. Along the way are marinas that trade slips for songs, anchorages that become pop-up venues, and a community—his “boat crew”—that meets him at the pier like family. If a stage falls through, he’ll play the foredeck; if the weather turns, he trims for the ride and keeps the show on course.

If you love sailing stories, coastal country, and the grit it takes to turn a dream into a charted route, this one’s for you. Tap follow, share with a friend who needs a sea breeze and a chorus, and leave a review so more sailors and music lovers can find the show.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://tinyurl.com/SaltyPodcastPlaylist
Wanna create a Livestream?: Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7