About Us

Salt Water Vets (SWV) is 501c3 organization founded with the single purpose of helping employable Veterans prepare and find employment as U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Licensed Merchant Mariners. SWV number one goal is for all its veterans to earn a minimum salary of $80,000.00, annually, within three years of successfully completing the SWV program. The founder David Hughey, is a retired Marine with over 25 years of service both ashore and at sea.

Upon retiring from the Corps in 2008, he found the road to employment as Merchant Mariner to be difficult and lined with mines. However, with time and patience he found his way to being US Coast Licensed Master of vessels under 200 tons and endorsed as an Able Seaman. He has sailed commercially with private companies and as member of the Military Sealift Command’s Civilian Mariner Program. Today he is the owner/operator of a private charter vessel that serves the Bahama Island of Bimini.