Delightful in every way. Capt. Kirk was welcoming and professional, and his boat was beautiful. He was there to meet us and we left on time. The weather forecast was for rain but we went anyway and the weather cleared up; absolutely perfect! A little wind, partly cloudy sky, a spectacular sunset. I booked the excursion to celebrate my husband's birthday with a few friends, and it was a good call. It was a fun and different activity for we who don't own a boat; everyone had fun. We chose Salty Dog over their competitors because of the promise that Woody, the dog, would be coming along for the sail. Woody is friendly and cute...along with the other reasons to pick Salty Dog, Woody ranks right up at the top. Be sure to allow enough time to get there. Burnham Harbor is at the south end of the Museum Campus, so no matter which direction you're coming from you're going to have traffic to deal with. We left from the north suburbs (25 mins to downtown in clear traffic) at 3:30 and arrived at the harbor at 4:50. It's Chicago. read more

We found the salty dog sailing company through groupon and thought it would be an awesome surprise for our dad on Father's Day. We had an amazing day onboard captain kirks sailboat and we would go back again in a heartbeat. Captain Kirk was very outgoing and easy to talk to making our experience even more enjoyable. His dog woody was a great addition to our day! After we left our dad would not stop talking about how amazing his Father's Day was, Captain Kirk let him steer the boat for majority of the trip making it an awesome day for our dad! If we did this again we would use the promotional code on the salty dog sailing page giving us 51% off instead of the groupon 50% off! read more

On 8/23/16 I took my wife, and 3 children, a 17yo, and twins that are both 11, sailing with Captain Kirk and Woody. It was an absolutely amazing time. Captain Kirk's sail boat was absolutely perfect, a gem of a boat. His sailing skills, knowledge and true passion and love of the water and sailing were very apparent. We will highly recommend the salty dog sailing company to our friends and we will definitely make this a regular event when we are in Chicago. Captain Kirk and Woody, thanks for providing a very special moment in time for us that will always be cherished! Sincerely, Mike K. read more

Awesome excursion onto Lake Michigan. Definitely the best way to experience the lake and Chicago skyline. Kirk and Woody provided top notch service as Captain and co-captain (and man's best friend). Took friends that were visiting us in Chicago on the tour and it could not have been any better. In fact, we all rated it among our top experiences ever! Our only regret was that we didn't reserve a longer tour. We didn't want it to end. Looking forward to our next sailing trip with the Salty Dog Sailing Co because we will absolutely be going again. read more

We had a great time with Capt Kirk on his boat. Our event was very special in the way that we took the pre-wedding photos with Chicago skyline while sailing. It was a rainy day and traffic was unpredictably, but Capt Kirk was very flexible in terms of timing and waited patiently till we showed up. He also took us to some quite beautiful scenes and we were able to get great pictures! We also enjoyed playing with Woody after the trip! If you are looking for a memorable sail with fabulous vies and reasonable price, Capt Kirk is the one! read more

Taking this trip with Captain Kirk + Woody was a highlight of my trip to Chicago. I felt as though I had escaped a big city for a few hours and was somewhere far away at sea. Being someone who also loves to understand how things "work", Captain Kirk was generous with sharing his knowledge, both of the boat and of the city of Chicago. I am so looking forward to booking my next adventure with him next summer, hopefully a 72 hour excursion across the lake to explore the shores of the neighboring states. Cheers, Cap and thank you! read more

This is one of those special things you want to tell folks about, but you really don't want it to become one of those touristy robotic activities with scripted and rehearsed conversations. So I will just say this: Kirk is skilled, serious yet fun, knowledgeable and a true sailor. Not my first rodeo, but I love it each and every time. Woody adorable as ever. Boat is solid and smooth. Loved the wild ride Lake Michigan provided last week. Kirk, it was a blast. Thank you and will see you next year. Enjoy Utah. read more

Took my wife and son (18) out to do something different while spending the weekend in the City. We all had a great time and really enjoyed the beautiful views. The Salty Dog is a great boat for small groups (4-6) to enjoy a few hours of sailing at reasonable rates (that include parking fees!) and easy access via Burnham Harbor. Captain Kirk was very knowledgeable and easy to get along with. His dog Woody is awesome and made the experience feel more like we were out on a friends boat than a commercial charter. read more

First and foremost, Captain Kirk is a gracious host and a lot of fun. His first mate, Woody, is the cute one though! Terrific dog! We went out on a Thursday evening, wind was up and we were able to sail about about 4 miles and tool around. Captain Kirk is knowledgeable about all things Chicago and all things sailing! The boat is very well maintained and is just a joy to sail on. I can highly recommend sailing with Captain Kirk -- we had a great time and hope to do it again the next time we're in Chicago! read more

Capt Kirk was VERY accommodating with our plans to bring our infant (6 month) old child with us on our sail. He even bought a new lifejacket for her. I appreciated this so much as we love the water and wanted to see chicago from the water, as weather was beautiful. His pup made it even more enjoyable. Would definitely return if ever came back to chi-town. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35805-d12654479-r592459979-The_Salty_Dog_Sailing_Co-Chicago_Illinois.html# read more

I took my husband and two other couples on this sail boat as a surprise birthday gift and we LOVED IT!!! Captain Kirk was super cool and informative and his dog Woody was the cutest! At first I was thinking there were a lot of rules, but we obliged and once on the boat every rule made since. We did a sunset cruise and despite the call for rain the weather wound up being perfect. We will definitely go back and I would recommend Salty Dog to anyone. read more

Found Salty Dog via Groupon, went out for my wife's 29th birthday. Had an amazing time. The Salty Dog is a great ship, felt very safe the entire time. I was surprised how big the galley was, large enough for comfortable seating and for multiple people to move around and make lunch. Salty Dog has a bathroom on board which came in handy after a few hours on the lake. I will definitely be joining Captain Kirk and his pup Woody for another trip. read more

My husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson and I chartered the 8:30 cruise on Wednesday, July 27, with Captain Kirk's Salty Dog. We had a super time. He was very patient and knowledgable and took time to answer all our questions. The closeness of the fireworks was amazing and the sailing was wonderful. Woody is an sweet traveling companion that also stole our hearts. Thanks Captain Kirk and Woody for an amazing evening. The Murphys from Indy. read more

My husband and I are from Las Cruces, NM and love visiting Chicago. We had never been on a sailboat before and decided that would be an adventure. It was! And so much more than that! Kirk is experienced and talented as a captain and our private tour was fabulous with beautiful weather and fantastic views! We loved every minute of it! I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a unique and authentic sailing experience. read more

My cousin and I, plus a couple of friends went out with Captain Kirk last Saturday and it was so so sooo much fun! This was my first time sailing and Kirk was so knowledgeable with anything I asked and not to mention, he's also really funny. And his dog Woody is a great addition!! Such a sweet pup. I 100% recommend The Salty Dog. You will not regret it! Already looking forward to going out again with Kirk! read more

My friends and I sailed with The Salty Dog on 8/21/15 from 9:30pm-12am and it was AWESOME! Rob laughed with us the entire night and made us feel very safe. The boat itself had enough room for everyone to feel comfortable and had enough room for all of the food and drinks we brought with us. The only thing I was sad about was that their dog Woody was too tired to sail with us. Next time Woody, next time! read more

Captain Kirk is very helpful. We originally booked the yacht for wedding photo shooting on July 3rd. But unfortunately, my fiancee was sick and we have to reschedule the sail on July 2nd. Kirk was trying his best to find someone to take my slot and switched me to Saturday July 8th. We had a great photo shooting and Saturday is firework night, the fireworks on Lake Michigan is unbeatable! read more

I had an absolutely amazing experience with Saltydogs. Captain Kirk was very friendly and me any my friends had a great time sailing with him. He also let me sail for a couple of minutes and was very concerned about our safety at all times. If you want to see a breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline from Michigan lake and chill on the boat, Captain Kirk is the best option for you :) read more

My husband and I just spent the most spectacular afternoon ever with Capt. Kirk and Woody on the Salty Dog! Our first time sailing turned out to be one of the best experiences of our lives. It was better than a spa day! I would say it is a must do if you are in the area. Super exhilarating, I loved it. We will be sure to return when we are back in Chicago. Thank you Kirk and Woody. read more