And have all my life. I'm fanatic about getting the salt off my boats. Don't misunderestimate its destructive power. The guy at the marina is right, it's bad news. BUT, it's not the death of a boat, as the other responses should indicate.

IF you can find two identical boats, but one has been dipped in the salt and one has not, definitely take the virgin. Outside of that scenario, salt isn't that big a deal with reasonable maintenance.

Living and selling boats (at least for the next couple of weeks) in God's Waiting Room, it's not infrequent that I encounter midwestern retirees who are living the dream: boating in Florida in the golden years. All who have not seen it before are duly shocked by how the sun and salt down here wants to eat your boat. Some flee back to fresh water, never to return, and they tell dire tales of the woes of salt.

Your friend sounds like one of those. Had a bad experience or two that he did not expect, and overreacted a bit.