What does a lead deckhand do?

Where the role sits

Dockwalk says the deck team grows as yachts get bigger, and on a larger yacht it might include a lead deckhand and junior deckhands working under the bosun. So lead deckhand is the first rung where you look after other people as well as your own work. You will not find the title on every yacht. It belongs on boats where the deck team is large enough to need a senior hand. YPI Crew says deckhands are supervised by a lead deckhand, a bosun or a chief officer, depending on the yacht's size and how the crew is organised.

What the job involves day to day

You still work with your hands. One Yotspot advert for an 80m new build, posted in August 2026, lists the work as exterior maintenance, deck operations, mooring, and tender and toy operations. It expects the lead deckhand to set an example, own their work and help supervise the deck team when the bosun is away. That is the job in short: work hard yourself, keep the juniors on task, and be ready to take charge.

Watchkeeping and guest days come with it. Bluewater describes deckhands sharing late anchor watch and packing away furniture after guests turn in, with at least eight hours' rest before the next shift. As lead hand you are often the one who plans who does what on those days, so the bosun can deal with tenders, toys and the officers.

Tenders and tickets

Tender driving is central to deck work on a superyacht. Crew Network says the bosun is usually the main tender driver, so a lead deckhand who wants that job needs to handle a tender well before getting it. Bluewater describes RYA Powerboat Level 2 as a two-day practical course for crew who drive tenders. Yotspot course listings say the RYA Tender Operator course follows it, needs Powerboat Level 2 with the coastal endorsement, and trains you to run guests ashore by day and in the evening.

Beyond the basics, adverts set the bar. One Yotspot lead deckhand advert for a 3:1 rotational post listed STCW, a medical fitness certificate, Yachtmaster Offshore and Powerboat Level 2. The PYA says some yachts need crew to hold a Yacht Rating Certificate as part of their safe manning, and that having one can improve your chances of finding a job. The certificate covers yachts under 3000 GT. The PYA is an authorised issuing body for it, and the MCA application form is MSF 4340.

Stepping up to bosun

Dockwalk says most yachts want two to three years as a deckhand before they will look at a bosun CV, and that recruiters favour people who have already led others. Lead deckhand is where you get that record. The 80m advert above went further. It alternated two months as lead deckhand with two months as bosun, so the holder took charge of planning maintenance and running the deck team on every other rotation. YPI Crew lists painting and varnishing among the skills deckhands need, and Dockwalk says the bosun's job includes painting, caulking and basic repairs, so build those as well as your tickets.

On pay, neither the Northrop & Johnson nor the YPI Crew salary guide prints a separate figure for lead deckhand, so this guide gives no range. Single adverts give some idea: the 80m Yotspot post offered EUR 4,000 a month and up, depending on experience, with 120 days' leave a year.

What you need

• STCW basic training and medicalLead deckhand adverts list STCW and a seafarer medical fitness certificate as essential, the same base as any deck post.
• RYA Powerboat Level 2A two-day practical course for tender drivers. Adverts for lead deckhand list it as a requirement.
• RYA Tender OperatorFollows Powerboat Level 2 with the coastal endorsement. It covers running guests ashore from an anchored yacht by day and evening.
• Yacht Rating CertificateThe PYA says some yachts need one as part of their safe manning, and it covers yachts under 3000 GT. You apply on MCA form MSF 4340, through an issuing body such as the PYA.
• Yachtmaster OffshoreNot universal, but at least one lead deckhand advert on Yotspot listed it as a requirement.
• Deck experienceThe 80m new-build advert asked for 2 to 5 years in yachting and preferred time on yachts of 60m and over.

How to get there

1. Years 1-2DeckhandLearn exterior care, mooring and tender handling. Get Powerboat Level 2 and build sea time.
2. Years 1-3Add ticketsTake the RYA Tender Operator course and the Yacht Rating Certificate. Some crew add Yachtmaster Offshore.
3. Years 2-5Lead deckhandOrganise the juniors, run jobs on deck and cover for the bosun when they are away.
4. After 2-3 years on deckBosunDockwalk says yachts want two to three years on deck and some proof that you have led a team.

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Related pages

• Deckhand role guide
• Bosun / Boatswain role guide
• Deckhand pay by yacht size
• Bosun pay by yacht size

Sources

1. Yotspot: Lead Deckhand / Relief Bosun, 80m motor yacht
2. Yotspot: Lead Deckhand advert, rotational post
3. YPI Crew: yacht deckhand jobs
4. Dockwalk: how to get a job as a bosun
5. Dockwalk: crew roles on board a yacht
6. Crew Network: bosun jobs
7. Bluewater: RYA Powerboat Level 2
8. Yotspot: RYA Tender Operator course
9. PYA: services, including the Yacht Rating Certificate
10. GOV.UK: Yacht Rating Certificate (MSF 4340)