How to become a Deckhand / Carpenter
Deckhand / Carpenter is a role people enter from work ashore, not from a junior yacht job. You need no yacht experience. You do need the qualifications and the background below.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Deckhand / Carpenter
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,600 a month. A deckhand with trade joinery skills who looks after teak decks, interior woodwork and varnish alongside normal deck, tender and guest duties.
Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand
Year 2-3. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The senior deckhand who runs daily deck jobs, trains newer crew and covers for the bosun on superyachts of roughly 50m and above.
Bosun / Boatswain
Year 4-6. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. The bosun runs the deck crew day to day, leading deckhands on maintenance, tenders, watersports and mooring, and reports to the chief officer.
Chief Officer / First Mate
Year 7-9. Pay from about US$6,500 a month. Second in command on a superyacht.
Before you applyWhat a Deckhand / Carpenter needs, from the Deckhand / Carpenter guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)
Gets you hired
- City & Guilds or NVQ Level 3 Carpentry and Joinery
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- Efficient Deck Hand (EDH)
- RYA Personal Watercraft Proficiency
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
Visas
- Schengen visa (non-EU crew)
- US C1/D crew visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Deckhand / Carpenter for teak deck repair and caulking, varnish and brightwork and fine interior joinery repair. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. For a Deckhand / Carpenter, that means your qualifications and the years you have worked in the profession.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Teak deck repair and caulking
- Varnish and brightwork
- Fine interior joinery repair
- Tender driving
- Line handling and anchoring
- Water toy operation
- Refit contractor liaison
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Deckhand / Carpenter must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate and Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD) before a yacht can put you to work as a Deckhand / Carpenter.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Deckhand / Carpenter CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then your qualifications and your work ashore, with dates.
See a Deckhand / Carpenter CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference. 2 Deckhand / Carpenter jobs are open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Deckhand / Carpenter jobs →Step up to Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand
The usual path puts Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand at year 2 to 3. Pay starts from about US$3,800 a month.
How to become a Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand →
Deckhand / Carpenter jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Deckhand / Carpenter with no experience?
With no yacht experience, yes. With no professional background, no. Deckhand / Carpenter is a role people enter from work ashore, and you need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate and proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD).
How long does it take to become a Deckhand / Carpenter?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand at year 2 to 3.
What does a Deckhand / Carpenter earn at the start?
From about US$3,600 a month, by our Deckhand / Carpenter guide. Expect a few hundred dollars a month above a standard deckhand on the same yacht. Charter tips can add 10-15% of the charter fee, shared among crew, and some yachts pay a refit or yard bonus for the carpentry work.
Let the yachts come to you
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