Tender Captain
The tender captain is the deck crew member trusted with the yacht's most visible boats. On a large yacht that means a 10m to 14m limousine tender worth more than many houses, carrying the owner and guests between the yacht, the beach club and the harbour wall. You drive it, care for it and answer for it.
The jobWhat fills the day
Most of the work is boat handling and boat care. You run guest transfers, shore runs for crew and provisions, and drop-offs at restaurants and beach clubs. Between runs you wash down, polish stainless, check fuel, oil and coolant, and log hours for the engineers. On many yachts you also handle the tender's daily maintenance yourself, from changing impellers to flushing jets after a day in sandy water.
With guests aboard the tender becomes a moving part of the service. You wear the day uniform, carry towels, water and the guest's bags, and keep the radio open to the bridge and the chief stew. Timing matters. A guest who waits ten minutes on a dock in Saint-Tropez notices. On a 60m yacht you will be a deckhand most of the day with tender duties added. On a 100m+ yacht the tender captain role is close to a full-time job, sometimes with a second tender captain and a deckhand as crew.
Captains hire people with clean, confident boat handling and a ticket that matches the boat. A Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement is now common, and some flag states or management companies want it for any tender over a set length. Two or three seasons as a deckhand with plenty of tender time is the usual background. Former RIB drivers, watersports instructors and commercial boat skippers also move across well.
The role is a good step towards bosun. You learn to plan transfers, read weather and swell at a landing, and lead a small team without supervision. Many tender captains move up to bosun within two years, then start the officer route with OOW 3000gt. Others specialise and move to chase boat captain on yachts with large support vessels, where the boats and the pay are bigger.
Skills captains look for
- Close-quarters boat handling
- Guest transfer etiquette
- Outboard and jet maintenance
- Swell and landing judgement
- Radio discipline
- Detailing and gelcoat care
- Passage and route planning
A day aboardGuest day, 95m motor yacht, at anchor off Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Check the limousine tender: fluids, bilges, battery, fuel log. Wipe the dew off the upholstery and glass.
Crew breakfast and the deck briefing with the bosun. Transfer times for the day go on the whiteboard.
Two guests to the Porto Cervo marina for shopping. Bags, water and towels on board, radio check with the bridge before leaving.
Provision run with the second stew to collect fish and flowers from the agent on the quay.
Lunch in the crew mess while the second tender covers the beach.
Flush the jet unit and wash the tender down after the morning in shallow water. Note a sticky throttle for the second engineer.
Collect guests from Phi Beach. The swell has built, so you brief the deckhand on the stern line and pick a calmer landing spot.
Dinner run to a restaurant in Poltu Quatu, then standby on the dock until the guests are ready.
Guests back aboard. Tender rinsed, covered and secured on the boom before you sign off.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips can add several thousand dollars a season, and tender captains often get a fair share because guests see them every day. Rotation on larger yachts is commonly 2:2 or 3:1 with reduced pay on leave. See the Bosun & Deckhand salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (commercially endorsed)
- VHF SRC radio licence
Gets you hired
- RYA Advanced Powerboat
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
- RYA Diesel Engine course
- RYA Personal Watercraft
- Elementary or Medical First Aid
Visas
- Schengen visa (if non-EU)
- US B1/B2 for Florida and Caribbean
Where it leadsA typical career path
Bosun & Deckhand jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Is a tender captain the same as a tender driver?
Not quite. A tender driver usually drives as one part of a deckhand job. A tender captain takes full responsibility for the boat, its upkeep and its crew, and normally holds a higher ticket such as Yachtmaster Offshore.
Which ticket do I need first?
Get RYA Powerboat Level 2 and VHF SRC before your first season. Once you have the sea time, work towards Yachtmaster Offshore with a commercial endorsement, because most captains now ask for it on adverts for this role.
Do I need to be a mechanic?
You do not need an engineering ticket. You should be able to do daily checks, change impellers and filters, and spot a problem early. On busy yachts the engineers will expect you to do the routine work so they can get on with theirs.
Where are most tender captain jobs?
Mostly on 80m+ yachts based in Antibes, Monaco and Palma for the Mediterranean summer, and in Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean for winter. Expedition yachts heading to Norway, Antarctica or the Pacific also hire tender captains with cold-water and landing experience.