Yacht Deckhand Course



A Deckhand is the entry-level position for crew who want to work on the exterior of Superyachts. A Deckhand’s role will be varied, however, the first responsibility for a Deckhand is the meticulous cleaning and maintenance of the exterior of the yacht, which must be kept in pristine condition at all times. You may pitch in and help the Interior crew during busy turn arounds.
The primary duties of a deckhand are shared between the maintenance of the yacht exterior and looking after the guests. Maintenance tasks include painting, filling and fairing as well as 1- and 2-part varnishing jobs, plus all other cleaning, polishing and scrubbing duties. Guest related tasks vary from tender driving, beach set ups, water sports, jet skis, anchoring or manoeuvring of the yacht.
Our 4 day intensive entry level deckhand training course covers the following topics:
general yacht maintenance,
product knowledge and application,
how to perform a wash-down,
teak maintenance
daily deckhand duties including navigational watch
daily duties when guests on board
line handling
anchoring duties
To be successful in the super yacht industry it is essential you receive the correct training specific to the job your wish to apply for. Head over to our Super Yacht Deckhand page to view other recommended training courses.
You must be 18 years old or older to train with Get Onboard Superyacht Academy.
The course is suitable for complete beginners who are looking to work as a Deckhand on a commercial yacht. You should be well-groomed and smart in appearance along with a strong work ethic, which is vital to your new career.
If you would prefer to work as a super yacht stewardess, head over to our Super Yacht Stewardess page to learn about our available courses. Our stewardess package focuses on all the skills required to be a super yacht stewardess and help you understand the high levels of service, professionalism and dedicated duty required for interior yacht crew. Be sure to impress your Chief Stew, Captain or crew agent on your first yacht charter when you demonstrate your competence in the relevant skill sets
Looking for more information?
Based in Cape Town South Africa, Get Onboard Superyacht Academy facilitates a variety of Superyacht specific courses including the STCW basic safety training. All of our course programs have been specifically designed across all four industry departments, Deck, Interior, Engineering & Chef. Our goal is to provide the most relevant and up to date course selection in order to help you find your ideal position and pave the way for you to work on a yacht.
In addition to our super yacht training courses, our yachting consulting agency provides the ultimate customer service by offering each of our students the opportunity to chat to someone who has actually experienced yacht crew life onboard. Starting out in your job hunt for work on luxury yachts can be really daunting – we know this from personal experience. It’s always nice to be able to speak to someone who has been there – we’d love to meet with you for a consultation.
In order to add further value, Our “Beginners Guide to Yachting” training e-book offers you a step by step guide on how to secure your first yachting job. From preparing your yachting CV, what to pack, up to date visa and travel information, day work and dock walking, safety equipment, we’ve covered it all. Get Onboard has partnered with various other industry professionals to assist our candidates with preparing their yachting CV’s, acquiring their Schengen and B1/B2 visas as well as flight bookings and crew house accommodation.