Deckhands look after the exterior of the yacht, drive the tenders and support guests on the water. It is the usual way into a deck career, and the route to bosun, mate and captain.
The interior team looks after the guests and the inside of the yacht: service, housekeeping, laundry and the guest experience from arrival to departure. Interior roles run from junior stewardess to chief stew and head of service.
Yacht chefs feed the guests and the crew from a small galley, often at short notice and to a very high standard. Roles range from crew chef to head chef and sous chef on larger yachts.
The engineering department keeps a yacht's engines, generators, air conditioning and onboard systems running. Roles run from third engineer up to chief engineer, who is responsible for the whole department.
The bosun runs the deck team day to day, plans the maintenance of the exterior and looks after the tenders and deck equipment. It is the senior deck role below the officers.
The captain is responsible for the yacht, its crew and its guests. Positions call for the right master's certificate for the vessel's size, plus strong leadership and management experience.
Deck officers keep the watch, run the deck department and support the captain. First and chief officers usually manage the deck crew and the safety and maintenance systems.
The ETO looks after the yacht's electronics, IT, AV and communications systems. On large yachts it is a specialist department in its own right.
Looking to hire crew instead? See our yacht crew recruitment.