All roles/Deck and Bridge/Daywork Deckhand
Deck and Bridge
Daywork Deckhand
A daywork deckhand joins a yacht's deck team by the day to wash, polish, varnish and carry, filling gaps before charters, during refits and after passages. For most new crew it is the first paid work and the route to a permanent job.
- Department
- Deck and Bridge
- Reports to
- Bosun / Boatswain
- Yacht size
- 24m to 100m+
- Contract
- Daily rate, casual
- Starting pay
- €120 per day
What the job is
A daywork deckhand is hired by the day to help a yacht's deck team when it is short handed: pre-season preparation, refit periods, after a long passage or just before a charter. You are paid a daily rate, usually in cash or by bank transfer at the end of the job, and lunch is normally provided on board. Work can last one day or run for several weeks. For most new crew it is the way into the industry, because captains remember the people who turn up early and work hard.
The work is physical and practical. Washing down, drying with a chamois, polishing stainless steel, sanding and varnishing teak caprails, cleaning teak decks, prepping surfaces for painters, scrubbing fenders and carrying provisions and stores aboard. You may handle lines when the yacht shifts berth, or tape off areas in a shipyard. You follow the bosun's instructions, work to the yacht's standard and leave every area cleaner than you found it. Dayworkers with varnishing, caulking or detailing skills get asked back first.
Finding daywork is about being in the right port at the right time. Antibes, Palma and Fort Lauderdale are the main hubs, with March to May the busiest window in the Mediterranean and October to December in Florida. Most work comes through dock walking, crew houses, WhatsApp groups and agencies. Turn up with a printed CV, copies of your STCW and ENG1, clean non-marking deck shoes and a clear head. Many dayworkers are offered permanent roles by the same yacht within weeks.
What makes a good one
- Reliable timekeeping
- Washing down and chamois work
- Basic sanding and varnishing
- Following instructions to the letter
- Physical stamina in the heat
A day in the life
- 07:30Arrive at the passerelle ten minutes early in plain shorts, a white or navy T-shirt and deck shoes. The bosun signs you in and gives a quick safety brief on where you can and cannot go.
- 08:00Full wash down of the superstructure with the deck team, working top down from the sun deck. You follow the soap bucket with a soft brush and chamois so no water spots dry on the paint.
- 10:00Short coffee break on the crew mess deck. The bosun splits jobs for the rest of the morning.
- 10:15Sand the aft deck caprail with 240 grit, wipe it with a tack cloth and tape off the edges. The first officer checks your taping before any varnish goes on.
- 12:30Lunch on board with the crew, cooked by the chef. A good moment to ask quiet questions about the yacht and the season ahead.
- 13:15Help carry a provisions delivery and new mooring lines from the quay to the lazarette. Everything is logged and stowed where the bosun tells you.
- 14:30Polish the stainless steel rails and deck hardware on the foredeck. Metal polish on, buff off, no residue left on the teak.
- 16:30Rinse down the work areas, coil hoses and return every tool and cloth to the deck locker. Rubbish goes ashore to the marina bins.
- 17:00The bosun pays you or confirms the transfer and says whether you are needed tomorrow. Thank them, leave a CV if you have not already, and go home to rest for the next day.
Pay by country
Daily rate for an 8 to 9 hour working day, usually with lunch provided. Paid in cash or by transfer at the end of the day or job. No charter tips, though some yachts add a bonus for long stints or hard refit work.
- France and Monaco
- €130 – 180 per day
- Spain
- €110 – 160 per day
- Italy
- €120 – 170 per day
- United Kingdom
- £100 – 150 per day
- USA (Florida)
- US$150 – 220 per day
- Caribbean
- US$150 – 220 per day
- UAE
- AED 450 – 650 per day
- Australia
- A$250 – 350 per day
- New Zealand
- NZ$220 – 320 per day
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
Recommended
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- PDSD
- RYA PWC
- RYA Competent Crew
- Food Safety Level 2
Visas
- Right to work in the country where the yacht is based
- Schengen visa or EU passport for Mediterranean work
- US C1/D or B1/B2 for crew on foreign-flagged yachts in the US
- Australian MCV for crew on foreign-flagged yachts in Australia
Where it leads
Daywork Deckhand jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need any experience to get daywork?
No. Most dayworkers are new to yachting and are hired on attitude, presentation and having STCW Basic Safety Training and an ENG1 medical. Any practical experience such as boat handling, painting or carpentry helps you stand out.
How do I actually find daywork?
Be in a yachting hub like Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale during the busy season and dock walk early in the morning with a printed CV. Register with crew agencies, join local crew WhatsApp groups and stay in a crew house, where captains often call for extra hands.
Can daywork turn into a full time job?
Often, yes. Captains and bosuns use daywork as a trial, and a good dayworker is frequently offered a permanent or seasonal deckhand position on the same yacht or recommended to a friend's boat.