Holly is the editor of Dockwalk. She grew up racing sailboats in England before switching to the world of superyachts and moving across the pond to Fort Lauderdale.
If you're new to the deck crew and looking to impress your bosun, here are some handy tips and tricks on how to nail it as a deckhand...
“Vinegar cleans everything.” Deckhand Dawn Singleton
“Wrap your radio in a shammy when in the wind. The shammy will take away all the wind noise.” — Captain Les Annan
“WRITE IT DOWN! Keep a small notepad on you at all times. Nothing is more frustrating to a captain or owner than having to repeat themselves.” — Capt. David Krokoski
"Use automotive drying towels instead of old-school shammys. They come in bigger sizes and leave windows streak free." — Captain Bill Foster
“Take/send pictures of the exact part you need when ordering something or sending someone to look for it at the store.” — Anonymous
"My best deck hack: Oxy and vinegar (not together) for the teak. This brightens her right up." – Deckhand Madison Bailes
“Turn the bolts in your deck blades upside down and feed them through the bottom with the nut on top. You’ll be less likely to scratch the windows with the end of the bolts during cleaning.” — Former deckhand Reilly Strand
“Always keep some small, short ropes in your pocket. Very often, something must be tied up and it must be done immediately.” — Deckhand Oleksii Zolotov
“Use vacuum-sealed bags to store any spares or emergency supplies you don’t want to get wet or exposed to the humidity.” — Anonymous
"Get yourself a pair of sunglass cables or head strap...or watch your Oakelys sink to the bottom of the ocean!" — Anonymous
“If you’re doing projects, record and take pictures of all your work. Any jobs you do, let’s say a big paint job and it’s your first time on a project of that size, take pictures of it…so the captain can actually see the quality of your work. If you don’t have to get a contractor in to do the work, it saves the boat money.” — Lead Deckhand Will Hollingshead
"Soak the stitched outer edges of new courtesy flags or burgees with superglue. The flags will last much longer." — Anonymous
“Whenever you’re doing a project or bit of work, compile it all into a bucket if possible. This minimizes possible spills on deck and reduces clean-up time by a mile. Efficiency is key.” — Bosun Matthew van der Venter
“Invest into a good pair of polarized sunnies — the ocean, glare, and sun are cruel to your eyes.” — Deckhand/Dive instructor Marcos Churio