Bosun

What is a bosun on a superyacht?

A bosun - short for boatswain - is the senior deckhand on a superyacht and the working lead of the deck department. The role sits above the deckhand pool and below the chief officer or mate, acting as the link between the bridge and the deck team. On yachts under roughly 40 metres the bosun typically runs the entire deck department; on yachts above that the role is best understood as lead deckhand.

Day to day, the bosun briefs the deckhands at the morning meeting, allocates jobs across washdowns, paintwork, varnish, stainless and brightwork, runs planned maintenance on tenders, davits, jet skis, seabobs and watersports kit, and coordinates line handling, fendering and anchoring during berthing and manoeuvres. In guest mode the bosun typically drives the primary tender, runs the jet ski briefings and supervises watersports off the swim platform.

The certification baseline is the STCW Basic Safety Training, a valid ENG1 seafarer medical, the RYA Powerboat Level 2, the RYA Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski) certificate, the RYA VHF Short Range Certificate and - in the large majority of cases - the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore commercially endorsed. Many bosuns also hold an Approved Engine Course (AEC1) and watersports instructor tickets.

Why it matters for yacht owners

The bosun is the role that determines how your deck team actually performs. The chief officer sets the standard from the bridge; the bosun delivers it in the wet, hot, repetitive day-to-day reality of running the exterior. A strong bosun keeps paintwork lifted, teak even, stainless spot-free and the tender programme reliable.

The role also carries the safety frontline outside the bridge. Tender driving, jet ski briefings, swim-platform supervision and line handling are the highest-frequency exposure points for guest and crew injury, and the bosun owns the brief on all of them.

Key facts

• Bosun pay typically ranges €4,000 to €6,500 per month.
• On yachts under approximately 40 metres the bosun typically leads the deck department; on larger yachts the role is the lead deckhand under a chief officer.
• The certification baseline is STCW BST, ENG1, RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA PWC (Jet Ski) and RYA VHF Short Range Certificate.
• The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (commercially endorsed) is the de facto minimum for a bosun appointment on most yachts.
• Reporting line: bosun → chief officer or mate → captain. The bosun is the direct line manager for the deckhand pool.
• Promotion from deckhand to bosun typically requires three to five years of deck experience.
• The standard onward path is bosun → mate or OOW → chief officer → captain.
• Charter bosuns typically earn 15-20% more than equivalent private positions through tip share.