Accessibility.SkipToMainContent
Members at work

Yacht deck officer James Sherwood enjoys speaking the 'global language' of the sea

17 July 2020

Superyacht crew have the challenge of working to an extreme range of finely tuned details every day, from ship operations to passenger food and song preferences in the tender, and deck officer James Sherwood is no exception

What is a typical day in your job?

Each day depends on what we are doing, depending on whether we are underway, in port, have guests onboard, or are in the shipyard.

Generally speaking, a day starts with the morning meeting of the deck department, where the bosun has the plan for the day.

After the deck meeting, the chief officer and I will discuss our days' work in the ship's office and plan the vessels operation as per master's request.

We will look at the deck maintenance and any work which need to be outsourced, because the yacht needs to be in pristine condition, and sourcing contractors can be difficult.

We then move on to planning for the next guest embarkation, making sure all crew are up to date with guest operations. The service provided by the yacht is extremally personalised – thus vessel and crew preparedness is extremally important.

We will then move on to daily Safety Management System (SMS) tasks, planned maintenance, drill planning and logistic planning. 

Why did you choose a career at sea?

There are many reasons for choosing this career but there is nothing quite like being at sea, that keeps the passion going. Some other factors include:

  • the fast pace, ever changing
  • no day is the same
  • it's challenging but satisfying

Tell us some of your career highlights so far – and challenges

It would have to be achieving my first Certificate of Competency (COC) Officer of the Watch (OOW).

A lot of work and time had gone into it and after sitting through the oral exam and being told I had passed was a great feeling.

There have been many challenges, but I think the biggest challenge for me was adjusting to different cultures learning the 'global language' if there were a way to put it.

What are the best things about your job?

I enjoy having the responsibility of being a deck officer, it come with a lot of very important roles; one of which is passing on knowledge and experiences. This is extremely important as there is only so much a textbook can teach.

Would you recommend seafaring as a career?

Yes I would.

Tell us one thing that people may not know about your job?

In the yachting industry we pride ourselves on extremely high service delivery, so much so, that every guest I've been able to work for has had a 'preference sheet' dedicated to them. This includes how many sugars they like in their coffee to having their favourite song playing in the tender on the way back to the yacht.

 

Callout Image

Become a Nautilus Champion

Nautilus looking for members who can volunteer their time for the Union's campaigns, media outreach and recruitment initiatives. You can help breathe life into these programmes, bring a more diverse and representative voice to the Union, and ultimately help us create greater awareness of the maritime industry among the public.

Register your interest Meet more Champions

Tags

More articles

Members at work

Cadet Ella Mackinem has never had a dull moment from the minute her educational compass was reset towards a career at sea

  • Telegraph
  • 24 July 2020
Members at work

Chief engineer Tenyon Latter says there is a vessel out there for everyone interested in maritime engineering

  • Telegraph
  • 22 July 2020
Members at work

Cruiseship deck cadet Gareth Hampton recalls the thrill of taking the wheel for the first time

  • Telegraph
  • 20 July 2020
Members at work

Machinery at sea was made for third engineer Harley Vardakis

  • Telegraph
  • 20 July 2020
Careers

Sea to City case study: Rod Johnson – from deck officer to City law firm marine director

  • Telegraph
  • 16 July 2020
Members at work

Third Officer Ross Cleland maxes his professional development

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Deck Officer cadet Thomas Rapley follows in his grandfather's footsteps

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Deck officer and harbour operator Dawn Franklyn hopes to see more action on improving seafarers' mental health

  • Telegraph
  • 13 April 2021
Members at work

Engineer Pavol Belina can feel like a glorified plumber while visiting paradise

  • Telegraph
  • 15 May 2020
Members at work

Cruise ship Safety Officer Martel Fursdon juggles a busy schedule of port calls

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Petra van den Corput thrives on deck with hard work and responsibility

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Captain Stephen Gudgeon has spent forty years at sea and still revels in the magic of crossing the Panama Canal

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Ex-Royal Naval officer Thomas Stapley-Bunten starts a second career in the Merchant Navy

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Tug AB Emily Reeves feel grateful to have a job and no student debt

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Acting chief stewardess Sofiia Skorokhod steps up during the pandemic

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Fascinated by the sea, Jamie Edwards finds lasting friendships and a camaraderie onboard unmatched elsewhere

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Cadet David Pirie is speeding through his bucket list

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020
Members at work

Cadet David Pirie is speeding through his bucket list

  • Telegraph
  • 14 May 2020