Marine Yard Hand – Boat Maintenance & Antifouling
Kirribilli, Sydney | $30–$40 per hour + super | Full-time – 37 hours per week
We are an established boat service and repair business operating from our waterfront facility in Kirribilli, Sydney, and we’re looking for a full-time Marine Yard Hand to join our small team.
We are conveniently located 10 mins walk to Milsons Point Train Station.
This is a hands-on role for someone who genuinely enjoys being around boats and the water and wants to develop their skills and knowledge within the marine industry.
The role
You’ll be working on a variety of fibreglass boats between 20 and 50 feet.
Your work will include:
● Moving, handling and towing boats
● Washing and cleaning vessels
● Removing barnacles, marine growth and fouling from hulls and running gear
● Preparing hulls for antifouling
● Applying primers and antifouling paints
● Polishing and detailing fibreglass boats
● General boat maintenance and yard work
● Assisting with slipping, launching and moving vessels
● Working alongside shipwrights, mechanics, electricians and other marine contractors
● Keeping the yard, equipment and work areas clean and organised
● Following safe working procedures and using appropriate PPE
The person we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who is practical, reliable, process-driven and takes pride in doing things as instructed.
Good boat maintenance is about following processes and completing each stage as instructed.
We value people who can think for themselves, make observations and enjoy working with others in the beautiful harbour environment.
You’ll be supervised by experienced people within our team and will work alongside skilled marine trades and contractors. You need to be receptive to training, cooperative with the people around you and interested in continually building your knowledge.
We’re looking for someone who:
● Follows established processes efficiently
● Takes pride in the quality of each finished job
● Is willing to learn from experienced people
● Thinks independently, makes useful observations and asks sensible questions
● Understands the difference between improving a process and simply taking a shortcut
● Works cheerfully with our team and other contractors
● Is reliable and sees jobs through to completion occasionally under tight deadlines
● Genuinely enjoys boats, our harbour and the marine environment
Experience and qualifications
Previous experience in a boatyard, marina, marine detailing business or similar environment would be highly regarded, particularly experience with:
● Boat Handling and General boat maintenance
● Boat washing, polishing and detailing
● Antifouling and hull preparation
● Marine paints, primers and antifouling products
● Fibreglass boats and finishes
A current driver’s licence is preferred.
A general powerboat licence (or AMSA marine qualification, such as a Coxswain certificate), would be highly regarded but isn’t essential for the right person.
Physical nature of the work
This is a genuinely hands-on job, and you’ll need a reasonable level of physical fitness and agility.
The work involves moving around boats and slipways, bending, kneeling, reaching, using hand and power tools and working underneath and around vessels. You don’t need to be an athlete, but you do need to be physically capable of doing this type of work throughout the day on an ongoing basis.
This is also an outdoor waterfront job. On a beautiful Sydney Harbour day, we think its the best workplace in the world. At times it can be cold, wet, dirty or uncomfortable — that’s simply part of working around boats.
Hours and pay
Full-time – 38 hours per week
$30–$40 per hour + superannuation, depending on experience, demonstrated ability and marine qualifications.
Location: Kirribilli, Sydney
We’re a small team. We take our work seriously, but we also enjoy working together and having a laugh. Finding someone who works well with our team and wants to become part of Sydney’s marine industry is important to us.
If you know boats, take pride in practical work and want to continue developing your skills and knowledge, we’d like to hear from you.
Please apply with a brief introduction and tell us about your experience with boats, particularly any experience with antifouling, detailing, maintenance or boat handling.
Pay: $27.73 – $40.13 per hour
Expected hours: 37.0 per week
Work Location: In person
