The Role
As a Licensed Deckhand, you'll maintain ship operations, operate Zodiacs, assist guests, and ensure safety aboard Lindblad Expeditions ships.
Summary Generated by Built In
WHO WE ARE
Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.
JOB SUMMARY
As a Licensed Deckhand with Lindblad Expeditions, you'll do more than maintain ship operations—you’ll help guide guests through some of the most remote and breathtaking places on Earth. A key part of your role involves operating Zodiacs to safely transport guests between ship and shore, offering them a front-row seat to glaciers, wildlife, and rugged coastlines. Whether navigating the inlets of Southeast Alaska or exploring the warm waters of Baja, you’ll be an essential part of delivering our signature expedition experience.
This position is ideal for someone with a passion for the sea, strong seamanship, and a desire to interact with guests in dynamic, outdoor settings. You’ll work as part of a close-knit Deck team on board one of our U.S.-flagged vessels, where safety, teamwork, and curiosity are always top priorities. If you’re ready to combine your maritime skills with unforgettable adventures, we’d love to have you aboard.
WORK SCHEDULE
The Rotational Deckhands works a rotational schedule of approximately 2 months on/1 month off, approximately 12 hours per day.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Ship Maintenance
- Sweeps decks, washes windows, keeps vessels free of rust, and empties trash receptacles on a regular basis.
- Cleans the public restroom and general interior areas such as bulkheads, lockers, etc.
- Primes and paints the vessel as assigned.
- Assists Engineering, Hotel, and Expeditions departments as directed by Chief Mate.
- Uses chemicals for cleaning and ship maintenance while ensuring personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, respirators, etc. are used correctly.
- May be assigned various special projects as per the Chief Mate's work list.
Boat Operations
- Handles lines during docking and undocking procedures.
- Assigned anchoring duties as needed.
- Assists the Bridge Watch Officer with lookout and wheel watch as needed.
- Assists with lowering/raising and tying up/ casting off of the inflatable boats and kayaks.
- Assists with loading guests, staff, and crew in and out of inflatable boats.
- Assists in driving inflatable boats as directed by Chief Mate.
Safety & Security
- Participates in on board safety training, meetings and drills, as directed by the Captain, including fire, abandon ship, man overboard, flooding and medical emergencies.
- Participates in shore side training as required by the company.
- Conducts hourly security patrols including inspection of the engine room and lazarette at night.
- Serves as needed on gangway watch.
- Familiar with all duties under the company Safety Management System including Emergency Response activities.
Additional Duties
- Loads/off-loads guest luggage.
- Hauls ship's trash, laundry, and stores as needed.
- Pulls, cleans and replaces the galley mats, cleans the galley deck and washes any used galley rags.
- Assists in the training of new rotational and/or seasonal deckhands.
To Be Considered, You Must Already Have:
- Minimum 25 GRT Master License, Upon Near Coastal Waters
- Valid Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC)
- Valid US Passport or US Permanent Resident Card with valid passport
- STCW Basic Safety Training (BST)
Required Licenses/Certifications Provided by Lindblad
- USCG Medical Certificate
- STCW Crowd Management (CM)
- STCW Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties (VPDSD)
- First Aid/CPR/AED certification
Desired Qualifications
- Must have experience driving Zodiacs or similar small vessels using a tiller outboard motor.
- Mechanical aptitude and interest.
- Maritime/boating experience preferred.
- Good customer service skills; professional demeanor, ability to use necessary levels of tact and courtesy.
- Detail oriented and thorough; able to follow through on assigned tasks.
- Able to work independently using initiative and creativity to complete assigned tasks.
- Strong time management skills; able to handle multiple tasks, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Works well under pressure.
- Ability to get along well with co-workers and support a team environment.
Employment is contingent on the following:
- In compliance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulations, 46 CFR Parts 4, 5, and 16, you will be required to undergo the following drug tests: post-offer prior to start date, random, reasonable cause, and serious marine incident per US Federal guidelines.
- Pre-offer background check; employment is contingent upon the results of this screening.
- Post-offer physical examination; your employment is dependent upon being determined fit for sea duty.
Continued employment is dependent upon consent to and passing these tests.
Lindblad Expeditions continues to highly recommend that all new hires be up to date with all vaccines prior to the first day of employment and getting boosted annually when eligible, including those vaccines that protect against COVID-19. All crew must still comply with all country-specific vaccination requirements.
Communication Skills
Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The physical demands per position are described in the Job Analysis sheet and are available to all applicants upon request.
COMPENSATION STATEMENT
Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.
For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT
At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.
Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.
Top Skills
Cleaning Chemicals
Maritime Safety
Navigation Aids
Safety Equipment
Zodiac Operation
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The Company
What We Do
In 1958 Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of eco travel, founded Lindblad Travel and pioneered the first non-scientific expeditions to Antarctica (1966) and Galápagos (1967), subsequently opening the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, China, Bhutan, and more to curious, respectful travelers. In 1979, his son Sven-Olof Lindblad founded Special Expeditions, eventually re-named Lindblad Expeditions, specializing in ship-based expedition travel.
In 2004 Lindblad Expeditions forged an unprecedented alliance with National Geographic with a joint mission “to inspire people to explore and care about the planet through expedition travel.”
Today the company operates a fleet of 10 ships, including the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the world’s ultimate expedition ship, and the 106-guest National Geographic Orion, the newest ship in the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. All ships sail equipped with sophisticated exploration tools, to provide unique, immersive experiences in the planet’s capitals of wildness and culture. Our expedition ships regularly explore Galápagos, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Norway, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe, the Baltics, Vietnam and Cambodia, and more.
