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5 steps · MA
Boatyard / Drydock Helper
Wash, sand, shrink-wrap, and haul boats at a Massachusetts boatyard — no experience required.
Pay range
$17–$22/hr seasonal in MA, often W-2 with overtime in spring and fall rushes. Year-round helpers at larger yards (Crocker's, Burr Bros., MacDougalls', Hinckley) hit $22–$26/hr with benefits.
What this job is
The honest version
Every coastal MA boatyard — from Marblehead and Beverly up to Newburyport, down to Quincy, Hingham, Plymouth, Buzzards Bay, and the Cape & Islands — needs seasonal hands every spring (April–June launch) and fall (September–November haul-out). The work is grunt work: pressure-washing hulls, sanding bottom paint, shrink-wrapping for winter storage, blocking and jack-stand setup, moving boats with a hydraulic trailer or Travelift, and helping rigging crews step masts. You're not fixing engines yet — you're learning the yard, the boats, the customers, and the older techs who'll teach you the trade.
Is this you?
You'll fit if…
- You don't mind being cold, wet, and covered in bottom paint dust
- You can lift 50+ lbs and stand on a ladder all day
- You're curious about how boats actually work
- You show up at 6 AM when the tide says you have to
What you'll do
Core skills
- Pressure-washing and bottom-paint prep without trashing the gelcoat
- Shrink-wrapping a boat tight enough to survive a nor'easter
- Blocking, jack-stand placement, and basic boat support
- Helping rig and step masts on sailboats
- Yard logistics — knowing which boat goes where, when
- Tying knots that actually hold (cleat hitch, bowline, clove hitch)
What you'll need
Required certifications
Stand out
Things that give you a leg up
- Any prior boating experience — even Sunfish summers as a kid count
- Comfort with hand tools (drill, sander, multimeter)
- Bilingual — Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese are common in MA boatyards
- A willingness to work the spring and fall rushes (60+ hour weeks for 6 weeks)
- Knowing how to drive a stick shift — yard tractors and old trailers are usually manual
Take a step
Learn more
- Drive to 5 boatyards within 30 minutes of you and ask for the yard manager — most hire walk-ins in March
- Apply at the big MA yards: Crocker's (Manchester), Burr Bros. (Marion), MacDougalls' (Falmouth), Hinckley (Stamford/Portsmouth), Brewer (multiple)
- Take OSHA 10 General Industry online (~$60, 2 evenings)
- Buy steel-toe boots and a half-mask respirator before your first day
Heads up
Real talk before you commit
- Bottom paint contains copper and biocides. Wear a respirator every single time you sand. Lung damage is permanent.
- Boatyard work is seasonal in MA. Build a winter plan (snow removal, indoor service shop, ski resort) or get into a year-round yard with a heated service building.
- Workers' comp claims at boatyards are common — falls from ladders and crush injuries from blocking failures. Speak up if a setup looks wrong.
- Pay is honest but rarely high at this rung. The point is to get inside a yard so you can apprentice with a tech.