THE DECK MANUAL
Who Am I And Why Did I Write This?...
ME- Benjamin (Ben) Ringrose
I didn’t write this book for you. I know that sounds a bit harsh- but it's the truth. I wrote the book for my former self. I wrote the book I wish I had when I started yachting.
I thought my transition into yachting would be easy. I had just graduated from a top university and also earned my yachtmaster before I even started applying for jobs. I had lots of experience on boats- teaching on and racing sailboats for nearly ten years.
If anyone was supposed to have an easy start to their yachting career, it was me. Or so I thought…
Man, was I WRONG!
While I was lucky enough to have some of the best mentors and role models on my first boat, I remember being completely overwhelmed by everything I needed to know and be able to do. And none of it was anything I could have prepared for beforehand. Even if I
wanted to prepare, I couldn’t have, because I didn't actually even know everything the job entailed!
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I found it hard to remember the exact techniques used in a certain maintenance procedure, or when to (and when not to!) use a certain product (something you really don’t want to get wrong). And even though I had been shown how to do it, remembering all the steps and safety precautions in a tender launch wasn’t easy.
If I had ‘The Deck Manual’ back then, it would have made my life a lot easier. I could have prepared beforehand, studying the different products and procedures standard to nearly all superyachts before ever stepping foot onboard. I could have reviewed relevant chapters at the end of the work day, comparing the lessons in the book to what we did onboard. And when it came
Ben and BIGBEN
to advanced skills like painting, I could have learned a thing or two sooner than the year it took for someone to finally trust me enough to teach me. (And that timeframe is not at all unusual, by the way).
So, like I’ve said, I (now a highly qualified officer on a large, well known superyacht, with years of experience teaching and leading successful deck teams) wrote this book to help out former me. But it just might happen that the position I was in, is the position you’re currently in. And if that’s the case, then this book is also for you, and I think you’ll find it very, very helpful.