Many captains did a double take at a recent photo in The Triton featuring a yacht crew on the dock in Horta. Most of the group were barefoot; the captain wore shoes.

Because several yachting veterans commented on the image, we invited captains to explain their thoughts on the role of footwear on boats at the monthly Triton From the Bridge luncheon.

"No one goes on the dock barefoot," a captain said about his crew. “That's tetanus shopping.”

Individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph above.

Why are we even having a shoe conversation? The impression on megayachts is that shoes are to be removed at the dock. Shoe baskets and welcome mats are often piled with them. 

But surprisingly, the captains at lunch said they prefer to wear shoes onboard. And they’ve got the support of owners. Shoes are safety equipment.

"Your PFD and your kicks are important," one captain said.

"For big boats, shoes are part of the emergency drill," another captain said. "You have to arrive with your life jacket and your shoes to do it by the book."

"The insurance company is the one that makes the rules on the big boats,” the first captain said. “They require shoes for interior and out."

"That's why we're issued shoes with our uniforms,” said a third. “And you have to return them also."

In February, a Triton survey about uniforms showed that shoes were the fifth most common item yachts provided to the crew, even more common than engineer coveralls.

"Ninety percent of the boats I've been on supply land and deck shoes as part of the uniform," another captain said.

The big support for shoes, of course, is safety. A captain in attendance showed up to lunch with a fractured heel and a torn ligament from a recent fall onboard. It was the first day of a new job, barefoot at the owner’s request.

"I will not go barefoot on a boat again," he said.

Absent shoes, some yachts require socks or booties onboard, but that’s even more unsafe, the captains agreed.

"It's crazy,” one captain said. “The main foyer on our boat is the slickest tile ever."

"Ours looks like a skating rink," another captain said.

"The decks are so slippery, especially with socks,” said a third. “Our policy was either shoes or barefoot when on the boat. The owner was the first to break his own rule and he fell down the stairs."

"I recently watched three guys washing barefoot and it wasn't five minutes later that one of them rolled off the boat and into the water," another captain said.

Shoes are not without problems, though. They can track in dirt, mud, sand and water.

"We're in and out all day, so we just inspect our shoes for pebbles and dirt," a captain said.

"I'd rather walk around with squeaky wet shoes than not wear them," another captain said.

"Take them to the engine room; that's my dryer," said a third. "I put all my shoes there. For the guests, take their shoes and tell them you'll bring them back when they're dry. Just do it for them."

Several types of footwear are popular with captains.

"I like the Crocs because they're ventilated, but as they wear down they are slippery," a captain said.

"West Marine makes a good deck shoe," another captain said.

"Canvas ones are good because they will be dry by the next day," a third captain said. “Leather gets nasty.”

"How about those new finger shoes, the foot gloves?” asked another captain. “They are supposed to be OK for boats. You can put them in the washer, dishwasher, whatever, they don't ever get smelly."

Engineers, deckhands and chefs have different requirements for their feet.

"You absolutely wear shoes in the engine room," a captain said. "I leave a pair in there."

"I use a beater pair of deck shoes," another captain said. “I take off my nice ones at the door and put those on in the engine room.”

Chefs often wear a soft shoe with treads, because they stand in one place on hard surfaces, a captain said.

"Deckhands wear deck shoes when doing things like wash down and we all wear them when we are on show, dressed in our whites, or pulling into harbor," another captain said.

Not just any shoe will work, though. Captains said boat shoes are safe because of the treads, but guests don't usually arrive with proper boat footwear. Occasionally guests insist on wearing their high heels and slippery soles, especially during parties and events onboard.

"Every time, we have to warn visitors,” a captain said. “We are continually telling them to be cautious. We just have to reiterate, 'watch out, be careful'."

Ideally, a captain said, crew have interior shoes and washable exterior shoes, both with treads, and a separate pair of land shoes.

"We had paper booties for everyone and the crew had several pair of shoes, for on the boat and off," he said. "The owner bought them all. Basically, you have to be comfortable but you have to be safe.”

If you make your living working as a yacht captain, e-mail editorial@the-triton.com for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon.

About the Author

Dorie Cox

Associate Editor