- Iain MacLean, who grew up in Marina da Gama, fulfilled his high school dream of working on yachts and now stars in the reality TV series “Below Deck Mediterranean”.
- His passion for nautical life was nurtured through a childhood filled with outdoor activities and adventurous sports.
- MacLean advises youth interested in the yachting industry to gain life experience and additional skills to enhance their career prospects.
Sailing on yachts to work in exotic locations was a goal for Iain MacLean (32) since high school, so it came as no surprise more than a decade later when the opportunity to be featured in a US reality TV series, Below Deck, came along, he grabbed it.
Below Deck follows the lives of crew members working and living on board a superyacht.
MacLean, who grew up in Marina da Gama and matriculated from Wynberg Boys High School in 2010, can be seen in the ninth series of the show, Below Deck, Mediterranean, Greece, which was filmed on the Aegean Sea in August and September last year.
Having worked as a bosun/chase-boat captain for four years, he is currently on another yacht in the Mediterranean.
Happy childhood
Relaying his experience to People’s Post, MacLean, who is a qualified commercial diver and welder, said his interest in nautical life was shaped by a happy childhood of outdoor and adventurous activities, such as canoeing, water polo, hockey and downhill cycling.
“I had the best childhood growing up on the beaches, rivers and mountains,” he shared. “Growing up, I tried just about everything from surfing to hiking, bike riding, downhill biking and even did the Cape Town Cycle Tour in four hours.”
At the age of 14, MacLean took up hockey, water-polo, swimming, body boarding, riding scooters, cricket, karate and judo.
“I also grew up on the river from the age of six and started working as a river guide at the age of 16. Growing up with my two best friends living on the same road as I, we got up to all sorts of mischief around the marina.”
His interest in working on yachts started after he matriculated and first heard about the “amazing job opportunities”.
“My best friend went into the industry first and, hearing about the hard physical work to the beautiful places you visit and the amazing machinery/water sports you manage, it sounded fantastic.”
Life as a bosun
MacLean explained what a typical day in the life of a bosun looks like.
“A typical day on charter would be making sure my team of deckhands know what to do for the day, what the plans are with guest movements and excursions. Making sure the yacht is in good condition looking clean, shiny and presentable and getting all water toys ready for the day.”
The deck team also prepares the boat for navigation and docking or undocking, he added.
Questioned about what he loves most about this job, MacLean said it was a combination of the scenery and people.
“I love that the scenery and location are always changing at work and constantly having a smile because of the good people I work with,” he shared.
“Making lifelong friends at work, the constant laughs and beautiful memories, working with my best friend I grew up with and meeting amazing people from all corners of the earth . . .”
@bravowwhl Iain Maclean responds to criticism from the deck crew. #BelowDeckMed #WWHL ? original sound – BravoWWHL
MacLean’s tips and advice to youth who are interested in following the same career path are to gain life experience first.
“Get life experience and some sort of trade or extra skill under your belt like carpentry, personal trainer or kite surf instructor because it all helps towards looking for a job.”
He added that it was vital for job seekers to gain experience and not to expect an immediate job abroad.
“Don’t just do your courses and expect to fly overseas and get a job, try and do daywork back home as much as possible. The opportunities are there to learn and get the vital experience your CV needs and in doing so when you head overseas you will be a few steps ahead.”
The series can currently be viewed in South Africa on the Flixtor platform.
