Disembarkation is at 0800. At 2200 the night before, six guests hand you everything they own, and by morning it has to be clean, pressed, folded to a standard, packed into their own luggage in the order they packed it, with two buttons replaced and a pair of suede loafers rescued from a spilled negroni. This is the finishing end of the job, and it is where guests decide whether the service was excellent.
Presentation standards
- Fold to a board. Every folded item in a guest wardrobe should match the next: same width, same depth, edges square, logos and monograms facing out and upright.
- Fold what stretches, hang what creases. Knitwear, T-shirts and heavy jersey are folded. Shirts, tailoring, dresses and linen trousers are hung.
- Hangers: wooden or padded, all facing the same way, evenly spaced with a hand-width of air. Wire hangers never appear in a guest cabin.
- Shoulder seams sit on the hanger shoulder; trousers hang from the cuff on a clamp hanger so the crease stays.
- Colour-block and group by type within the wardrobe. Fasten the top button and the zip so the garment holds its shape.
Packing guest luggage
- Photograph the open case as the guest packed it — you return it as you found it.
- Heaviest at the bottom of the case (shoes, bagged separately), then structured items, then folded, then delicate on top.
- Tissue between layers and inside folds prevents creases; roll casual knits, do not fold hard.
- Tailoring and dresses go in a suit carrier, not a case, if one exists.
- Shoes in bags. Toiletries in a sealed bag, upright.
- Count and reconcile against your laundry log before you close it. Nothing may be missing.
Basic repair
| Job | Method |
|---|---|
| Button | Match thread and shank height; four-hole buttons in a cross or parallel bars to match the others on the garment; wind a shank; knot on the inside |
| Hem | Blind/slip stitch, small bites, thread matched, no pulling — a puckered hem is worse than a fallen one |
| Open seam | Backstitch or a fine machine straight stitch on the original seam line, matched thread |
| Snag on a knit | Pull the loop through to the inside with a snag needle — never cut it |
Repair is for the recoverable. If it is bespoke, structured, leather or embellished, it goes to a tailor ashore.
Shoe and leather care
| Material | Do | Never |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth leather | Cedar shoe trees; brush, clean, condition, cream, polish; air-dry away from heat | Heat-dry, soak, or apply silicone |
| Suede / nubuck | Let mud dry, brush with a crepe/rubber brush, use a suede eraser, protect with a suede spray | Water, wax polish, rubbing a wet stain |
| Patent | Wipe with a damp cloth and a dedicated patent conditioner | Solvents, abrasives |
| Exotic (croc, python) | Specialist only | Any home treatment |
Onboard Notes
- Salt-water-soaked leather shoes: rinse the salt out with a barely damp cloth, stuff with paper (not newspaper — the ink transfers), dry slowly away from any heat source, then condition. Salt left in leather crystallises and cracks it.
- Never pack anything damp. Damp plus a closed case plus a hot hold equals mildew, and mildew on silk is permanent.
- Do a final count against the log and get a second pair of eyes on it. Items left behind after disembarkation are your problem to courier, at the yacht cost.