Long-time captain Martyn Walker has an easy explanation for the tattoos he wears.

“That’s what sailors did 25 years ago when I went off to sea,” he said of his tattoos: Popeye, an anchor, a dolphin and a sailing ship.

But he also knows that he needs to offset the first image a guest might have of his body art. So he tells stories of the seafarer tradition of getting tattooed to scare away sea devils.

“I think that changes a guest’s perception of tats from ‘thug’ to ‘sailor,’” he said, noting that he’s careful to wear long pants to cover the tattoos on his calves.

As body art becomes more mainstream, those looking for careers on luxury yachts often find that their earlier decision to be tattooed might come with hiring consequences.

“It’s a personal preference rooted in what I believe are the owners’ unspoken wishes,” said Capt. Michael Sentoff of M/Y Silver Shalis, a 131-foot Abeking & Rasmussen. “Let’s get serious here. If we were looking for crew that wanted to express their individuality, why would we require them to wear uniforms?

“We are looking for uniformity, not individuality. If you want to pierce you nose or wear dreadlocks or body art, feel free, just not here.”

Other captains agree.

“It’s a lifestyle statement is really what it is,” Capt. Taylor Lawson said. “It’s choosing lifestyle over profession, and that’s the way it’s viewed. That’s the way I view it.”

Some take it even more seriously.

“My policy when hiring is ‘no visible tattoos,’” said Capt. Mac McDonald of M/YMagic, a 150-foot Trinity. His crew manual spells it out: “Visible piercings and tattoos are not to be added while in the employ of this vessel. We are not here to impress the guests with our fashion savvy.”

Aside from client interaction, some captains feel tattoos make them question more important aspects of an applicant.

“It may mean nothing,” said Capt. Rob High, who has worked recently with the newly launched 153-foot Burger Ingot. “But in my industry, we can be at sea and judgment can kill people.

“Just because someone slipped up and got a tattoo, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have bad judgment. But I don’t have the luxury to be wrong.”

These captains aren’t alone. It’s common for owners and captains to specifically request applicants with no visible tattoos, said Chalymar Acevedo, crew placement agent for Camper & Nicholsons in Ft. Lauderdale.

Potential crew members register online to be placed by the agency, and one of the registration questions is about tattoos.

When interviewing, Acevedo will ask them if they are willing to cover a visible tattoo, and if not, that information goes into the person’s file.

Overall, many in the industry take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude toward tattoos.

If it’s hidden, a potential crew member is likely OK applying for work on most vessels.

And while tattoos can limit an applicant’s appeal for some positions, they’re not always a problem, said Angela Wilson, senior crew agent for placement agency Elite Crew International.

“Not all programs enforce restrictions on tattoos and may be more flexible in hiring crew with visible tattoos,” Wilson said. “There’s the right boat out there for everyone.”

The rules can be different for those who have more limited guest contact.Chip Furr, an engineer on the 145-foot M/Y Relentless, had a wolf’s paw tattooed behind his right ear after a friend died in 1998. He said the tattoo has never gotten in the way of being hired.

“Usually I’m not seen as much as the rest of the crew,” Furr said. “As far as I know I’ve never been terminated from a job because of it or not gotten a job because of it.”

And some captains enjoy tattoos themselves.

Capt. Matt Splane of a 75-foot McKinna has been “getting inked” for 20 years and thinks tattoos are “a beautiful way to express yourself while adorning your body with artwork.”

Still, he keeps his body art covered when working, even when swimming or diving.

That might be the key to the issue. Dawn Kuhns has been working as a freelance chief stewardess for 16 years. She has a small blue dolphin tattooed on her right shoulder, but she understands the career she’s chosen can limit some of her ability for self expression.

“If someone has a tattoo and I don’t know it, I don’t see it and the guests don’t see it, I don’t think it should matter,” Kuhns said. “But if they do have a visible tattoo then, yes, it’s a factor.

“In an industry where we all have to be thin, well groomed, youngish, and even facial hair sometimes isn’t allowed, I don’t know why it surprises people that tattoos can be a problem.”