The Yotties are on board

The Royal Yacht Britannia is getting its annual spring clean as the Yotties are on board this week to keep her shipshape.

The 60 former Royal Yachtsmen, affectionately known as ‘Yotties’, are enjoying their annual working party on board.

From helping maintain the Royal Barge and cooking ‘pussers grub’ in the Royal Galley, to sanding deck boards and touching up paint work – the Chefs, Engineers, Seamen and Royal Stewards fall back into their former roles during the week.

As well as their hard work, there will also be time for reviving some of Britannia’s traditions, including a morning hymn at 8am and the historic daily rum tot at 4.30pm.

When in Royal Service, there could be more than 220 Royal Yachtsmen working on board at any one time. Hand-picked to meet the very highest standards, each and every sailor chose Britannia for the honour and privilege of serving Queen Elizabeth II and their country.

ALL PHOTOS courtesy of Tony Marsh.