Clean boats and repair hulls and superstructures, using hand tools, paint, and brushes.

“Clean boats and repair hulls and superstructures, using hand tools, paint, and brushes.” is a core task performed by Motorboat Operators. Among the occupation's 17 rated tasks, workers place it 4th by importance (#14 most important). About 73% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. in Performing General Physical Activities
• Maintain vehicles in working condition. in Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T0.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses. · importance 4.8
• Direct safety operations in emergency situations. · importance 4.6
• Secure boats to docks with mooring lines, and cast off lines to enable departure. · importance 4.6
• Maintain desired courses, using compasses or electronic navigational aids. · importance 4.6
• Organize and direct the activities of crew members. · importance 4.5
• Follow safety procedures to ensure the protection of passengers, cargo, and vessels. · importance 4.5
• Maintain equipment such as range markers, fire extinguishers, boat fenders, lines, pumps, and fittings. · importance 4.4
• Report any observed navigational hazards to authorities. · importance 4.4
• Oversee operation of vessels used for carrying passengers, motor vehicles, or goods across rivers, harbors, lakes, and coastal waters. · importance 4.4
• Service motors by performing tasks such as changing oil and lubricating parts. · importance 4.3
• Arrange repairs, fuel, and supplies for vessels. · importance 4.2
• Issue directions for loading, unloading, and seating in boats. · importance 4.0
• Tow, push, or guide other boats, barges, logs, or rafts. · importance 3.9
• Take depth soundings in turning basins. · importance 3.6

See all tasks on the Motorboat Operators page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-14547,
  title  = {Clean boats and repair hulls and superstructures, using hand tools, paint, and brushes.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-14547}
}