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Sulla barca, i capisala controllano i salvagenti.

Sulla barca, i capisala controllano i salvagenti.
On the boat, the head waiters check the life jackets.
From Lesson 270:Plural compound nouns·Italian

Questions & Answers about Sulla barca, i capisala controllano i salvagenti.

Why is the plural of caposala written as capisala?
Caposala is a compound noun made of capo (head/boss) and sala (room/hall). When a compound noun is formed by capo + noun to describe a male boss, only the first word changes to plural (capi). The second noun stays exactly the same. Therefore, il caposala becomes i capisala.
How does the plural work for salvagenti?
Salvagente (life jacket) is a compound noun made of a verb (salva, from salvare to save) and a singular noun (gente, people). The rule for "verb + singular noun" compounds is that their plural usually changes the final vowel to -i. That is why il salvagente becomes i salvagenti.
Does controllano mean "they control"?
It can, but controllare is a very common false friend! In everyday Italian, it most frequently means "to check," "to inspect," or "to verify." In this sentence, the head waiters are checking the life jackets, not physically controlling or steering them.
Why does the sentence use sulla barca instead of just in barca?
You use in barca when talking generally about the method of transport (like "traveling by boat"). Here, sulla barca (su + la) is used because it focuses on the physical location of being specifically "on" or "aboard" a particular boat.

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