Engineer / Deckhand
The engineer/deckhand is an engineer who also works on deck. You do the engine room rounds, the maintenance and the fault-finding, then you take a line when the yacht berths, drive the tender and help with the washdown. It suits smaller yachts that cannot carry a full engineering team, and it is one of the most common ways into a yacht engine room.
The jobWhat fills the day
The engineering comes first. Each morning you check the main engines, generators, watermakers, sewage plant, air conditioning and bilges, and you log what you find. You change filters and impellers, run oil changes, chase electrical faults and keep the tenders and jet skis running. On a 30m yacht with no chief engineer you may be the person the captain turns to when the generator trips at 2am. On a 45m yacht you will usually work under a chief and take the routine jobs off them.
The deck side fills the rest of the day. You stand on the stern or foredeck for mooring and anchoring, launch and recover tenders, set up the water toys and help wash down after a passage. With guests aboard the balance shifts. Machinery has to run without fuss and without noise, so you work early and late, and in the middle of the day you are often driving the tender or running watersports. Between charters you spend more time on planned maintenance and less on deck.
Captains hire people who can hold a spanner and also handle a line without being told twice. A typical candidate has an AEC, some time as a deckhand or in a shoreside trade such as automotive, plant or marine mechanics, and a calm manner around guests. Electricians, mechanics and ex-navy ratings do well. Many owners prefer someone with a Powerboat Level 2 so the role covers tender driving too. A clean engine room and a tidy log will get you a reference faster than anything else.
Most people use this role to build sea time and move fully into engineering. The usual route is AEC to Y4, then Y3, and on to sole engineer on a 30-40m yacht or third and second engineer on something larger. Some people prefer the variety and stay in dual roles, becoming captain/engineers on smaller boats once they add a Yachtmaster. Keep a record of every system you have worked on. It counts when you apply for your next CoC and your next job.
Skills captains look for
- Diesel engine maintenance
- Generator and watermaker care
- Basic marine electrics
- Mooring and line handling
- Tender driving
- Planned maintenance logging
- Outboard and jet ski servicing
A day aboardCharter day, 38m motor yacht, northern Sardinia
Engine room rounds: check generator, watermaker, sewage plant and bilges, then fill in the daily log before guests wake.
Help the deck crew chamois the exterior and wipe down the swim platform.
Crew breakfast in the mess, quick briefing from the captain on the day's anchorage and toys.
Weigh anchor and move to La Maddalena, standing by on the foredeck for anchoring while keeping an eye on engine temperatures.
Launch the jet skis and the seabob, then run guests ashore in the tender for lunch.
Lunch and an hour off while the guests are ashore.
Change a failing raw water impeller on the port generator and test the air conditioning that the chief stew reported as warm in a guest cabin.
Recover and wash the toys, refuel the tender and secure everything for the evening.
Final engine room check and anchor watch handover, then off to bed.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips usually add one to two months' salary over a season, shared equally with the crew. A Y4 or higher ticket pushes you to the top of the band, and permanent roles often include flights and 30-45 days' leave. See the Engineer salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- MCA Approved Engine Course (AEC 1 and 2)
- PDSD
Gets you hired
- MCA Y4 Engineer CoC
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- Efficient Deck Hand (EDH)
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Outboard or jet ski service course
Visas
- B1/B2 for US and Caribbean programmes
- Schengen right to work or valid visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Engineer jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How is this different from a deckhand/engineer?
The word order tells you the main job. An engineer/deckhand is hired for the machinery and helps on deck. A deckhand/engineer is a deckhand who covers basic engineering, so captains expect more technical skill from you here.
Can I get this job with only an AEC?
Yes, on smaller yachts. Captains will want proof you can do real mechanical work, so a trade background or a season as a deckhand helping in the engine room makes a big difference. Get your Y4 as soon as your sea time allows.
Does deck time count towards engineering CoCs?
Sea service counts for the yacht, but the MCA wants evidence of engine room experience for Y4 and above. Keep your engineering record book up to date and get the chief engineer or captain to sign it off regularly.
Where are most of these jobs?
Mostly on 25-45m motor and sailing yachts in the Mediterranean in summer, out of Antibes, Palma and the Balearics, and in the Caribbean and Fort Lauderdale in winter. Dockwalking in spring is still the quickest way to find one.