Oiler / Wiper
The oiler or wiper is the first rung in a superyacht engine room. You clean, check, top up and fetch, mostly on 80m-plus yachts with a full engineering department. The work is hot and dirty, and it teaches you the machinery by hand. It is also one of the clearest ways into a yacht engineering career if you have no cadetship behind you.
The jobWhat fills the day
The job is engine room housekeeping and basic machinery care. You wipe down engines and generators, clean bilges and strainers, top up lube oil, take soundings of fuel, water and sewage tanks, and record readings in the log. You chip in on oil changes, filter swaps and impeller jobs, carry spares from the store and keep the workshop tidy. A clean engine room is a safe one, and engineers spot a weeping seal much faster on a clean block. The title comes from commercial shipping, and yachts using it usually run on similar lines.
Smaller yachts do not carry this role. Under 60m the junior engineer or a deckhand/engineer covers these tasks. The title turns up on large motor yachts and expedition vessels where the engine room runs like a small ship, often with a manned watch at sea. With guests aboard you stay out of sight and keep noise down near guest areas. You may also be sent to help with tender fuelling or garbage handling. Shipyard periods are long and heavy, with plenty of tank cleaning, painting and dismantling for contractors.
Chief engineers hire for attitude and a mechanical background more than for paperwork. Former motor mechanics, plumbers, fitters, apprentices and ex-navy ratings do well. Some come from commercial shipping, where oiler and wiper are standard ratings. You need STCW Basic Safety and an ENG1 at the very least. An AEC or an Engine Room Watch Rating certificate puts you ahead of the queue. Expect to be tested on how you handle tools, how you follow instructions and whether you keep turning up when the job is filthy and nobody notices.
Most people stay one or two seasons. Log your sea time and get your chief to sign it, then complete AEC 1 and 2. From there you can move up to motorman or junior engineer, and start the MCA Small Vessel or Y4 route to a Certificate of Competency. On large yachts a wiper with a good reference often gets moved up internally. Third engineer is a realistic goal within three or four years. Chief engineer on a big yacht is ten years or more away, and that is the normal pace.
Skills captains look for
- Engine room housekeeping
- Tank soundings and readings
- Lube oil and filter changes
- Hand tools and fitting
- Bilge and strainer cleaning
- Permit to work discipline
- Logbook record keeping
A day aboardCharter day at anchor, 95m motor yacht, North Malé Atoll, Maldives
Morning rounds with the third engineer. Check generator oil levels, sound the fuel day tanks and write the readings in the engine log.
Clean the sea water strainers on the running generators and the air conditioning chillers. The water here is warm and full of weed.
Coffee and toast in the crew mess, still in overalls with clean hands.
Help the second engineer change filters on the watermaker. Carry spares up from the technical store and log what was used.
Lunch in the mess while the guests eat on the sun deck above.
Degrease the bilge under the port main engine and wipe down the stabiliser units. Report a small hydraulic weep to the duty engineer.
Help the deck team refuel the tenders from the day tank. Wipe up drips and complete the fuel transfer record.
Afternoon rounds and readings, sweep and mop the workshop, then hand over to the engineer on evening watch.
Off watch. Shower, dinner and an hour on AEC course notes before bed.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Pay is usually tax-free, with food, a shared cabin and flights covered. Charter tips are shared across all crew, so in a strong charter season they can add one or two months' salary to the year. See the Engineer salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
Gets you hired
- AEC 1 and 2 (Approved Engine Course)
- Engine Room Watch Rating (STCW A-III/4)
- Powerboat Level 2
- Mechanical or electrical trade qualification
Visas
- B1/B2 for US cruising
- Schengen right to work or visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Engineer jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Is an oiler the same as a wiper?
On most yachts the titles mean the same job. In commercial shipping a wiper is usually the most junior rating and an oiler sits one step above, with some watchkeeping duties. Read the advert to see whether watches are part of the job.
Do I need engineering qualifications to get this job?
You need STCW Basic Safety and an ENG1, and that is the legal minimum. A trade background or an AEC makes you far easier to hire. Chiefs mostly want someone who is handy with tools, careful and willing.
Why are there so few oiler or wiper adverts?
The role only exists on large yachts, roughly 80m and up, where the engine department is big enough to carry a dedicated rating. On smaller yachts the junior engineer does the same work. To find more openings, apply for junior engineer roles too.
How do I move up from wiper to engineer?
Get your sea time signed off, complete AEC 1 and 2, then start on the MCA Small Vessel or Y4 Certificate of Competency route. A strong reference from your chief engineer counts for as much as the certificates.