For Owners, Captains & Management
Hire a Chief Officer for Your Yacht
Looking for a chief officer? Deck leadership matters more than any certificate, so every candidate is reference-checked before you meet them.
A first mate, more formally called chief officer, is second in command of a yacht. They run the deck department, take navigational watches, manage safety drills and certification, and step up to command when the captain is off the boat.
What a chief officer does on board
- Second in command and navigational watchkeeping
- Deck maintenance planning and exterior presentation
- Safety drills, ISM documentation and crew training
- Tender and watersports operations oversight
What separates a good chief officer from a qualified one
The chief officer sets the working atmosphere on deck more than the captain does. Ask how they run a handover, how they train a first-season deckhand, and what they do when a guest trip clashes with a maintenance deadline. Certification is easy to check; temperament under a compressed schedule is not.
Certification and experience
Every chief officer we put forward has current certification checked before you see them, and references taken directly with previous captains or owners rather than read off a page.
- MCA Chief Mate 3000GT
- OOW 3000GT
- STCW
- ENG1
Typical experience sought: 4+ years · Reports to Yacht Captain · Manages Bosun, Deckhand
The mistake we see most often
Treating the role as purely technical. A chief officer with immaculate paperwork who cannot hold a deck team together will cost you the whole department by August. Crew turnover almost always traces back to this position rather than to the captain.
How we find the right chief officer for your boat
- Understand the yacht. Programme, crew structure and owner style, and how the chief officer will work with your yacht captain.
- Search and screen. A small number of genuine candidates, each spoken to individually, with MCA Chief Mate 3000GT and OOW 3000GT confirmed before you see them.
- Reference in person. Direct conversations with previous yacht captains and captains, not a form sent by email.
- Introduce and follow through. Introductions, then contact once they are aboard — the first eight weeks are when a placement either settles or does not.
Frequently asked
Hiring a chief officer: common questions
What qualifications should a chief officer have?
An MCA Chief Mate 3000GT for larger yachts, or OOW 3000GT with sea time toward Chief Mate on mid-size vessels. STCW and ENG1 are mandatory. Look for documented watchkeeping hours and evidence of running deck maintenance planning.
Does the chief officer manage the deck team?
Yes. The chief officer runs the deck department day to day, usually through the bosun, and is responsible for exterior maintenance, safety drills and ISM paperwork. On smaller yachts they may also stand a navigational watch.
When should a yacht carry a chief officer rather than a bosun?
Once watchkeeping and safety management need a certificated officer, typically from around 40m upward or on any vessel with a demanding passage schedule. Below that, a strong bosun reporting to the captain is often sufficient.
What separates a good chief officer from an adequate one?
The ability to run the deck without the captain having to supervise it, and to develop junior crew rather than simply direct them. Maintenance planning and calm handling of guest movements are the practical tests.
Can a chief officer step up to captain?
It is the standard route. Progression depends on accumulating sea time at the right tonnage and completing the oral examination. Many owners deliberately hire a chief officer with that trajectory in mind.
1920×800 · 2.40:1
Looking for a chief officer?
Tell us about your yacht and you will get people, not profiles.
Start the Conversation