For Owners, Captains & Management
Hire a Yacht Engineer
Looking for a yacht engineer? Systems experience varies enormously between builds, so candidates are matched to your machinery, not just to a certificate level.
A yacht engineer keeps a vessel’s machinery and technical systems running — engines, generators, water makers, air conditioning, hydraulics and electrics. On smaller yachts they cover everything alone; on larger ones they work within an engineering department under a chief engineer.
What a yacht engineer does on board
- Watchkeeping and routine machinery maintenance
- Fault finding across mechanical and electrical systems
- Tender and toy servicing
- Supporting yard periods and surveys
What separates a good yacht engineer from a qualified one
Systems aptitude matters more than the entry route. Ask how they would approach a fault on equipment they have never seen, and whether they keep records that the next engineer can actually follow. Handover quality is a good proxy for how someone works when nobody is watching.
Certification and experience
Every yacht engineer 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 Y3
- MCA Y4
- AEC
- STCW
- ENG1
Typical experience sought: 2+ years · Reports to Chief Engineer
The mistake we see most often
Under-specifying the role on a boat that has quietly grown more complex. A yacht that has added a submarine, a dive compressor and a full AV rack is no longer a single-engineer boat, however long it has been managed as one.
How we find the right yacht engineer for your boat
- Understand the yacht. Programme, crew structure and owner style, and how the yacht engineer will work with your chief engineer.
- Search and screen. A small number of genuine candidates, each spoken to individually, with MCA Y3 and MCA Y4 confirmed before you see them.
- Reference in person. Direct conversations with previous chief engineers 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 yacht engineer: common questions
What does a second or sole engineer do day to day?
Watchkeeping where required, routine planned maintenance, fault finding across mechanical and electrical systems, and servicing tenders and toys. On smaller yachts the sole engineer covers everything without support.
What certification is needed?
Y4 or Y3 depending on tonnage and power, or an AEC for smaller vessels, alongside STCW and an ENG1 medical. Many yachts also want basic electrical and hydraulic experience beyond the certificate.
When does a yacht need a dedicated engineer?
Generally from around 24m upward, and earlier on yachts with complex systems or demanding charter schedules. Below that, engineering is often covered by the captain or an outside contractor.
What should I look for in a sole engineer?
Self-sufficiency and judgement. Working alone means knowing what to fix at sea, what to defer, and when to call for support — that decision-making matters more than breadth of certification.
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