Hire an ETO for Your Yacht

An ETO, or electro-technical officer, looks after a yacht’s electrical and electronic systems — navigation and communications equipment, entertainment systems, networks, lighting and automation. The role sits within the engineering department and has grown as yachts have become more heavily automated.

What a eto does on board

• Bridge and navigation electronics
• AV, IT and entertainment systems
• Networks, satellite communications and security systems
• Electrical fault finding and planned maintenance

What separates a good eto from a qualified one

Ask what they do when a system fails and the installer has gone out of business. Documentation habits matter enormously here, because the next person inherits whatever they leave behind. A strong ETO reduces contractor callouts more than any other single hire.

Certification and experience

Every eto 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 ETO Certificate of Competency
• STCW
• ENG1

Typical experience sought: 3+ years · Reports to Chief Engineer

The mistake we see most often

Assuming a general engineer can absorb the work. Modern yacht electronics are specialised enough that spreading them across the engineering department usually means nothing gets properly maintained until it fails.

How we find the right eto for your boat

1. Understand the yacht. Programme, crew structure and owner style, and how the eto will work with your chief engineer.
2. Search and screen. A small number of genuine candidates, each spoken to individually, with MCA ETO Certificate of Competency and STCW confirmed before you see them.
3. Reference in person. Direct conversations with previous chief engineers and captains, not a form sent by email.
4. Introduce and follow through. Introductions, then contact once they are aboard — the first eight weeks are when a placement either settles or does not.