All roles/Dual roles/Engineer / Deckhand
Dual roles
Engineer / Deckhand
An Engineer / Deckhand keeps the engines, generators and systems running on a smaller yacht and works the deck the rest of the time, driving tenders, washing down and handling lines.
- Department
- Dual roles
- Reports to
- Captain
- Yacht size
- 25m to 45m
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent
- Starting pay
- €3,500 per month
What the job is
An Engineer / Deckhand covers two departments on yachts that are too small to carry a full engine team. You run the machinery and you also work on deck. Mornings start in the engine room with checks on generators, main engines, watermakers and the black water system. Then you swap overalls for deck uniform to wash down, run the tender and handle lines when the yacht moves. On most boats in the 25m to 45m range, you are the only engineer on board.
The engineering side is practical. You log running hours, change oil and filters, clean sea strainers, service the outboards and jet skis, and fault find when the air conditioning trips at midnight. You keep the planned maintenance system up to date and order spares through the captain. Bigger jobs, like a generator top end or a stabiliser service, go to contractors in port, but you prepare the work, supervise it and check it afterwards.
Captains hire this role because one capable person saves a cabin and a salary. Expect to be busy. When guests are aboard you drive the tender, launch toys, help with mooring and still answer every alarm. In return you get hands on time with every system and a strong case for your next engineering ticket. Many people use the role to build sea service toward a Y4 or to move from deck into a sole engineer job.
What makes a good one
- Diesel engine and generator maintenance
- Fault finding on electrical and plumbing systems
- Confident tender and jet ski handling
- Line handling and mooring
- Planned maintenance record keeping
A day in the life
- 06:30Engine room rounds. Check generator oil and coolant, bilges, watermaker pressures and the sewage plant, then log readings.
- 07:15Change into deck uniform and help the deck crew chamois the topsides and wash the teak before guests wake.
- 08:30Fuel and check the tender and jet skis, test the kill cords and launch the toys off the swim platform.
- 10:00Run guests ashore to Puerto de Sóller in the tender and stand by for the return trip.
- 12:30Back on board, clear a high temperature alarm on the port generator. A blocked sea strainer, cleaned and logged.
- 14:00Drive the tender for waterskiing and supervise guests on the jet skis around the anchorage.
- 17:00Recover the toys, rinse them with fresh water and refuel. Help the bosun with stern lines as the yacht moves to a new anchorage.
- 19:00Evening engine room check, top up the day tank and update the planned maintenance system with the day's work.
- 21:30Final rounds, set the alarms to your cabin and you are on call overnight.
Pay by country
Monthly crew salary on yachts of 25m to 45m, with food and accommodation on board. Charter yachts usually add tips of 5 to 15 percent of the charter fee, shared among crew.
- France and Monaco
- €3,500 – 4,800
- Spain
- €3,300 – 4,500
- Italy
- €3,300 – 4,500
- United Kingdom
- £3,000 – 4,100
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- Caribbean
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- UAE
- AED 14,000 – 19,000
- Australia
- A$5,800 – 8,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$6,300 – 8,700
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD
- AEC 1
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Recommended
- AEC 2
- MEOL (Yacht)
- Y4
- RYA PWC
- Efficient Deck Hand (EDH)
- HELM (Operational)
Visas
- Schengen
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
Where it leads
- Deckhand
- Engineer / Deckhand
- Sole Engineer
- Second Engineer
- Chief Engineer
Engineer / Deckhand jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to be a qualified engineer to get this job?
No full engineering ticket is required. Most captains want STCW, ENG1 and AEC 1, plus real mechanical experience, and AEC 2 or an MEOL makes you a much stronger candidate.
Is the work split evenly between deck and engine room?
It depends on the boat and the season. In port and during yard periods you spend more time on engineering, and on a busy charter you may spend most of the day on deck and in the tender.
Does sea service in this role count towards engineering tickets?
Yes, time spent on engineering duties can count towards MEOL and Y4 sea service if it is properly recorded. Keep a detailed record of engine room hours and have the captain sign it off.