All roles/Engineering/Relief Chief Engineer
Engineering
Relief Chief Engineer
A Relief Chief Engineer takes full charge of a yacht's machinery while the permanent chief is on leave, keeping the boat safe, legal and running so the programme never stops.
- Department
- Engineering
- Reports to
- Yacht Captain
- Yacht size
- 40m to 150m+
- Contract
- Short term relief, usually 2 to 12 weeks
- Starting pay
- €450 per day
What the job is
You step into the chief's role on a yacht you may never have seen before, often for two to eight weeks while the permanent chief takes leave, recovers from injury or waits for a replacement. You carry the same legal responsibility as the full time chief. That means the main engines, generators, watermakers, HVAC, sewage plant, fuel and every system that keeps guests comfortable and the yacht compliant with its flag and class.
The skill is getting up to speed fast. A good handover covers open defects, the planned maintenance system, running hours, fuel figures, bunkering history and any quirks the outgoing chief knows by feel. You walk every space, read the logs and learn the alarm panel before the first guest arrives. You manage the engine team you inherit, keep their morale steady and avoid rewriting systems that work.
You leave the yacht in the same or better state than you found it. That means accurate logs, completed maintenance, ordered spares and a clear written handover back to the permanent chief. Relief chiefs who are reliable, calm under pressure and easy to work with get called back by the same captains and management companies, and many build a full year of work from repeat bookings while keeping long periods at home.
What makes a good one
- Fast systems familiarisation
- Fault finding under pressure
- Planned maintenance and logs
- Leading an inherited team
- Clear written handovers
A day in the life
- 06:30Engine room rounds before anyone else is up. Check generator load, bilges, sea water strainers and the overnight alarm log.
- 07:15Coffee with the Second Engineer to agree the day's jobs. He knows this boat better than you, so you ask about the port stabiliser fin noise he flagged yesterday.
- 08:00Brief the captain on fuel remaining, weather routing and readiness for the crossing. Confirm mains warmed through and steering tested.
- 09:00Depart Palma. Stand in the engine control room watching exhaust temperatures and gearbox pressures until the yacht settles at cruising speed.
- 11:00Work through the planned maintenance system, closing out a watermaker membrane flush and logging generator running hours.
- 13:30Arrive at anchor off Ibiza. Shut down the mains, balance generator load for the afternoon and help the deck team with a tender fuel issue.
- 15:30Guest cabin reports no air conditioning. Trace it to a tripped fan coil breaker, reset, then find the root cause so it does not happen at 02:00.
- 17:30Spares and admin. Order filters for the next service, update the defect list and add notes to the handover document you started on day one.
- 21:00Final rounds, set the alarm duty for the night and check the black water tank levels before guests come back aboard from dinner.
Pay by country
Relief chiefs are usually paid a day rate, typically €450 to €800 a day on 40m to 80m yachts and higher on 100m+ and large technical builds. Figures below are monthly equivalents for a full 30 day relief, plus travel paid by the yacht. Charter tips are shared with crew when the relief falls in a charter period.
- France and Monaco
- €13,500 – 21,000
- Spain
- €13,500 – 21,000
- Italy
- €13,500 – 21,000
- United Kingdom
- £11,500 – 18,000
- USA (Florida)
- US$14,500 – 23,000
- Caribbean
- US$14,500 – 23,000
- UAE
- AED 53,000 – 84,000
- Australia
- A$22,000 – 35,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$24,000 – 38,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- MCA Chief Engineer (Yacht) Y3, Y2 or Y1 to suit the vessel
- HELM (Management)
- Advanced Fire Fighting
- Medical First Aid
- PDSD
Recommended
- Medical Care
- Ship Security Officer
- Manufacturer engine courses (MTU, Caterpillar, MAN)
- High voltage training
- Proficiency in Survival Craft
Visas
- Schengen
- US C1/D
- US B1/B2
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
Relief Chief Engineer jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have been a permanent chief before doing relief work?
In practice, yes. Captains want someone who has already held the chief's role on a similar size yacht, because there is no time to learn the job during a relief.
How much work can a relief chief expect in a year?
It varies, but a well known relief chief with good references often works six to nine months a year from repeat bookings. The first year is usually patchier while you build contacts.
Who pays for my flights and accommodation?
The yacht normally pays return travel and you live on board for the relief. Agree this, plus the day rate and any travel day pay, in writing before you fly.