All roles/Engineering/Assistant Engineer
Engineering
Assistant Engineer
The Assistant Engineer keeps the engine room, generators and guest systems running under the Chief or Second Engineer, doing the daily checks, maintenance and repairs that keep a yacht safe and comfortable.
- Department
- Engineering
- Reports to
- Second Engineer or Chief Engineer
- Yacht size
- 40m to 100m+
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent, some rotation
- Starting pay
- €3,000 per month
What the job is
You are the extra pair of hands in the engineering department. On a 50m motor yacht that usually means you work for a Chief Engineer and perhaps a Second. You do the morning engine room rounds, log temperatures and pressures, change filters, top up oils and keep the bilges clean. When something breaks, you are often the one who strips it down while a senior engineer diagnoses the fault.
A lot of the job is out of the engine room. Guests notice when the air conditioning stops, a cabin toilet blocks or the ice maker fails, and you fix those things quietly and fast. You also service the tenders and water toys, help the deck crew with launching and recovery, and refuel jet skis. On smaller yachts you may stand engine watches at sea and join the deck team for mooring.
This is the role where you learn the trade properly. You will work on main engines, generators, watermakers, sewage plants, hydraulics and fuel systems, and you will keep records in the planned maintenance system. Good assistants are tidy, careful with safety and ask good questions. Most use the sea time and experience here to work towards AEC 2, MEOL and their Y4 ticket.
What makes a good one
- Mechanical fault finding
- Basic electrical knowledge
- Planned maintenance discipline
- Tender and water toy servicing
- Working safely in confined spaces
A day in the life
- 06:30Start engine room rounds. Check generator running hours, oil levels, coolant, sea water strainers and bilges, and record readings in the log.
- 07:30Fuel and check the tenders and jet skis before guests wake. Test kill cords and battery levels on the water toys.
- 08:30Crew breakfast and a short meeting with the Chief Engineer to agree the day's jobs and any guest complaints from overnight.
- 09:30Clear a blocked guest shower drain and reset a cabin air conditioning unit while the stewardesses work around you.
- 11:00Planned maintenance on the watermaker: change pre-filters, check membrane pressures and update the maintenance system.
- 13:00Lunch, then help the deck team recover the seabob and refill the dive compressor bottles.
- 15:00Assist the Second Engineer changing an impeller on a generator raw water pump, then clean down the engine room.
- 18:00Evening rounds before guest dinner. Check the stabilisers, sewage plant and fridge temperatures in the galley stores.
- 21:00On call for the night. Stand down after a final check of alarms and the generator load.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for crew on 40m to 100m yachts, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the flag. Charter yachts add tips, often 5 to 15 percent of the charter fee shared across crew.
- France and Monaco
- €3,000 – 4,000
- Spain
- €3,000 – 3,900
- Italy
- €3,000 – 3,900
- United Kingdom
- £2,600 – 3,400
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,300 – 4,400
- Caribbean
- US$3,300 – 4,400
- UAE
- AED 12,000 – 16,000
- Australia
- A$5,000 – 6,700
- New Zealand
- NZ$5,500 – 7,400
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD
- AEC 1
Recommended
- AEC 2
- MEOL (Yacht)
- MCA Yacht Engineer Y4
- Advanced Fire Fighting
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- Relevant trade qualification (mechanical or electrical)
Visas
- Schengen
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
Assistant Engineer jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need a trade background to become an Assistant Engineer?
It helps a lot. Captains and Chief Engineers prefer candidates with a mechanical, electrical or automotive trade, but AEC 1 plus some practical experience on boats or engines can get you hired.
How long until I can get my Y4?
You need recorded sea service, MEOL (Yacht) and the required MCA modules. Most assistants who plan their time well reach Y4 in two to three years.
Will I only work in the engine room?
No. Expect to fix guest cabin systems, service tenders and toys, and help the deck crew with mooring and launching, especially on yachts under 60m.