Captain / Engineer

On yachts of roughly 24m to 40m there is often no room or budget for a separate engineer. The captain holds both jobs. You are the master in law, responsible for the vessel, the crew and every guest on board. You are also the person who changes the generator impeller, chases the fault in the watermaker and signs off the engine hours. Owners hire this role because they want one trusted person who knows the boat end to end.

The captain side covers passage planning, navigation, berthing, weather calls, crew management, budgets, port paperwork and talking to the owner or management company. The engineering side covers planned maintenance, daily engine room checks, fuel and oil management, black and grey water systems, air conditioning, tenders and toys. You will also deal with contractors in the yard and decide which jobs you do yourself and which go to a specialist.

Crews are small, usually three to six people, so you lean on a capable mate to take the wheel while you work below. The days are long during a trip, and the winter refit period is where your engineering skill saves the owner real money. You need to be calm with guests on the aft deck and comfortable with your hands in the bilge an hour later. It suits experienced skippers who came up through mixed deck and engine roles.