[Hoodman]

I am seeking advice from engineers in the industry who might have found themselves in my position.
I am a marine engineer based in Cairns, Australia. I am 33 years old and only recently became involved in the marine industry. The reason for this was because I wanted to pursue a career on Super Yachts.
I have spent the past 3 years working on live aboard dive boats and more recently on merchant cargo vessels, and hold the Australian qualification on a Marine Engine Driver Grade 1 (MED1). I also hold the STCW95 safety certificate, ENG1 and am in the process of getting a B1/B2 visa.
While searching the web, I found a press release on the MCA site stating:
"MCA will accept holders of Australian Marine Engine Driver Class 1 and Marine Engineer Class 3 for direct entry to the MEOL (Y) examination."
Has anyone on this forum followed this path?
I am tossing up whether find work on a Yacht in Australia for 12 months, add some experience to my CV and then head to Europe. Or alternatively head to the UK shortly, do the oral exam for the MEOL and then try to find work in Florida around Oct/Nov.
Does anyone have any comments about either option or are there others that I have not yet considered.
I wish I had the option of taking things slow and steady, but I turn 34 this year and aware that young crew members are preferred. I would hate to have spent all this time and money chasing qualifications only to miss the boat because of my age.
Any comments would be appreciated.

[craigbellamy]

Forget the MCA, they are a load of crap, change the goal posts very similar to AMSA in Australia. If you would like go and do the MEOL but that is as far as I would go as to MCA Yacht tickets.

An Australian Commercial Class 3 will allow you to be cheif on anything upto 60m with 3000Kw or if you get the 6000kw endorsement. It is a far cheaper and usefull commercial tickets as you can use them if you don't like the yachting industry. The yachting industry is a far cry from the live abord dive boats running out of Cairns....... You will be very surprised!!!!

[Hoodman]

Thanks for your input, but the whole point of my request concerned work in the Yachting industry. I already work on commercial vessels running cargo in Australia's Torres straits, and want to escape the blokey/yobbo environment and move to Yachts where (and please correct me if I am wrong) I expect to find more exotic locations and a broader mined more cultured people. Returning to merchant shipping is not even nearly an option.
So anyone out there with advice on MCA engineering tickets please help a brother out.

[Marmot]

"... the whole point of my request concerned work in the Yachting industry."

In that case you should work in Oz to gain more seatime and upgrade your license. You can then apply for an MCA CeC for the same level as your national ticket, and also obtain a Cayman Islands endorsement. You don't have to go the MCA yacht route as a commercial ticket is valid on yachts and is worth far far more than the highly restricted Y ticket that is worthless anywhere other than onboard a yacht. Don't waste your seatime ... it might feel good to get a "big" yacht ticket now but it won't get you a motorman's job on a commercial vessel when you decide to leave yachting.

And it might be an opportunity to broaden your mind by working with less cultured people ...

[C4ENG]

If anything, spend your money in buying a Cayman Island endorsement for $300 using your Aus lic. Then you can satisfy the Safe Maning requirements set forth for any CI flagged vessel to charter with. A MCA lic will do the same thing but it will cost you multiple thousand dollars to do so..