A friend has just asked me about working on boats as a engineer . he is a qualified mechanic and got his national powerboat level 2 and stct95. He has been traveling volunteering and working small jobs ect. I have advised him to hit Palma and get a job as a deck hand for a season and if he likes the life style then to start the different courses for a engineer. he has just arrived in Palma and wants to know what next ? can any one help . any advice what he should do to get a job . Thanks .
Hi girl, he is in better situation than me. As knowing Palma, i advice, just go in marina, and ask every boat owner you see around. Go boats asking for help until you got an opportunity. If he is already deckhand, has the certifications and knowledge of mechanic, good. Enjoy sea then. I was engineer and it is a boring profession. Regards.
Handbags at the ready and ...........................GO!!!!!! Real Engineers enjoy problem solving, not just changing the oil and filters.
If your friend wishes to make a career as a yacht engineer, he needs to apply to the MCA for a Letter of Initial Assessment. This will tell him where he stands on exemptions he may have due to his mechanic qualifications and experience to the commercial yacht equivalents. If he takes a job as a deckhand, any seatime he accrues will not count towards seatime needed for onward tickets unless he obtains a job as a Deckhand/engineer when he will get half. Worst case he will have to start at the bottom of the ladder and do an AEC course. He won't gain any employment on a commercial vessel as an engineer unless he has at least this. If he weights his CV towards his mechanic experience he may be able to get a job on a privately run yacht, but there is a lot more to being a yacht engineer than just repairing equipment within his comfort zone, eg. fresh water managament, sewage treatment, refrigeration, ballasting. Gaining some daywork employment may help him to get some experience in the layout of engine rooms, meet some personalities and generally network. I Hope that this helps.
If the boat chosen by boatgirl's friend needs to have its problems solved....an advice....just change of boat ! Here, in spring and summertime some owners put the bill "no day job". The best is to ring every yacht bell. Good luck.