As an engineer, I understand the frustrations of working in an engine room where access is very difficult. For example, getting behind generators and fixed plants, or under the deck plates and around pipe runs, can be a real challenge. You shouldn’t have to be a yoga master to retrieve a tool you’ve dropped, or gauge the quality of a yacht by how much blood you’ve shed from your knuckles!
As a crew agent, I’ve seen that good yacht engineers with sought-after experience and marine tickets can afford to be more selective. Alongside factors such as salaries, time off, rotation, or choosing to work as a couple, the type of yacht and the quality of the engine room are becoming increasingly important when considering a new position.
Once a yacht is built—or after a major refit and upgrade—the interior, while offering a reason for having a floating palace or adding to the “wow” factor on resale, tends to have fairly static costs and a long working life. In contrast, the engine room and engine spaces involve considerable ongoing costs in terms of man hours, consumables, and repairs.
Access is a major issue. Being able to reach equipment easily, without impacting the surrounding environment, is crucial. Having easily removable panels in the interior helps prevent that worn look in high-traffic areas, such as air conditioning and audiovisual equipment.
The engine room is the heart of any vessel, and absolutely nothing works without marine engineers attending to the operation of the equipment. The accessibility of equipment will affect how well the vessel fares as a long-term investment. The old adage, “If it looks right, then it is right,” holds true for access too, since “if the machinery spaces look right, the vessel is right as well.”
Joe Hodgson