Yachts engineers, the technical knowledge and qualifications required, have come a long way since the turn of the century. Back in the day, with little or no regulations, the term engineer was used loosely in the yachting communit...
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The annual refit or yard period of a yacht is a time that many yacht captains and engineers dread. With endless lists of requirements for cost approval and ever more mandatory requirements for commercial registrations, is it more ...
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For several years the yachting industry has suffered a shortage of qualified engineers. Another problem has been the lack of transferability of engineering qualifications across different sectors of the marine industry. Marine Inf...
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When I first went to sea (don't ask when), we used things like Loran C and sextants, women were on the odd ship here and there, but the British fleet didn't start to accept them for many years to come. Being transgender, I have se...
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There seems to be some evidence that initial 2016 pay rates offered in commercial yachting are somewhat below the standard rates for the wider shipping industry. I would argue that the reasons behind this may potentially harm the ...
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Luxury yachting is still an industry in which men tend to hold deck and engineering roles while women more usually work in the interior department as stewardesses. However, a ground shift for gender equality in yachting is gatheri...
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The four winners of the Superyacht Scholarship Competition, launched by Alison Rentoul, The Crew Coach, were announced in a live webinar in March, chosen from a total of 263 applicants from all over the world. We recently caught u...
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In the beginning, there was light, then earth, then water. Approximately 97 percent of the earth’s water is salt water, 3 percent is fresh water and less than 1 percent of that is fit for human consumption. It's time we got smart ...
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YPI Crew speaks to Abigail Doherty, a superyacht engineer, about her experience of gaining employment in the yachting industry. One of the most exciting things about the yachting industry is the sheer variety of yacht crew jobs an...
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The Tier III regulations of the United Nations International Marine Organization (IMO) regarding marine emissions came into force on 1 January. They specify a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions by nearly 80% compared to Tier II...
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Over the coming months owners of superyachts will be looking very closely at the latest developments in the introduction of legislation from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) concerning the discharge of ballast water.
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Q: John, Chief Engineer, 41: "After several friends told me about luxury yachting I recently made the move over from commercial, but I don’t really understand what’s so great about yachting.
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This article is written with the dual aim of educating and preparing yacht Engineers, their Captains, Operators, Owners and Management Companies to best plan and comply with the regulations and good practice for the production, tr...
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The PYA and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) are working collaboratively to support Yacht engineers who are keen to progress their careers through Professional Registration qualifications, such as Chartered Engi...
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There are 90,000 ocean going cargo ships, and 85% of all ship pollution is in the northern hemisphere. With the increasing demand to reduce exhaust gas emissions created by fuel and engine selection, changes are afoot, and Tim Mos...
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All diesel engines produce soot as a product of combustion. A 99kW generator installed on a yacht before 2012 is allowed to produce over 700 grams (more than 1.5 pounds) of particulate matter (primarily soot) per day.
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While diving for treasure on a boat in the South Pacific, the first sign of trouble for engineer Mel Thunderbolt was when she first heard the engine rev a little too high.
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In light of the recent yacht fires in Genoa, engineer Mel Thunderbolt shares her own lucky escape from a serious engine room fire and the lessons learnt from the experience.
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It’s safe to assume that you are reading this because you like boats. Maybe you like the atmosphere aboard them and that feeling of being an important part of the crew; or perhaps you enjoy the engineering side; possibly even the ...
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Are computer-based programs the way forward, or is the old fashioned way of paper logs and the ‘Chief’s way of doing things’ still the better option?
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Mission impossible. On pain of dismissal, engineer Mel Thunderbolt must fly to MTU headquarters in Germany and carry a 37kg turbocharger back to Sardinia...all in 24 hours.
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Engineer Mel Thunderbolt loves boats. Sailing them, working on them and fixing them (although she could happily do without the shore power cable system.) Join her as she describes her sheer love of yachting, a lucky escape from an...
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We engineers have to have ‘know-how’ on every little thing, but I'd take a pair of overalls and the hot sweaty heartbeat of the engine room over a chamois any day.One day I will find myself doing an oil change on the main engines ...
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Not everyone who grows up in South Florida ends up the better for it. But Mike Wilson seems to be one of the few to have bucked that trend by taking advantage of the most visible industry in the region.
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Today, the concept of sustainability is both a ubiquitous and welcome concept that has affected not only modern industry but also most aspects of life in the 21st century. Businesswise, doing more with (much) less is now not so mu...
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Over the years, we have all worked on yachts with overall programs that vary from the very best to the very worst. The right overall package can be a very tough thing to find and is not something you just walk into either; it tak...
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This year marks the 120th anniversary of the ingenious inception of Dr. Rudolf Diesel’s eponymous creation, and few inventions of similar vintage can claim credit for markedly improving the quality of life of the globe’s populatio...
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Anyone working as an engineer in the marine industry, whether it be on yachts, commercial vessels, or anything in between, knows that organization, orders and tracking, spare parts and inventory are integral to a successful engine...
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The 25-year-old South Africa native left his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, in May of 2011 and moved to Antibes. After a lot of dockwalking, he eventually landed his current position: second engineer on M/Y Shooting Star. He...
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Although perhaps not as exciting as a new delivery or christening, there are few events more satisfying to owners, captains, and crews than an uneventful return to their vessel’s home port; as the boat approaches its mooring, the ...
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