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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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?
Read More
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.
Read More
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...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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.
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
So, I have been in the industry long enough to have witnessed some interesting situations. Working for the ultra rich is always sure to prompt some interesting stories, and we all have them. I often get a call from a friend, crew...
Read More