CHRISTOPHER’S STORY

Crew Position: Engineer

Favourite Place: Rio de Janerio

I work on a 57 metre motor yacht, which has 15 crew and I’m a engineer. After dropping the owner and guests in Naples, our superyacht yacht has departed for a 3 day passage to Venice in order to pick up the boss and 9 guests.

I often have watch-duty as the junior engineer. For example, at midnight I relieve the chief engineer, after a quick hand-over I find out that all is well and no alarm. The next thirty minutes is spent clambering all over the machinery space reading various dials and gauges, noting important temperatures, pressures and levels. During the day I combine deck duties with my engineering work. Once watch duty is done I head back up to the bridge to see where my deckie friends are. To my relief they have been scrubbing the yacht hard and fast in preparation for the guests’ arrival so there’s less for me to do.

The next day we bunker 60,000 litres of diesel, take on provisions and wash down the entire boat again before the boss arrives the next morning. Happily I look forward to the prospect of a few beers in St Mark’s Square when the work is done.