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Do we need one on a superyacht?
ETO stands for Electro Technical Officer; many larger yachts have a full-time ETO. There is an official maritime certificate of competency as ETO, recognised by the International Maritime Organisation. On a merchant ship, this person would maintain the radios and the radars, the computer networks, and the navigation systems. They might also work as an electrician and perhaps, on vessels driven by battery power, as a High Voltage electrician. So, is this what they do on superyachts? The short answer is no! Although this person might be called the ‘ETO’ they may well not hold a merchant Navy CoC and the job description could be very different. In fact, on superyachts the role is sometimes described as ‘AV/IT Officer’; this gives a clue to the distinct function of this job in yachting.
What Does an ETO do?
Merchant ships have plenty of technology to keep the ETO busy, but a modern superyacht has cutting-edge technology at the very beating heart of its operation: drawing the curtains, turning on lights, listening to music and watching TV might all be provided by an iPad and an interconnecting web of electronic systems. Many of the tasks undertaken by superyacht technicians are not taught in ETO training which is why there are very few such ETOs working in yachts. They are usually considered part of the engineering department and report to the Chief Engineer.
Why is the Role of ETO Becoming More Important?
Even 15 years ago most yachts did not carry an electronics specialist, only the very largest which had early AV systems and huge satellite TV dishes. Back in those days, even large yachts had cupboards full of DVDs and CDs, usually with a folder containing a neatly typed catalogue to choose from. The main challenge was to keep the discs in the correct boxes and in the right place on the shelf! The Captain and the Chief Engineer between them could stay across all the technology onboard. What has happened in the intervening years is a gradual explosion of tech. Due to the proliferation of Wi-Fi at sea, 3G, 4G and then 5G mobile data networks, low earth orbit communication satellites, iPads and other tablets, and smartphones…. the pace of change is accelerating. Guests now use tablets to lower the blinds, turn off the lights and choose a movie; or maybe choose from their Spotify playlist in the gym. At the same time, the crew are using them to log planned maintenance or to make safety reports. Technical managers can now sit in offices in Monaco or London and monitor the performance of the engines, check fuel levels and have video meetings with crew members.
What qualifications does an ETO require?
Now here lies an interesting challenge: we have already seen that the Merchant Navy “ETO’ certificate does not cover the skills required in a superyacht. So how do they get trained? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that! This is quite a challenge: one of the newest and most important functions within the crew of a professional yacht has no structured training at all. Those with the merchant navy certificate are allowed by law to title themselves as “ETO” but have to educate themselves in the many facets of the job for which they have not been trained. Others might have been working as, perhaps, network engineers in a bank or installation technicians in a shipyard; they too will be responsible for the gaps in their knowledge and skills. Some crew start as deckhands with a keen interest in technology and train themselves until they convince someone to employ them in technical roles. For sure, there are plenty of courses out there; companies like Microsoft and Apple have well-regarded courses leading to widely recognised qualifications, but what level do we need? Some of them are entry-level and others very advanced indeed. How does a non-specialist captain or yacht manager know the difference? There are plenty of manufacturer’s courses out there but, again, are they relevant? It is probably true to say that most yachts will not know whether their new electronic technician is any good until something needs fixing (probably in the middle of a charter!). There is also an issue with the majority of yachts that do not carry a specialist. There are now 55m yachts with AV/IT officers on rotation, but it is certainly true to say that most yachts do not carry a specialist. Is there a training mission for all deck, interior and engineering crew?
General training for all crew?
Several international maritime conventions that affect yachts have consequences here. The STCW Convention now requires the crew to be trained in cyber security, but most flag states have yet to define this training and it has been left to management companies to interpret the requirement themselves. The European GDPR convention (General Data Protection Regulations) also imposes requirements on yachts and management companies: both of these have become a rich seam of revenue for consultants selling advice.
Superyacht technical companies, both manufacturers and installers, are regularly heard complaining about the level of technical general knowledge of yacht crew. Sometimes engineers are sent to visit yachts for problems that could have been diagnosed over the phone or by email had the crew had some basic knowledge and technical language to be able to communicate the issue. Sometimes a reading of the instruction manual is all that is needed!
What is the solution?
At last year’s Superyacht Technology Conference in Barcelona (October in the World Trade Centre) this whole question was discussed. John Wyborn (Head of Bluewater’s Training Division and current MYBA President) presented an initiative supported by MYBA, the PYA and IAMI (an association of maritime training providers) and the Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss). A working group comprising yacht training providers, yacht technology manufacturers and installers and association representatives have been working over the last 18 months to create a definition of what tech skills are needed by the crew on a yacht and by the electrotechnical specialist. The new training standard was launched as a consultation document at the show. For more information click here.
“The MCA and other flag states, quite correctly, are only concerned with safety. They are not concerned about levels of service or performance. This is a rare example of our industry pulling together to set its own standards. It is a clear sign of how we are maturing as a maritime sector. It’s very exciting” John Wyborn. MYBA PRESIDENT.
Interested in watching John Wyborn’s speech on YouTube? Click here.
