Independent technical advisory
TelegraphMarine
Independent technical advisory for yachts, from a serving Chief Engineer.
A practical second pair of eyes on a yacht’s machinery, systems and project paperwork, for owners, buyers, brokers, management companies and captains. Remote or on-site, worldwide.
- Chief Engineer UnlimitedSTCW III/2 (Motor)
- 27 years at sea15 commercial, 12 on yachts
- Yachts 52–115 mDiesel-electric, Azipod, CPP, HV
- Melrose, ScotlandAvailable worldwide
Stand-alone service
On-call Technical Support
Direct access to a Chief Engineer Unlimited by WhatsApp message, voice or video call whenever you have an issue onboard. Send photos, videos, alarm logs and drawings, and get practical help to find the fault and fix it.
How to reach me
- WhatsApp message
- Voice call
- Video call
What it covers
- 4 hours of support a month
- Fault-finding on any machinery or system
- Analysis of technical drawings – electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and piping
- Review of photos, videos, alarm and trend logs
- A second opinion before calling in a contractor or accepting a quote
- Advice on maintenance, class, flag and compliance questions
- Any other technical question onboard
Consulting services
Engineer-led support, reporting only to you
Seven focused services for the moments when an independent technical view matters most: before you buy, before the contract is fixed, at the yard, on sea trials and when an engine department needs setting up properly.
Owners & buyers
Including family offices wanting advice that reports only to them.
Yacht brokers
Technical support for a client during a purchase.
Management companies
Extra engineering capacity for a refit, audit or crew gap.
Captains
Specification review, yard follow-up and engine department set-up.
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01
Pre-purchase technical inspection support
A machinery- and systems-focused inspection alongside (not instead of) your class or hull surveyor: engine room, power generation, propulsion, HVAC, fuel, bilge and fire systems, plus a review of maintenance records, PMS history, and class and flag status. Defects ranked by risk with a rough cost-to-rectify range; sea-trial attendance if needed.
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02
New-build & refit specification review
A line-by-line review of the technical specification, makers’ list and engine-room GA from an operator’s point of view: maintainability, access, redundancy, spares, crew workload and compliance gaps. You receive a marked-up specification, a prioritised comments list and one review call.
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03
Yard-visit owner’s-rep stints
Block periods at a yard or refit facility on the owner’s or manager’s behalf: progress and quality checks against specification, technical meetings, and tracking of open items and change requests. Daily notes and a weekly report with photos, open-items list and risks.
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04
Sea-trial & delivery acceptance support
Pre-trial review of the test programme, attendance at harbour acceptance tests and sea trials, witnessing of key tests and recording of results, ending in a punch list and acceptance recommendation. Can include handover documentation, spares and warranty items.
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05
Technical due diligence
A desk-based assessment of a yacht’s technical position for a buyer, lender or manager: class and flag status, survey history, overhaul and refit history, upcoming capital items such as engine overhauls and class renewals, and a three-to-five-year technical cost outlook in a concise written summary.
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06
Engine-room setup
Set-up or overhaul of engine-department systems: PMS structure and data load, running hours and inventory, SOPs, Chief Engineer’s standing orders, watchkeeping and handover routines, and a critical spares list. Delivered as editable documents and a populated PMS where access allows. For a full multi-department system, see the IDEA PMS build.
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07
Remote technical advisory retainer
A named engineer on call for a fixed number of hours each month: troubleshooting support, second opinions on quotes and service reports, refit planning, crew recruitment input and technical review of contracts or proposals. Monthly summary of time used.
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Not sure which fits?
Start with a free introductory call. We will talk through the yacht, the timetable and the decision you need to make; you then receive a written scope, fee and availability before any work starts.
Request a quote / free call
Not included: class, flag or insurance surveys, valuations and certification (I work alongside accredited surveyors and class); legal or contract-drafting advice; and authority to bind the client, approve variations or release payments unless agreed in writing.
Stand-alone service
IDEA Planned Maintenance System Build
A complete IDEA PMS built from scratch for your yacht, across every department, with all the data entry done for you. Planned, structured and loaded by a Chief Engineer Unlimited with hands-on IDEA implementation experience, then handed over to a crew trained to run it.
All departments, one system
- Engineering
- Deck
- Interior
- AV/IT
- Safety
What the build includes
- Equipment register and hierarchy: every system and component, structured logically by department and location.
- Maintenance jobs and intervals: taken from the manufacturers’ manuals and from class and flag requirements.
- Spares and inventory: parts linked to equipment, with locations and minimum stock levels.
- Running hours and counters: set up and seeded so hour-based jobs fall due correctly from day one.
- Certificates and surveys: class, flag and statutory items with expiry and due dates.
- Handover training: practical training for heads of department and crew, so the system stays in use.
Separate from the engine-room setup service: this is a full, multi-department PMS build and data load, priced as a fixed project.
What the yacht supplies
- Equipment list or the yard’s handover documentation
- Manufacturers’ manuals (digital)
- Class and flag survey schedule
- Current spares inventory, if there is one
- Current running hours
- IDEA licence and user access
- A named contact on board
About
James Mackie, Chief Engineer Unlimited
Twenty-seven years at sea, and still running an engine department, not just advising on one.
I hold a Chief Engineer Unlimited certificate (STCW III/2, Motor), with no tonnage or power limit. My first 15 years were in commercial shipping: offshore supply and anchor handling, Irish Sea and west-coast ferries, a DP2 flotel and cruise ships. The last 12 have been on large yachts from 52 m to 115 m.
I am currently Chief Engineer of a 55 m Damen support vessel and incoming Chief Engineer on a northern-European new-build. I consult during rotational leave, so on-site work is booked in blocks around my rotation and remote work is scheduled within agreed response times.
Project work has included managing an emergency drydock and an annual refit, delivering a 20-year yard period ahead of schedule, supporting a 25-year survey and refit (new generators, main switchboard and watermakers), and PSSC renewals with class and flag.
Key strengths
- IDEA PMS implementation
- SOPs and Chief Engineer’s standing orders
- Refit and drydock project management
- Azipod and diesel-electric propulsion
- Controllable-pitch propeller (CPP) plant
- DP maintenance
- High-voltage (HV) systems
- Budgets, spares and risk assessment
How it works
Clear scope, clear fee, then the work
No obligation and no surprises: you know exactly what you will receive, when and for how much before anything starts.
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Free introductory call
A short call to understand the yacht, the timetable and the decision you need to make. No charge and no obligation.
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Written scope and fee
You receive a written scope, fee estimate and availability, with any possible conflict of interest disclosed in writing, before any work begins.
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Delivery
The work is carried out remotely or on-site as agreed, ending in a plain-English written report with prioritised findings and a clear recommendation.
Independence
Advice that answers only to you
- No commissions from yards, suppliers or brokers. If a broker refers you, you are still the only party I advise.
- Conflicts disclosed in writing before any engagement; if a conflict cannot be managed, I decline.
- Discreet with client and employer information, always.
Templates
Engine-room documents, written by a Chief Engineer
Professionally formatted, editable templates drawn from real engine-department practice. Replace the bracketed placeholders, adapt them to your vessel and issue.
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Chief Engineer’s Standing Orders
A complete, controlled set of standing orders for the machinery spaces, from duty engineer responsibilities and when to call the Chief to UMS operation, bunkering and alarm handling.
- 20 sections plus vessel-specific limits appendix
- Permits, lock-out/tag-out, hot work, enclosed spaces
- Fire, flooding and blackout first actions
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Engine Room Watch Handover Sheet
A two-page form for every change of watch or duty, so nothing is lost between engineers: machinery status, tanks, defects, permits, isolations and alarms, signed by both.
- Machinery status and run hours at a glance
- Permits to work, LOTO and inhibited alarms
- Planned work, bunkering and Night Orders
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New-Build Commissioning & Delivery Checklist
The owner’s team engineering tracker from mechanical completion to handover, grouped by system across four phases, with witness codes and a punch list.
- Pre-launch, HAT, SAT / sea trials and delivery
- Certificates, manuals, spares, warranty, PMS set-up
- Delivery acceptance and defects log
Bundle · save £25
All three templates
Standing Orders, Watch Handover Sheet and Commissioning & Delivery Checklist together.
£110
Buy the bundleTemplate only. Adapt to your vessel’s SMS, flag and class requirements; not a substitute for them. Secure checkout and instant download via Gumroad.
Contact
Request a quote or a free introductory call
Tell me a little about the yacht, the timetable and what you need to decide. I will reply to arrange a short call, then send a written scope, fee estimate and availability.
- Email[email protected]
- BasedMelrose, Scottish Borders, UK
- CoverageRemote worldwide; on-site work booked around rotation