Yacht engineering has a supply problem. Deck officers are plentiful, qualified engineers are not, and the reason is that the MCA's engineering route has always looked more demanding than the deck route. Plenty of people who would have made good engineers went and did Yachtmaster instead.

That gap is an opportunity if you are willing to start here.

AEC 1 is the entry point, and it is deliberately accessible. You do not need engineering experience, an apprenticeship or a technical background. It is designed for people with the bare minimum of exposure to machinery, and for those with non-maritime technical training who need a route into the industry-specific qualifications.

There is one thing about AEC 1 worth understanding before anything else. Qualifying sea service for every higher engineering qualification is only recognised if you already hold this certificate. Time served without it does not count retroactively. Engineering progression does not begin until AEC 1 is in hand, which makes the timing of this course more important than most.

It also has value for people who never intend to be engineers. Captains of smaller yachts, where there is no dedicated engineer aboard, are considerably more employable with basic engineering certification alongside their deck tickets. On a 24-metre boat, the person who can diagnose a fuel problem at three in the morning is the person who gets hired.

Only MCA-approved providers can deliver this training.

The syllabus covers diesel engines and the systems around them. Practical work runs throughout rather than being saved for the end.

AEC 1 is the gateway to the MCA engineering route. Everything above it, including AEC 2 and the qualifications beyond, depends on holding it first.

The demand position is genuinely favourable. Properly qualified yacht engineers are in short supply while deck officers are not, which is unusual in an industry where most entry routes are crowded.

Two things are worth knowing before you book:

You need the STCW modules. Basic Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid and PSSR are required before the certificate can be issued. If you do not hold them, do the STCW course first.

You must be 18. No exceptions on this one.

The natural next step is AEC 2, which builds directly on this syllabus and is also run at Simons Town over five days.