Legal frame
Governing: π.δ. 141/2014 arts 11-13 and 33, as amended by π.δ. 111/2018. Builds on: Working on Yachts in Greece (the deck and engine ladders in outline).
Greek engineer officers hold a δίπλωμα Μηχανικού (diploma mechanikou, engineer's diploma) in one of three classes. The decree ties each class to sea service on ships above a stated power, and ties the privileges to kilowatts, not to tonnage. For yacht work that is the whole story: the size of the yacht matters for deck manning, the power of its engines matters for yours.
The three classes at a glance
| Title (STCW) | Route in | Engine-room command (chief engineer) |
|---|---|---|
| Μηχανικός Γ' (III/1) | 12 months' directed training on ships over 450 kW plus an ΑΕΝ (merchant marine academy) diploma; or 24 months (12 directed) with a vocational-lyceum marine-engineering certificate and the public school's special section | Up to 750 kW; up to 2,250 kW after 24 months as engine officer, 12 of them as second engineer |
| Μηχανικός Β' (III/2-III/3) | 24 months after Γ' as engine officer on ships over 750 kW, plus the KESEN or ΝΕΚΕ course | Up to 3,500 kW, or 4,000 kW on coastal voyages, after 12 months as second engineer |
| Μηχανικός Α' (III/2) | 24 months after Β' as first or second engineer on ships over 750 kW, plus KESEN/ΝΕΚΕ | Any power |
Below chief, the Γ' sails as third engineer at any power and as second engineer up to 3,000 kW after 12 months as third; the Β' sails as second engineer at any power.
CAUTION — 36 or 24 months? The 2014 text required 36 months for the Α' diploma. π.δ. 111/2018 replaced that with 24 months. Older summaries, including some Greek school leaflets, still quote 36.
Directed training is real training
The Γ' routes require a record book (εγχειρίδιο κατευθυνόμενης εκπαίδευσης) kept under a qualified officer and checked by an ΑΕΝ, with at least 6 months of engine-watch training entered in it. The safety set (basic, survival craft, advanced fire-fighting, first aid) comes from a public school or a licensed private provider (ΝΕΚΕ). There is no published national exam route for a yacht engineer to sit cold: the titles follow course graduation.
What "coastal" means
Art. 33 defines coastal voyages (παράκτιοι πλόες) as voyages between Greek ports, or between Greek and foreign ports without going more than 30 miles from the coast. The 4,000 kW privilege of the Β' depends on it. A yacht doing Athens-Mykonos-Bodrum close inshore is coastal; one crossing from Corfu to Malta is not.
Turning the limits into horsepower
The manning scale you will meet in Module 2 is written in BHP. Expressed at the decree's own parity (1 kW = 1.36 HP, art. 31), the chief-engineer limits read:
| Limit | kW | HP at 1.36 |
|---|---|---|
| Γ' basic | 750 | 1,020 |
| Γ' extended | 2,250 | 3,060 |
| Β' unlimited-area | 3,500 | 4,760 |
| Β' coastal | 4,000 | 5,440 |
TIP — check the person, not just the post The manning scale names a specialty. The decree decides whether that individual may run this engine room. A newly qualified Γ' is a chief engineer only to 750 kW, so on a yacht with twin 600 kW engines (1,200 kW total) he or she needs the extended 2,250 kW privilege.
Ages and fitness
Minimum ages are 19 for maritime-school graduates and 20 for other diploma candidates (art. 32), with medical fitness, especially sight and hearing. The minimum time from a fresh Γ' to an Α' is 48 months of qualifying service (24 + 24).