Marine Ship Engineer Officer

A Marine Engineer Officer (or Maritime Engineer Officer) is a licensed seafarer responsible for the safe operation, maintenance, and repair of a ship’s technical systems and machinery. These professionals are trained as engineering technicians and play a critical role in ensuring the vessel’s operational efficiency, crew safety, and environmental compliance.

Marine Engineer Officers oversee a wide range of systems, including:

• Main propulsion systems
• Auxiliary machinery
• Piping systems
• Automation and control systems

Their expertise spans multiple disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, chemistry, steam generation, and gas turbines.

Key Responsibilities of a Marine Engineer Officer

Marine Engineer Officers are tasked with:

1. Operating and Maintaining Ship Machinery: Ensuring the smooth functioning of propulsion systems, generators, and auxiliary equipment.
2. Safety and Compliance: Adhering to international regulations, including the STCW Convention and MARPOL, to ensure crew safety and environmental protection.
3. Troubleshooting and Repairs: Diagnosing and fixing technical issues to minimize downtime and ensure operational continuity.
4. Monitoring Systems: Overseeing fuel, lubrication, water distillation, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems.
5. Documentation: Maintaining logs and records of machinery performance, maintenance, and repairs.

Qualifications and Certifications

To become a Marine Engineer Officer, individuals must meet specific requirements:

1. STCW Certification: Compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW).
2. Seagoing Service: Accumulate the required sea service hours as per STCW guidelines.
3. Medical Fitness: Pass a medical examination to ensure physical and mental fitness for duty.
4. Ancillary Certificates: Obtain additional certifications for specialized vessels, such as LNG carriers or offshore platforms.

The STCW Code, particularly Chapter III (Engine Department), outlines the competencies and certifications required for Marine Engineer Officers. Major revisions to the STCW Convention occurred in 1995 and 2010, emphasizing higher standards of training and safety.

Types of Vessels for Marine Engineers

Marine Engineer Officers can work on various types of vessels, depending on their training and expertise:

• Container Ships
• Tanker Ships
• Bulk Carriers
• Passenger Ships
• Coastal and Ferry Vessels
• Dynamic Positioning (DP) Vessels
• Offshore Platforms
• Port-Assisting Vessels (Tugs, Barges, etc.)

Importance of Marine Engineers

Marine Engineer Officers are essential for crew safety, ensuring the safe operation of ship machinery and systems. They also play a key role in environmental protection by complying with regulations like MARPOL to minimize pollution and safeguard marine ecosystems. Additionally, they maintain operational efficiency by preventing machinery breakdowns and ensuring smooth voyages.

Their expertise is also valuable in related fields, including military ships, submarines, port technical departments, and offshore platforms, making them indispensable across the maritime industry.

STCW Convention and Marine Engineering

The STCW Convention, established in 1978 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), sets international standards for training, certification, and watchkeeping. Key revisions in 1995 and 2010 introduced stricter requirements to enhance safety and environmental protection. The STCW Code provides detailed provisions for:

• Minimum standards of competence.
• Certification and revalidation requirements.
• Watchkeeping duties for Engineer Officers.

Engineer Officers of the Watch (EOOW)

Under the STCW Convention, the Engineer Officer of the Watch (EOOW) is responsible for:

• Monitoring the ship’s main propulsion plant and auxiliary systems.
• Ensuring safe and efficient operation of machinery.
• Performing duties as prescribed by regulations and competent authorities.

Ship Engineering department and watchkeeping

An engine or engineering department is an organisational unit aboard a ship responsible for operating, maintaining, and repairing the propulsion systems and support systems for the crew, passengers, and cargo. To be an Engineer Officer Of the Watch (EOOW) and have the license for it, there are three basic requirements: Age, Seagoing service, and Education/training according to STCW that results in evidence of the standard of competence, called Certificate of Competency (CoC). Currently, due to the increase in automation on commercial vessels and the increase in unattended machinery spaces (UMS), the number of engine officers has dramatically decreased on board merchant ships to cut the costs for ship owners/operators. 

Today, the engine department usually consists of the following number of engine officers and ratings for a typical cargo ship:

• (1) Chief engineer
• (1) Second engineer (sometimes this rank is named First Engineer)
• (1-2) Third engineer
• (1-2) Fourth engineer
• Engine Cadet
• (0-2) Motorman/Fitter/technician
• (0-2) Oiler
• (0-2) Wiper/Greaser

Many vessels also carry a specific type of engine officer known as an Electro-Technical Officer (ETO). Depending on the type of the ships, multiple ETOs may look after the electrical and electronic systems and apparatus. Typically, a ship’s engine department is run by the engine officers in charge, with the bits of help from engine ratings:

• Machinist/Fitter/technician: A rating who is specialised and experienced in fabrication, welding, etc.
• Motorman: qualified engine rating who stands a watch with the engine officer, performs routine tasks, and assists engine officers during maintenance.
• Oiler: A rating responsible for ensuring that machinery is adequately lubricated, other tasks such as cleaning, sounding tanks etc.
• Wiper: Usually, the lowest rating in the engine room and is tasked with keeping the machinery spaces clean and tidy.

 Marine Engineer Officers’ income

A candidate becomes eligible to work on ships after 3-4 years of a marine engineering degree course (after pursuing required supplementary courses). A fresh marine engineering graduate will join a ship as a junior engineer, usually for six months as a 4th or 3rd marine engineer. Beginning marine engineers usually work under the supervision of experienced engineers. Gaining a good amount of experience and based on performance, a company will provide a promotion. After completing the required sea time as a third engineer, one can give Class II exams to become a second engineer. Similarly, after finishing the necessary sea time and gaining a good amount of experience, a second engineer can take the Class I exam to get promoted to chief engineer. Note that the promotion is a process that might differ in the country and company one belongs to.

The salary of a marine engineer mainly depends on the ship he/she is working on, the shipping company, and the experience level. It may vary based on one’s nationality, and the country one belongs to. A rough example of the payments for marine engineers involved in international voyages on a cargo ship is listed below ( in USD$/month); it is a roughly estimated range and varies according to the earlier factors.

Fourth engineer – $2000-3000
Third engineer – $3000-5000
Second engineer – $4500 – $9000
Chief engineer -$7000 – $13000

How to Become a Marine Engineer?

Marine engineering is a job that has gained attraction in the last decades. The growth of international shipping activities across the seas also positively impacted marine engineering with an unprecedented rise in global trading. All this has positively impacted the job market in this dynamic sector. Certain attributes are pre-requisites for a marine engineer. Some colleges and institutes offer both degree and post-graduate marine engineering courses. It is supposed to be the first base for someone with ambitions of becoming a marine engineer. The eligibility required to take admission in these courses is the same worldwide: senior secondary certificate.

The length of the engineering graduate course may vary slightly in some countries; generally, it is 3.5-4 years, wherein the student undergoes comprehensive training in both theoretical and practical aspects of the science. The theoretical subjects include, apart from English,  computer science, applied mathematics, physics, electronics and marine management. Besides these, many other topics are covered, and students are educated regarding environmental science, maritime commerce and control systems, etc. This training is necessary for anyone aspiring to be a marine engineer or wanting a merchant navy job because it adds to the mental abilities and inculcates physical attributes.

Future opportunities after studying Marine Engineering

Marine engineers find jobs in Shipping firms, Navy, Shipyards, Engine manufacturing companies, Shipbuilding firms, Ship design firms, Maritime universities, Ship classification societies,  Research Institutions, etc.

A Master of Science (MSc) degree in any maritime or marine discipline can pave the way for the shore job markets related to the maritime industry. These MSc programmes emphasize the practical applications of expertise. They offer an overview of the complex, inter-related maritime and ocean fields and the opportunity to specialize. These programmes are usually designed to respond directly to the maritime industry’s real needs and equip graduates with the skills needed today and in the future. It is academically challenging, professionally oriented, and designed for ambitious, mid-career maritime professionals. It provides a particularly strong foundation for those intending to move into either a national or an international career. In any case, the most successful in this field were those who had a clear idea of what they wanted out of this industry and which of their characteristics suited it the best.

With the recent studies predicting steady growth in the global economy and trade, this industry is more or less set to keep progressing. This is because ‘shipping’ is still the easiest, cheapest, and most environmental-friendly mode of transport worldwide. Therefore the profile of a marine (maritime) engineer would remain a centre of attraction for the youths for years.

Source: MaritimEducation.com