The Complete Guide to Becoming A Ship Engineer

Chapter 1: What Does a Ship Engineer Actually Do?

You hand the engineer a crescent wrench, and he looks at it like you've just offered him a strange artifact. He points to a fitting on the pipe you're working near, then holds up two fingers, then makes a twisting motion. He wants a twelve-inch adjustable wrench, not a crescent. You're not sure why it matters, but you go get it anyway. The engine is running loud enough that you can't hear yourself think, and the heat off the main diesel is already soaking through your coveralls. This is a normal Tuesday. If you're considering a career as a ship engineer, this is the world you're signing up for.

A ship engineer, sometimes called a marine engineer, is the person responsible for every piece of machinery on a vessel that isn't directly about steering or navigation. That sounds broad because it is. On a typical oceangoing cargo ship, that includes the main propulsion engine that pushes a 80,000-ton vessel through the water, the electrical generators that power everything from the bridge displays to the crew's coffee maker, the auxiliary boilers that heat the fuel oil and the water, the pumps that move seawater in for cooling and sewage out, the hydraulic systems that operate the steering gear, the refrigerated containers on deck, and the winches on the forecastle. When something breaks, you fix it. When nothing breaks, you're checking to make sure it won't.

Check and Record: The Watch

Imagine a