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Marine engineering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marine Engineers are the members of a ship's crew that operate and maintain the propulsion and other systems onboard the vessel. Marine Engineering staff also deal with the "Hotel" facilities onboard, notably the sewage, lighting, air conditioning and water systems. They deal with bulk fuel transfers, and require training in firefighting and first aid, as well as in dealing with the ship's boats and other nautical tasks- especially with cargo loading/discharging gear and safety systems, though the specific cargo discharge function remains the responsibility of deck officers and deck workers.
Sometimes, they are involved in the design and construction of these complicated systems. New design is mostly included within the naval architecture or ship design. The field is closely related to mechanical engineering, although the modern engineer requires knowledge (and hands on experience) with electrical, electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic, chemistry, control engineering, naval architecture, process engineering, gas turbines and even nuclear technology on certain military vessels.
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A ship's crew is divided into two distinct sections: those who navigate the ship and those who maintain the machinery and controls, carrying out all repair functions on-board. The navigators are deck officers and report to the Master (also functionally referred to as Captain), which is a Naval rank. Engineers are running and maintaining all machinery, reporting to the Chief Engineer. Also on board are the crew or 'Ratings', who are 'other ranks' or hands who, though not officers, play a key role in running the ship by assisting the officers in daily operations. In the Engine department, this includes Wiremen (who assist Electrical Officers), Fitters, Motormen (or donkey greasers, depending on nomanclature)and Wipers or utilitymen who play a large role in the daily upkeep of the engine room.
The original term Engineers (on a ship) meant the technical people who dealt with the engines , as opposed to the Consulting Engineer concept (their counterparts on land). Marine Engineers are generally more 'hands on', and often get dirty, sweaty and work in arduous conditions with temperatures in the engine room spaces exceeding 45 - 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Patience and a logical approach needs to be maintained at all times, especially when dealing with heavy machinery in a seaway. Managing the 'rough' engine-room crew is not a job for the faint hearted !
There are 4 classifications of Marine Engineering licences throughout the merchant marine, those being Chief Engineer, First Assistant/Second Engineer, Second Assistant/Third Engineer, and Third Assistant/Fourth Engineer. Those who join without experience are Fifth Engineers / Trainee Marine Engineers (TMEs) or Junior Engineers. Those who join without an engineering licence are given the rank of Engine Cadet. Engine Cadets usually only work under the supervision of a watchkeeping engineer. They are mostly only day workers and are usually given one day off per week to study for gaining their licences. Engine Cadets are generally poorly paid and are often the target for the worst jobs and practical jokes.
A common Engineering crew for a ship is:
- (1) Chief Engineer
- (1) Second Engineer / First Assistant Engineer
- (1) Third Engineer / Second Assistant Engineer
- (1-2) Fourth Engineer / Third Assistant Engineer
- (0-2) Fifth Engineer / Junior Engineer
- (1-3) Oiler (unlicenced qualified rating)
- (0-3) Greaser/s (unlicensed qualified rating)
- (1-5) Entry-level rating (such as Wiper (occupation), Utilityman, etc)
A common crewing for a United States Merchant ship is a little bit different, it is typically:
- (1) Chief Engineer
- (1) First Assistant Engineer
- (1) Second Assistant Engineer
- (1) Third Assistant Engineer
- (1) Deck Engine Utility (Whom will work in the Enginer room four hours per day cleaning up)
Engineer Officers bear the same number of stripes, on cuffs and on epaulettes, as Deck Officers with the complementary rank. For instance, a Chief Engineer bears 4 stripes, as a Captain does, but they are distinguished by the cuffs and epaulettes bearing the Engineer's Blue or purple between the stripes. There is a popular legend that Engineers wear the color purple, granted by the King (royal purple) in honor of the RMS Titanic's Engineers who never abandoned their stations and went down with the ship. But that colorful story is not quite correct, for such an insignia has been worn by Royal Navy engineers at least since 1864. A more probable origin dates back to the 1830s, when Joseph Whitworth invented the method of making truly accurate flat surfaces, by using Engineer's blue. The method is also used for testing bearing and journal surfaces. It may be this color, that Engineers wear.
A different means, of differentiating Engineering officers from Deck officers, is by the insignia above the stripes. In some merchant fleets, a propeller is located above the Engineer's stripes, whilst an anchor or a diamond is located above the Deck officer's stripes.
- Engine room
- List of maritime colleges
- Naval Postgraduate School - Monterey, California
- United States Merchant Marine Academy - Kings Point, New York
- United States Coast Guard Academy - New London, CT
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg, VA
- World Maritime University
Maritime Resources
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- Directory of Maritime Links
- SeaLibrary Online (IMO Library Catalogues)
- CMTI - Compendium of Maritime Training Institutes (Maritime Colleges Database - CMTI)
- Working Life on Board Ship
- Web site for professional Marine Engineers worldwide
- Canadian Coast Guard College
Maritime Associations
- Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research
- The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology
- The Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers, Singapore
- Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering
- Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
- Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Dept. of Technical University Athens
- American Society of Naval Engineers