An engineering officer or simply engineer, is a

licensed mariner A licensed mariner is a sailor who holds a license from a maritime authority to hold senior officer-level positions aboard ships, boats, and similar vessels. Qualification standards for licensed mariners are universally set by the STCW Conventi ...

qualified and responsible for operating and maintaining the propulsion plants and support systems for a

watercraft Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...

and its crew, passengers and cargo.Wise Geek
''What is the Engine Department on a US Merchant Ship?''
/ref> Engineering officers are usually educated and qualified as

engineering technicians An engineering technician is a professional trained in skills and techniques related to a specific branch of technology, with a practical understanding of the relevant engineering concepts. Engineering technicians often assist engineers and engi ...

. Ship engineers are responsible for propulsion and other ship systems such as: electrical power generation plant; steam boilers;

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylig ...

; fuel oil; lubrication;

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

and separation;

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

;

refrigeration The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...

;

sewage treatment Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding e ...

and water systems on board the vessel. They require knowledge and hands-on experience with electric power,

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

, pneumatics,

hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...

, chemistry, steam generation,

gas turbine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directio ...

s and even nuclear technology on certain military and civilian vessels.

Ranks and titles

There are several types and ranks of engine officer that are employed in the engine department of a ship

Watchstanding officers

Chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer ...

: In charge of the engine department.A chief engineer shares rank equivalent to ship's captain. *

Second engineer A second engineer or first assistant engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. This title is used for the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine depa ...

: In charge of the day-to-day running of the engine department. Often in charge of main engine maintenance. Takes the 4–8 watch. *

Third engineer A third engineer or second assistant engineer is a rank of engine officer who is part of the engine department on a ship. The third engineer is usually in charge of boilers, auxiliary engines, condensate and feed systems, record keeping of chemi ...

: Usually in charge auxiliary engines & boilers. Takes the 12–4 watch. *

Fourth engineer A fourth engineer or third assistant engineer is a rank of engine officer who is part of the engine department on a merchant vessel. Summary A third assistant engineer’s license is earned through the U.S.C.G or other regulatory body (such as ...

: Usually in charge of air compressors, purifiers, pumps and other auxiliary machinery. Takes the 8–12 watch. Sometimes in charge of boilers.

Electrical officers

Electrical officers do not participate in watchstanding of the engine department, but are present on more sophisticated vessels to take charge of electronic and electrical equipment * Electro-technical officer (ETO): Officer who is responsible for the maintenance of electronic equipment including automation systems and instrumentation process and control equipment, and/or general electrical equipment. Reports to Chief Engineer. * Electrical officer: Officer who is responsible for the maintenance of general electrical equipment such as motors, transformers, lights, reefer outlets etc. Reports to ETO / Chief Engineer.

Other positions

* Junior engineer: Officer who is qualified as fourth engineer but lacks the experience to take a watch. Assists with all engine department duties. * Engine/ETO cadet: A trainee engine officer or ETO. Understudies the other engine department personnel. Cadets of most countries are sponsored during training by a shipping company, serving their time on board ships owned by that company. Many go on to work as engine officers with their sponsoring company once training is complete.

United States naval use

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

ships have a varying number of engine officers, depending upon the size of the crew, occupying positions named for subsidiary responsibilities of the Engineering Officer. The two highest ranking subordinates are usually the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA), responsible for operation and maintenance of propulsion machinery, and the Damage Control Assistant (DCA), responsible for prevention and control of damage. Anticipation of battle damage increases the significance of responsibilities of the latter position on warships. A DCA often stands routine deck or engineering watches, but spends his off-watch time overseeing maintenance of watertight integrity and firefighting equipment. A DCA's battle station normally includes responsibility for controlling the ship's

stability Stability may refer to: Mathematics *Stability theory, the study of the stability of solutions to differential equations and dynamical systems ** Asymptotic stability ** Linear stability ** Lyapunov stability ** Orbital stability ** Structural sta ...

list A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...

and trim by flooding and dewatering undamaged compartments as necessary to prevent

capsizing Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fr ...

. Additional engine officers may include an Electrical Officer, responsible for the ship's electrical generating and distribution system as described above, and an Auxiliaries (or A Division) Officer, responsible for pumps, ventilation blowers,

compressors A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can trans ...

, and windlass machinery as described above for the Fourth Engineer.

References