Welcome to Martin's Training Page
Your source of information on your career path in the Marine Engineering field
Welcome to Martin's Training Page
Your source of information on your career path in the Marine Engineering field
They are the happiest addition to the ship's
staff since the advent of steam. The officers
of the glorious age of sail may never have
felt there was something lacking: who sails
on a windjammer now, after having
traveled on steam, misses not the engine,
but the engineers.
Jan DeHartog
Content
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Let us explore what it is to be a Marine Engineer. Check out these links to learn more about the job.
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So you want to be a marine engineer. Most persons in the field may say to you "Don't even think about it! Unless you have lots of time on your hands, no family, and the ability to live on 250 dollars a month."
Besides that, you need to get intimate with many government regulations; get probe every three years for your prostate condition and suck up to a whole lot of people you may not really like. You will have to get used to a whole lot of painting and banging your head on very sharp object hanging from the deck head. One more thing; you'd better get used to been treated like an imbecile for the first five years of your career.
"So why do it?" you ask. Some person may answer that with various answer such as adventure, challenge, money. For me it's a matter of "love". I've been impressed by all sort of machinery, trains, trucks and airplanes. The modern ships has to be the pinnacle of these transportation medium.
I was never really interested in the job the guys in white did -deck crew and bridge operations, although they are quite skilled in what they do. I was most interested in how the machinery and the guys in the engine room operated. Also, the money isn't so bad when you move up the ladder. But one of the biggest perk is the time, or I should say months, off.
On this webpage you will find information on how to become a Marine Engineer. As well as provide information on the "next level" and how to improve your performance at your current engineering level. Hopefully you will find this information useful in mapping out your career path.
"I demand more of myself than anyone else could ever expect."
- J. Irving
All Canadian Engineering License requirements are dictated by the Canada Shipping Act (CSA). These requirement are enforced by Transport Canada, specifically the Ship Safety Branch. It is strongly advise that you get familiar with the CSA, its regulations, and your local Ship Safety Marine Engineering examiner. Not from Canada, don't worry, the system in your country, and its structure should be similar.
Ship Safety offices are located throughout the country. In British Columbia offices are locate in Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, and the main office is located on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. Each office has at least, most likely, one engineering examiner. This person is going to be licensing you, be nice, at all cost (it's a small field and you will not have anybody else to turn to).
Below,
is a description of the requirements you must
complete in order to become a marine engineer, and the
steps required to meet the next level (ticket). For
the exact requirements please see the actual
Marine
Certification Regulations here (TP2293/07.2007
-
The Examination and Certification of Seafarers, pictured on the
right). There are
numerous exemptions which may allow you to bypass / shortcut some regulations, check it out.
I also found an
Australia
version for junior ranks of engineering.
Below are the basics requirement to becoming an engineer. Each section requires qualifications mentioned in the section above it. Your career starts here !
Here's a list of Transport Canada approved Training Courses.
This STCW95 license allows you to work as Engineering Officer of
the Watch (EOOW) without restrictions on any ship.
May serve as Second Engineer on a Motor Ship of less than 2000kW, after serving 12 month sea time as rating,
engineer, or watch keeping engineer on a ship with at least 750kW
power.
*** Transport Canada, in July 2006, issued a new study guide to become a Fourth Class Engineer, check it out. TC has also recently issued some guidance on Training Books. If you are not able to attend the "approved schools", you may be able to substitute programs in from trades school near you. In British Columbia, the Powell River Campus of Malaspina College has designed a course to meet the new TC criteria from their "trades training" offerings even though they are not an approved Marine Training institution.
This STCW95 license allows you to work as Engineering Officer of
the Watch (EOOW) without restrictions on any ship.
May serve as Second Engineer on any Motor Ship of less than 3000kW;
4000kW on Passenger ships between Cdn Ports.
May serve as Chief Engineer on Home Trade vessels only, with
restrictions, see regulations for full details.
This STCW95 license allows you to work as Second Engineer without
restrictions on any ship.
May serve as Chief Engineer on any Motor Ship of less than 3000kW.
May serve as Chief Engineer on Home Trade 4000 - 7000 kW vessels,
with restrictions, see regulations for full details.
Here is sample
course
offering and cost from Newfoundland's Memorial Marine Institute
for 2008.
This STCW95 license allows you to work as Chief Engineer without
restrictions on any ship - Top Dog.
The 6 P's: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
| If you are about
to, or are just coming out of school, and are curious about
becoming a seagoing Marine Engineer, click on the picture below
to see career promotional material from various organizations
around the world. You can also read my answers to questions student have asked me over the years. |
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| From Indian ship manager, Fleet Management Ltd. | The Royal Canadian Navy (Military) | From the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers | The Marine Society in the UK puts out this brochure. | |
Each path to reaching First Class Marine Engineer ticket has it's own advantages and merits. Proper consideration should be given to each path as it applies to you. It should be mentioned that I see the First Class Marine Engineering Certificate as being the ultimate career goal. It must be said that many persons that I have met in the short span of my career, are quite content reaching the thirds or second class certification.
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This way use to be much easier before 2004 but now has become challenging because of the full enforcement of STCW95. You can still achieve all the requirements of Transport Canada for the Fourth Class by yourself though, its just a bit more complicated than it used to be.
Here's where it get even harder -assuming you want to move up the career ladder. To move up, you will need to take the third's ticket. That requires an additional 12 months sea time and the taking of written exams, including, Electro Tech, Applied Mechanics, Applied Heat, Math and the usual EK (Engineering Knowledge) and EK Motor (or Steam). As well, an oral examination. These exam are technical and you will need to study hard but you may be able to passed them without formal instruction from a course.
Then if you survive with your stride and ego intact and wish to continue up the career ladder. You will need an additional 12 months sea time and start studying early. The second's exams are in the same style as the third's ticket, except they will be very technical. Additionally, you will have more subjects like Drafting and Naval Architecture. If you felt overwhelmed taking the third's ticket, you will most-likely need formal instruction at some college for the second's ticket. The second's ticket apparently is the most technical along the road to chief engineer certification. This is because of the large amount of material learned from books, i.e. math and sciences, as opposed to the material needed in the fourth class, which is predominately learned on the ship.
After 18 more months of sea time you are eligible to challenge the first class exams, which are quite hard. But because you are familiar with the concepts studied for the second's class, and focusing on the more technical side of these concepts, the first class should be straight forward... hard.
As you can see, the road is long and it's not easy by oneself. The more efficient and logical way would have to be the ones describe below.
The apprenticeship
program is no longer offered. The Canadian Federal
and the BC Provincial government, in their
wisdom,
have chosen to discontinue this program in 1998 - go figure.
The new program replacing it, undertaken without the
leadership of government and encompasses all the
apprenticeship's goals, is called the
Marine
Engineering Cadet Program. On the
Canadian west coast, this program is offered by the
British Columbia
Technical Institute (BCIT) from it's
Pacific Marine
Campus (PMTC) formally know as PMTI
(Pacific Marine Training Institute). The program
involves taking young adults, 19 years old or so, and
giving them all required training and experience.
This takes a strong initiative and vision from the
young adult, but it is a sure way to developing a
future.
The training starts with a Marine Diesel Engine course, the same as the 9 months pre apprenticeship Diesel Mechanic course. The training also involves all the technical subjects covered in the Transport Canada requirement for Fourth Class licensing (Training Record Book, Skills Training, Sea Time). All prerequisite license course such as MED (Marine Emergency Duties) and PPS (Propulsion Plant Simulator). As well, one of the best features of this program, is the experience. As a cadet you will be assigned to several ships, on which the cadet will serve a six months contract, and will get paid for it. The cadet will not get paid much, but at least there will be little or no student loans unlike most other people going to university.
The cadet program is gruelling and may not sound like fun. On the flipside, it is well structured and has a good balance of experience and book smarts. It is a color by number type of way to a secure, fulfilling and admirable life long employment.
I have only highlighted some points of the program please click here to see the BCIT web site for complete and accurate info. Click here to see the full Transport Canada requirements and objectives (TP8911) of the Cadet Program in Canada.
Like the Apprenticeship program, the diploma course developed by PMTI is no longer offered. If you are employed on the BC coast chances are your superior is a graduate from this program offered in the eighties. PMTC has pretty much combine this very "in the books" program with the more "hands on" apprenticeship to form the new Cadet program mentioned above. But if you are interested in the more technical aspect of shipboard marine engineering, the Canadian Coast Guard offers a good program.
They take student from a predominately academic background and send them through their own specific training. It is my understanding that the life at the college in Nova Scotia is plush. The details of life (food, lodging, entertainment) are well looked after and there is a good, steady paycheck. The Coast Guard College is a great avenue for women to get into an otherwise male dominate trade. The downside: long military type contracts. Four years of schooling for four years of service on Canadian Coast Guard Ship is a long commitment.
"I am a grad of this institution so I have a few insights: "The biggest being the long military style contracts." The deal is that you serve 1 year for every year of training (yes same as the military) therefore you would owe them 4 years at graduation. This is a good thing though, not a bad thing, and is actually the College's greatest advantage over every other institution. This is 4 years guaranteed work as an Engineer (i.e. type A seatime) by the end of the 4 years you should have accrued enough time to write your 2nd Class, I had my 1st in less than 6 years from grad. Getting this seatime as a new grad with a 4th class ticket can be very difficult - in BCFC a 4th's will get you hired as a casual ERA. After your term of service for the Guard is up you are just a regular civil servant who can stay or go as you please. You are, of course getting paid regular wages after graduation, before that, the training allowance is effectively beer money, but at least there is no student loans."
"Oh yeah, since 1989 the College has actually been a Degree granting institution (Bachelor of Technology, whatever that is?) looks good on the wall though). The other thing is that, though it is an academic style school, it actually gives the student more hands on time than what I've heard about other programs through their grad's. At the College we spent 1 day a week in the machine shop, plus some weekends. ( i.e. about 20% of course time). I admit to having a biased view of the CCG College, I think I did very well by it and enjoyed my time in the Guard. I now work for BCFC at Swartz Bay as a Relieving Chief."
Received by email 12.2001
It is my understanding that the diploma and Coast Guard College approach, describe above, are very similar to the training preferred in the United States. Some of these types of colleges in the USA are the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. There is also Massachusetts College, Maine Maritime College as well as others. Check out their websites below.
In Europe the training is mostly done on the ship and in the form of a cadetship. Cadets are recruited at a much younger age, as young as 16. They follow similar training patterns as mentioned above. They have one additional advantage to Canada's training. That advantage in some countries like the Netherlands, is they also obtain a watchkeeping mate's ticket as well as fourth engineer's ticket. Allowing the cadet to obtain a better grasp of the running of a vessel, which will be most beneficial in the shore side employment field further down the career.
Check out these other websites from various institutions around the North America and the World.
The Men Who Sail Below
Now each of us, from time to time, have gazed upon the sea,
and watched the warships pulling out, to keep the country free.
And most of us have read a book, or heard a lousy tale,
about the men who sail these ships, through lightning wind and hale.
But there is a place within each ship, that legend fails to teach
it's down below the water line, and takes a awful toll,
a red hot metal living hell, those sailors call the hole.
It houses engines run by steam, that make the shafts go round,
a place of fire, noise and heat, that beats your spirit down.
Where boilers make a hellish heat, with blood of angry steam,
and moulded gods without remorse are nightmares in your dreams
Where threat from the fires roar, is like living in doubt,
that any minute, would with scorn, escape and crush you out,
where turbines scream like tortured souls, alone and lost in hell.
Those men who keep the fires lit and make the engines run,
are strangers to the world of night, and rarely see the sun.
They have no time for man no beast, no tolerance for fear,
their aspect pays no living thing the tribute of a tear.
For there's not much that men can do, that these one's haven't done,
below the decks, deep in the hole, to make those engines run.
And every hour of every day they keep the watch in hell,
for if the fires ever fail, their ship's a useless shell.
When warships meet to have a war, upon an angry sea,
the men below just grimly smile at what their fate may be.
Turned too below, like men fore-doomed, who wear no battle cry,
it's well assumed that if they're hit, the men below will die.
Foe every day's a war down there, when the gauges all read red,
six hundred pounds of heated steam will kill you mighty dead.
So if you ever write their song or try to tell their tale,
the very words will make you hear, a fired furnace wall.
And people as a general rule, don't hear of men of steel,
so little's heard about this place, just inches from the keel.
But I can sing about this and try to make you see,
the hardened life of men down there, cause one of them is me.
I've seen these sweat soaked heroes fight, in superheated air,
to keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they're there.
And thus they'll fight for ages on, till warships sail no more,
amid the boilers mighty heat and turbines hellish roar.
So when you see a ship pull out, to meet a warlike foe,
remember faintly if you can "the men who sail below"Author Unknown
Question time
What is sea time ?
Sea time could also be know as experience. It is a given amount of time spent in a required position. In the requirements it states you need 36 months of sea time to become a fourth class marine engineer. That means you must spend 36 x 30 eight hour days on a ship as a working oiler/cadet/apprentice. In reality, most work situation in Canada are on a "day for day" leave system, so actually 3 years of sea time will actually be 6 year of working.
One (1) sea day equals (=) eight (8) hours; one month equals (=) thirty (30) days.
What is a written examination ?
It consist of a nine (9) question paper which must be completed within 3.5 hours. Only the first six questions with the lowest marks you answered, will be counted. Urban legend states that the three questions you did not answer, will be asked of you in the oral part of the examination.
What is an oral examination ?
It is a one on one examination session where the examiner will ask you questions of the level your attempting to become. The time frame is flexible. The examiner will ask questions until they are satisfied you are qualified. Intimidating ? That's the point.
Rule to live by.
A happy ship is a safe ship, and a safe ship is the only ship we want to sail. If I could not afford to make my boat safe, I'd stay ashore.
- Carl Lane
How do I prepare for these exams ?
By studying and by being in the field. The Canadian exams are based on a UK model which derive questions from various books. You can find some titles listed in Martin's Marine Engineering Page bibliography. The main source of exam questions for the thirds, second and firsts are from the Reed's Collection. Each exam subject has a Reed's book and each question in the book should be attempted.
Want to check out what the engineering questions are ?
Yes you can right here. Click here to check out my collection of examination questions. Also visit the US Coast Guard's web site (under "Merchant Mariner Info Menu"), also try marinediesels.co.uk for UK 1st and 2nd. Nandkishore Gitte also has these question for 4th Class MEO and OOW on his Life at Sea website.
*** If you have some examination questions, perhaps you could share them with the world !
Is my Canadian Marine Engineer's license valid elsewhere in the world?
YES, I know many people both deck and engineers using their license on foreign going vessels and are working without any problems. It is a fairly respected license. Often times a paralleled license will be applied for by the company, from the nation the ship is registered under, ie. Bahamiam license or Panamanian to meet regulations. These licenses are more a tax collection scheme rather than a skill evaluated license, but they make you official to work on the ship of the company. In the United States they will most likely not accept your Canadian License on local waters, i.e. tugs, casino boats, ferries, things like that. This as more to do with immigration more than qualification.
"I am currently working as 1st assistant on a seismic survey vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. I hold a Canadian 2nd's license but since the vessel is Panamanian flagged, I work through a Panamanian license. My Canadian license has a definite advantage as the STCW regs are in full compliance."
Received by email 08.2000
How often do I have to have a medical done ?
Depends on your age. Below 40, every three years; above 40, every 2 years. The examination must be conducted by a Transport Canada approved doctor. The medical will include a color vision test which is troublesome to a large majority of men. If you are mildly colorblind, you can get alternative color vision test, and have them taken in to consideration with Transport Canada. They may issue a limitation on your license such as "no bridge watchkeeping duties" or the like.
How much does all this cost ?
Of course every time you have to get a ticket it cost you, and cost you big. In 1999, Every Transport Canada written exam cost ~ $30, orals ~ $60 Canadian, the Doctor is about $120.00, the first aid is $110.00, each PPS course is about $600.00, MED course vary in price from $130.00 to $500.00. A set of books to help you study up to the second class ticket is about $2500. If you need to get more instruction from BCIT you'll spend spend spend, and that's just to live or commute to North Vancouver. Of course in Canada you'll be taxed GST and other taxes on top (~12 %). Ouch ! No wonder were running out of seafarers!
Why do you only mention BCIT PMTC as training institute?
Because I went there, and I am familiar with BCIT's PMTC, which is the only institution on Canada's West Coast strictly dedicated to training mariners. They have the facilities and the experienced instructors with relevant marine backgrounds. There are other facilities in British Columbia which offer some nautical and MED (Marine Emergency Duty) courses such as Camosun College in Victoria, and North Island College in Campbell River. BCIT is not the only institute for training mariners; outside of British Columbia, there are many others, just check above for links to them. One of the better known in Canada, is Newfoundland's Memorial Marine Institute.
How do I find those marine engineering books ?
Start by asking your peers, they may want to part with them. You can do that by checking out the local unions and associations, or post a "want add" on the Ship's Canteen. If your still not finding them, try the web, like these websites from Kelvin Hughes or New York Nautical. You can directly go to the publisher's website such as McGraw Hill. Also check out Warsah College Bookstore. The Reed's Engineering series can be found here.
Looking for Marine Engineering reference and research material; text books and such? The list below compiles, pretty extensively, published works on Marine Engineering.
 | Compendium of published Marine Engineering text and reference books. List 1, List 2 |
| Compendium of published Marine Engineering thesis papers |
| Price list of Marine Engineering text books at BCIT in Vancouver |
Regardless of which Canadian exam your are taking, it is imperative that you become familiar with the regulations pertaining to our trade. So to help you, I am listing some resources you can access from your home now:
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Those are both very good questions. There is allot of different answers to those questions. So in order for you to get the best answer I've asked some of the cadets to share with us their experience. One cadet's experience is documented in her journal which she has agreed to share with us.
Oh was there a sailor free to choose, that didn't settle somewhere near the sea?
- Rudyard Kippling
You'll have to qualify for seatime, then the Ship Safety Branch engineering examiner will let you write the EK (engineering knowledge) General - 150 multiple choice questions. After you achieved a passing mark, you'll be allowed to write the EK Motors exam - 75 multiple choice questions. At this point they will most likely call you after two weeks to ask you to come in for a one on one, "free-form", oral exam with the examiner.
You
should pick up the 4th class
study guide 
put
out by Ship Safety which makes you aware of the
many regulations and their application to your vessel. Check out my "DuckNotes"
in the Ship's Library for further help on on regs and the guaranteed
fail questions. Yes, I do have fourth class
questions, check out my exam question collection in the
Ship's
Library. They are quite dated but still a handy reference - I
saw about half of them on my actual TC exams in 1999.
I get this question quite often. I also get lots of "question" from immigrants who are at their wit's end because they have to jump through so many hoops. Read some of them on the Galley Wireless. Canada does not seem to recognize other Country's licenses at par. I was forwarded a link to Canadian Information Center for International Credentials, a Canadian Government Agency that answer your questions and helps you deal with this procedure.
On the web page, www.dieselduck.net/training.htm, the MED stands for
Marine Emergency Duties and the levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C,
D are the different ones you must take, ie: firefighting, life boat, basic emergency knowledge. Although these are offered at "colleges" they are not college courses. They are the minimum safety training that you need in order to work on a ship as a rating
(wiper, able seaman) as dictated by Transport Canada which
is guided by the Standards
of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping regulation of 1995
(STCW95) as set forth by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO).
If you want to proceed further down the laid out path (above - for
engineers) then taking college course could apply to you.
If you want to work as a rating (non officer crew member of a ship) on a licensed vessel
(ie. great lakes, coast guard, ferries), you need to fulfill the requirements laid out on the
first steps (above - "all mariners")... the MED A1, B1, B2 and Marine First Aid that you mentioned above.
If you feel these are too much then, you could try smaller boats, like fishing, but even there, nowadays, you will find that the emergency training is required and most often offered at a college
also listed above.
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The Engine Room The sparkling triple expansion, With its noise and whistling steam The thumpity thump of the crankshaft, And the connecting rods all agleam. The clickity clack of the valve gear, And the swish of the feed water rams, The aroma of engine lubricants, The sound of the oilman's salaams. The whir from the boiler air fan, The condenser's different smell, The leaking steam from loose packing, The gurgle from the bilge box well. The sudden blast from the boiler room, As the junior blows the glass, The aroma of sweat and brasso, As the fireman cleans the brass. The startling ring of the telegraph, And the action that it brings, The harmony of disciplined colleagues, Like music at it swings. Sunlight streaming through skylights, Dazzling on polished steel, Moving around the engine room, As the quartermaster moves the wheel. The slowing down of the engines, And the final telegraph sound, The quietness of finished with engines, The joy of homeward bound.
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Hail to the Chief Engineer The siren shrieks its farewell note And proudly on her way The brand new giant liner moves In grandeur down the bay A marvelous creation Her builders joy and pride The great hopes of her owners As she floats upon the tide The passengers in festive mood Amid laughter, jest and quip, With keen delight enjoying The great ships' maiden trip. She is sure to break the record She'll do thirty knots or more. Upon the Bridge the Captain proud And like all Skippers bold, Bedecked in gorgeous raiment Of navy blue and gold. All eyes are fixed upon him It's going to his head As he stops to drop the pilot Then rings down FULL SPEED AHEAD. And now begins the battle For the trophy of the seas, By men not clad in blue and gold, But lowly dungarees. On deck the scene is blithe and gay Fair ladies, song and wine, But hell is popping down below Beneath the deep load line. The CHIEF snaps out his orders To his staff on watch below His men obey his mandate As about their tasks they go. The pressure must not fluctuate The bearings can't run hot, The revolutions must not fail To make that thirty knots. At dinner on the first night out The Skipper loudly boasts, We'll surely break the record As the gallant ship he toasts. The task of breaking records Puts no grey hairs on his head, His contribution ended When he rang FULL SPEED AHEAD. Through weary days and sleepless Nights to consummate their dream, The ENGINEERS work ceaselessly Till Ambrose Light's abeam. The record has been broken Average thirty one point four, The Captain wears another stripe He's been made a Commodore. And thus he claims the credit For that better men have done, He boasts through press and radio Of the victory he has won. Neglecting ever to mention As he prats his ballyhoo, The men of brain, brawn and guts Who shoved the great ship through. The moral of this story, as you can plainly see Is that glory goes to those that win the victory. So keep this simple thought in mind When you read of record trips, That the men behind the throttles Are the men who drive the ships. |
Read about an engineer's post sea-life career as Engineering Superintendent for a cruise line.
Check up on ship classification and ticket requirements
The Merchant Navy Training Board is a British based website which offers young persons, information about seagoing careers Transpocity is Canada's version. The International Shipping Federation also operates a web site for young people curious about the futures at sea. Here's another one - from Scotland .
Visit Graham Wallace's web site on his experiences as a BP Engineering Apprentice in the 1950's.
Warsash College unofficial Cadet Page
The USCG is the licensing authority for the USA. They have a webpage which states the steps to getting mariner papers there.
Want to be a deep sea fishermen? Training is available in NZ.
After Campus offers some information for Indian Nationals
Nautical Science Society is mainly for Canada's Memorial University alumni.
DNV offers an excellent resource for maritime environmental issues, and easy to follow website exploring environmental issues affecting seafarers.
Be careful of your thoughts,
for your thoughts become your word.
Be careful of your words,
for your words become your actions.
Be careful of your actions,
for your actions become your character.
Be careful of your character,
for your character becomes your destiny.
Unknown
