I’ll be graduating with a bachelors of electrical engineering in the summer, but I’m a mechanical technologist by trade. I want to become a marine engineer after I graduate. Just want to know from people’s personal experiences what your job is like. Do you enjoy it? Any advice for someone just entering the field?
Sometimes there’s poop.
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Where are you graduating from? You could’ve pursued a degree in Marine Engineering if you wanted to enter that field.
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Sometimes?
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Exactly. . . oh, the stories we could tell. . . . should be a separate section on the license exam. . . .
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There are ways to become Marine Engineer from Mechanical /Electrical Engineering field. One hs to undergo few months training or initializing course and join as trainy Junior engineer on board the ship.
Presently there is job crunch in the Marine field. Depends which country you come from, your take home package is decided.
The very first day you join, you curse yourself for your decision due to rough seas, food and away from your regular life, family and friends. Once you develop the tste, its one of the best jobs and you can not work any where else. I spent 44 years at sea as marine engineer, 38 years as chief engineer. You don’t retire, you quit.
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I’ve always thought there was good opportunity for those with specific and good knowledge of electrical stuff, especially on the newer ships. I think msc has specific berthing for ‘‘electrician’’.
I know there were plenty of times I wished I knew as much about electronics as straight mechanical.
I’m expat Marine Engineer for 14 years. I’ve been sailing in full containers and for a while I’m working at offshore market. It’s very exciting to solve problems and also keep doing the preventive maintenances. Each type and operation of the vessel will make an unique experience. If you board a Drillship during a well test its a huge experience; board in a Pipe Lay is also great because of the constant operations with rigs and wells all the time!
I hope I can get my green card soon and start as QMED in the US a new phase in my career!
Good luck!
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Hi, am a marine engineer who just moved to the US, I have few questions I will like to ask, please am looking for someone to guide me in my next phase of life. Please if you are available, I will like to chat with you privately. Thanks
PM me
Yes, there are a shitload of competent engineers on here. Ships and tugs. I’m not one of them. They fix the shit, I drive… God bless them.
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I´m Marine Engineer from Brazil. Waiting my Resident Permanent documents. As soon as I get it, I´ll take QMED courses to start over the career at tugs or offshore industry in US. What I know so far is that USCG accepts resident permanents at Ratings positions.
[For credentials other than officer endorsements]
(2) All other MMCs. All other applicants, except as noted in §12.809 of this
subchapter, must be either:
(i) A citizen of the United States;
(ii) An alien, as defined under section 101(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) (the Act), who is lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, as defined by section 101(a)(20) of the Act.; or
(iii) A foreign national who is enrolled in the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
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Thanks jdcavo! Thats the USCG info I received from them at chat!
All news are showing a lot of opportunities in many areas. How is the tug/offshore opportunities for ratings nowadays?!
Best regards
After years at sea I guess I took being ‘out there’ for granted. Now, in retrospect I guess I should of walked out on deck more and looked at … at… water i guess !!! ha ha ha.
I certainly did learn a whole new appreciation of visiting a foreign port though, gawd, the stories. yup! As for the “fun” of fixing something, I found more joy in it lasting longer than anticipated.
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When I switched to tugs, I saw a whole lot more of the sea. . . .
that’s cuz you’re a hell of a lot closer to it !!!
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