Entry & progression
This is the authority the certificate actually carries. Engineer Class 2: chief engineer on a vessel of less than 3000 kW, in any operating area. Not a theoretical entitlement. A job you can take tomorrow.
What changes when you become the chief
| Second engineer | Chief engineer |
|---|---|
| Runs the maintenance | Decides what maintenance happens |
| Reports defects | Decides which defects are acceptable to sail with |
| Works to a budget | Owns the budget and defends it |
| Leads the watch team | Answers for the department |
| Advises on machinery | Advises the master, and says no |
The last line is the whole job. A second engineer can escalate. A chief engineer is who it escalates to. When the master wants to sail and the machinery is not ready, the person who has to say so is you — and there is no one above you in the engine room to check your judgement.
The head of department
- Safe operation of all machinery — propulsion, auxiliary, electrical, and the safety systems.
- Fuel, lubricating oil and water — quantity, quality, bunkering, and the records.
- Pollution prevention — oily water, sewage, garbage, refrigerant, exhaust emissions.
- The department's people — competence, hours of rest, training, discipline.
- Records — the engine room log, the oil record book, the maintenance history, the survey and certificate status.
- Advising the master on the machinery's capability and limits, honestly, including when the honest answer is unwelcome.
Say no in engineering terms
"I'm not happy about it" is not an engineering objection. It is a feeling, and it will be overruled. State the fault, the consequence, the probability and the mitigation:
"The port main engine has a leaking HP fuel line at number four. If it lets go we have atomised fuel onto a hot exhaust and a class-B fire in an unmanned space. I can isolate that unit and we can proceed on one engine at reduced speed, or we hold for six hours and I replace the line. I recommend we hold."
That is a chief engineer speaking. It gives the master a decision with the risk attached, it names an option, and it is on the record. A master who overrules that is making an informed decision, and both of you know it.
WARNING — The record is the only thing that speaks for you afterwards If it goes wrong, the investigation will read the engine room log, the oil record book, the maintenance history and your emails. Nothing you remember, and nothing you meant, will be in evidence. Write down what you found, what you advised, and what was decided. Not to protect yourself — although it will — but because it is the only mechanism by which engineering judgement survives contact with hindsight.
The kind of propulsion, again
CAUTION — Your chief engineer authority is limited by what the certificate says The chief engineer entitlement — vessels under 3000 kW, any operating area — applies only to the kind of propulsion power stated on your certificate: motor, steam, or steam and motor. And it is 3000 kilowatts, never gross tonnage. If you are offered a chief's job, confirm the total installed main propulsion power in writing before you sign anything, and confirm with AMSA if the vessel is anywhere near the threshold.