Entry & progression
Certificate: MCA Marine Engine Operator Licence (Small Vessel) — qualifies the holder to operate and maintain the machinery of a small commercial vessel and to keep an engineering watch as the sole or senior engine operator. Entry: approved qualifying engine-room sea service, AEC 1 and 2 (or equivalent), STCW basic safety, and an ENG1 medical; verify current requirements against the MCA small-vessel engineering guidance. Progresses to SV Engineer Officer of the Watch and the SV Chief Engineer CoCs.
From start to stop
Bringing the main engine into service
- Carry out the pre-start checks: oil, coolant, fuel, the raw-water seacock, belts and any alarms.
- Start the engine and confirm oil pressure, cooling-water flow and normal instrument readings.
- Warm the engine up before applying load, watching the temperatures and pressures come up normally.
- During running, monitor the gauges and the sound of the engine; after use, allow it to idle and cool before shutting down.
Reading the engine
A good operator knows the engine's normal temperatures, pressures and alarms, and treats any drift from normal as a warning to investigate before it becomes a failure. The controls, clutch and gearbox, and any manoeuvring requirements must be understood, and the running readings recorded in the engine log so trends can be seen. An engine run outside its normal parameters — too hot, low on oil pressure, or making an unusual noise — is telling the operator something.
WARNING — Warm up before load, cool down before stop Applying full load to a cold engine, or shutting a hot engine straight down, causes wear and damage. Warm up before load and let the engine idle to cool before stopping, especially a turbocharged one.
TIP — Watch the trend, not just the value A gauge creeping the wrong way is an early warning. A rising temperature or falling oil pressure is investigated before it becomes a breakdown, not after.