I often get emails from student requesting information, or wanting to do an interview on what is it to be, or become, a licensed Marine Engineer. I have received numerous request, and basically most are of the same type of questions. So, below are the answers I have provided over time to a series of student questions. Click here to find out a little more about ships at sea and the how marine engineers fit into equation. You can also read a marine engineer's job description here and here. Q1 - Why did you become interested in Marine Engineering? A1 - A great way to make a living. Decent money, big chunks of time off, almost no commute. Somewhat of an adventure, interesting, challenging, industrious are some words I like, which describe what I do. Q2 - Have you always wanted to be a Marine Engineer? or What made you become a marine engineer? A2 - Not really. I have always like machinery or structures: drawing trucks and buildings were always my favourite pastime. LEGO were my favourite toys. I always wanted to do something creative which would perform a function. I originally wanted to get into graphic arts and advertising, but was lured away by the honesty of the sea and nature. Q3 - What do you like most about your job? or What is the best part of your job? A3 - Standing between two main engines while we are full away; the car size turbo-chargers whining, the "rumble" shakes your very core; it is very awe inspiring. Then to think, it's your responsibility! Q4 - What tasks does your specific job involve? A4 - The list is very big. Too big in fact. The engineer is in charge of everything mechanical, electrical, or structural on the ship. The toilets don't work, we go find the problems - and it's usually not pretty. From the computers to the crankshaft, air conditioning to refrigerators, doors to windshield wipers, you name it, we must be able to make it work. I say that because we usually know how to fix, but as you can well imagine, a person can't know it all. So basically, we must be knowledgeable enough to recognize a problem, then either fix it, make due, or call in the specialists. We deal with it! out in the middle of the Atlantic, there's not many auto parts stores, and even less room for excuses. Q5 - Are you given a variety of projects to work on so that the job does not become boring? or Is it fun and exciting? A5 - The nature of the Job always poses a large variety of challenges, everyday it's a different one. But boredom is definitely present on some ships. For instance search and rescue ships, like the one I've been on, we did allot of waiting and "sitting around", just like a fire dept. So we keep busy doing "rabbits" -a personal project. One guy machined an entire miniature steam engine over a period of time. It is a bit mundane at times, but I think I am too new, 5 years, to the biz to really feel bored. Q6 - What kinds of challenges are you faced with while on the job? or What's the hardest thing you've had to do at your job? The biggest challenge is getting along with people you have never met before and intrusting your life to them, like you would to your best friend. Might seem a bit dramatic, but I think it's the most challenging task. You don't have the option to go to a warm home and "recharge your batteries" if you've had a bad day. As for the rest of the tasks, you do what you can. Generally everyone on a ship is qualified to be there and somewhat competent. You can work together to tackle big technical challenges, which goes to the top of the answer, getting along is the biggest challenge. Q7 - What sort of risks do you deal with? A7 - Life threatening risk are very present everywhere on a ship. The sea itself is not always picturesque, large machines moving fast, lots of fuel to fuel fires, a multitude of chemicals, large quantity of electromagnetic waves: The ship in itself can be a very hazardous place to be, it is always moving, even more so when you're doing work like commercial fishing, or replacing a ten ton buoy while at sea. .