Marine Engineer: A Day in the Life - Part 1
A Day in the Life as a Watch-Standing 3rd Assistant Engineer
Would you want to miss out on hearing what a normal day is like onboard a ship from a Marine Engineer’s perspective? This is your chance to get an idea of what that sea-faring life is like out there on the open ocean. This article will cover what a day in the life is like as a 3rd Assistant Engineer both as a watch-stander and as a day worker. “What does that even mean??”, you may ask. I will go over that in the article, so continue reading! For more about the career, see our guide on what do marine engineers do and how to become a merchant mariner.What is Watch Standing?
While onboard a ship, routine maintenance is conducted which includes changing oil and oil filters, working on main engines, lifeboat engines, outboard motors, forklift engines, fixing electronic issues associated with these types of machinery, as well as troubleshooting alarms or warnings that pop up on equipment user interfaces. For more on ship maintenance, see our article on ship maintenance periods and for more on marine diesel engines, see our article on marine diesel engines and for more on ship fuel systems, see our article on ship fuel systems.
Sound very different from a car? Of course not! That’s because it isn’t much different from working on a car or truck, which also needs the same type of routine maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting. After all, most mechanical systems operate on the same principles, and gaining experience in one of these areas will often directly translate to different areas as well.
I would say that using the skills I acquired as a Marine Engineer, I’ve been able to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by performing my own maintenance on vehicles rather than paying someone else to do the same job.
Refrigeration & HVAC Maintenance
Ever had your refrigerator or air conditioning stop working or not work the way it is supposed to? Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration are two more facets of engineering that are dealt with daily when working on ships.
These systems, whether on board a ship or at home, all operate on the same principles. The skills regarding operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting these systems developed over the years by people in the Marine Engineering profession directly applies to any system you may find in an apartment building or house.
With skills and knowledge gained through experience, I have been able to troubleshoot these systems for friends and family when issues have arisen over the years, sometimes saving hundreds of dollars as well. A bonus of the Marine Engineering career is that (most) Marine Engineers become certified to work with all types of refrigeration systems (EPA Universal Certified), therefore allowing for a transition into this type of career shoreside as well without having to jump through the hoops of getting certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do so.
Electrical & Electronic Systems
Does your house use electricity, have light switches and/or fans? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that it does. If this is the case, then being friends with a Marine Engineer would greatly benefit you. Marine Engineers also deal with electrical and electronic systems on a daily basis.
Troubleshooting, maintaining, repairing, and installing these systems is all part of the gig, and since all these systems also essentially operate the same way whether at home or at sea, the skills gained while working on these systems directly translate to working with them at home.
Plumbing Systems
Have you ever thought about how sewage is handled on ships? Probably not. Guess who deals with the sewage system on ships…Yes, you guessed it, the Engineers! There are certainly different types of sewage systems on ships (vacuum vs. the traditional type you would see in a home). However, these systems on ships basically operate on the same principles as they do at home.
Repairing and/or unclogging toilets or drains or even installing plumbing water or drain piping is no big deal for Marine Engineers. In fact, you will probably find that the more experienced an engineer is, the more comfortable he/she is working on sewage systems and dealing with the smells and nastiness associated with such systems.
To top it off, being able to work on your own plumbing systems can be clutch when immediate service is needed, not to mention the amount of money saved by not having to call a plumber. As a side note, plumbers actually make really good money, so a shoreside career in plumbing isn’t something that should be dismissed just because you’re dealing with other people’s s***!
Housework
What does marine engineering, a career where people are surrounded by steel decks and bulkheads, have to do with working on a house that is made almost entirely of wood? This is a fair question, and my response would be…Well, we know how to learn!
First and foremost, Marine Engineers know how to use, or can learn to use, every type of tool that might be needed when working on a house. Secondly, we know how to teach ourselves how to use these tools if we don’t already know how to do so. I should also mention that marine engineers are not special, but just happen to have more time and experience in many of the ‘trade’ fields. Anybody can go YouTube and learn the skills necessary to do A LOT of things tradesmen are normally paid to do.
For instance, one time I had to re-mud a ceiling. I had never done it before but was able to research on YouTube how to properly do this, what supplies are needed, and various techniques of doing this particular job. Subsequently, I was able to complete the job with high-quality work, saving myself thousands of dollars if I were to have paid someone to do the same job!
Why do I mention this? Well, just to give an example of what anybody without prior experience can do if they have the time to learn.
A Note for Marine Engineers and Woodworking
After dealing with both metalworking and woodworking, I would absolutely say that woodworking is more difficult and less forgiving, because you cannot redo woodworking as you can for a lot of metal work. Once the wood is cut, it’s cut, there’s no way to ‘build up’ more wood then try again as you can with metal.
Conclusion
In this article, I went over my perspective with regards to how marine engineering skills can be applied to everyday life at home shoreside, and how those skills allow you to save time (and money), as well as lead to shoreside careers. For more about the day-to-day work, see our article on what do marine engineers do on a daily basis.
As with all the other articles, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or just let us know what you think!
Share This Article
Related Articles
Continue reading with these related articles
Post
A Day in the Life of a Marine Engineer: Part 2
Continue exploring the responsibilities and challenges faced by marine engineers in their daily work aboard ships.
Post
What Do Marine Engineers Do On A Daily Basis?
Learn about the daily life of a Marine Engineer, including watch standing, day working, and life at sea from a seasoned professional.
EngineeringPost
Marine Engineering: Career Overview, Daily Life & Real Dangers
Get an inside look at what it means to be a Marine Engineer — from daily responsibilities and shipboard routines to the real dangers that come with working in one of the world's most demanding engineering environments.
Post
Ship Maintenance Periods: Keeping Vessels Sea-Ready
Understand the different types of ship maintenance periods, from routine checks to major overhauls, and their importance in maritime operations.
© 2025 The Salty Mariner. All rights reserved.