On modern ships, the engine department works alongside the engineers with specialist and support roles too.
Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) — daily duties
- Maintaining generators, automation systems and navigation electronics.
- Diagnosing and repairing electrical faults.
- An increasingly critical specialist role on modern ships.
Motorman and Oiler — daily duties
- Assisting the engineer on watch: doing rounds, taking readings.
- Carrying out daily cleaning and simple maintenance work.
- The motorman is the bridge between the engineers and the rating crew.
A typical day
The ETO usually works day work, called in when there's a fault. The oiler and motorman support the engineers within the watch system.
How to reach this rank
For ETO, an electrical/electronics engineering education and sea service; for oiler, basic engine training and STCW certificates are enough to start.
To see the engine department hierarchy, check out "Shipboard Hierarchy 5: The Engine Department".
