Green and going

**Agamemnon** · December 9th, 2011, 09:54 PM

I have been mining the internet looking at any maritime website available. There are many websites with promises that paint a very rosey picture of maritime employment. What is the reality of it all? I am wanting to take my electrical training and all this maintenance and construction experiance and do something practical. Other than an mmd and a twic card, what do I need to become an electrician on the water?

**Agamemnon** · December 12th, 2011, 09:10 AM

For your views thanks. I am gaining info from many places. I realize my wording is off because I don't know anything yet, but I am learning. I am finding that marine electrical is a small specialized field you cant just walk into with a large corporation. I am now looking for small and mid-size companies. I will take an apprentice gig but I am really wanting to be on the water. Any suggestions for companies that will take a 2 year degree? I really don't want to wait till I have a Bachelors in engineering to get my foot in the door.

**brjones** · December 12th, 2011, 09:20 AM

All the Marine electricians that I have worked with on the water came from the SIU or the MFOW. Otherwise most of the time if a ship isn't carrying an electrician, it will fall on the 3 AE

**MariaW** · December 12th, 2011, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by brjones

All the Marine electricians that I have worked with on the water came from the SIU or the MFOW. Otherwise most of the time if a ship isn't carrying an electrician, it will fall on the 3 AE

Who fixes computer problems on the ship, for example, the navigation stuff?

**Skoidat69** · December 13th, 2011, 08:14 AM

With certain 2 year degrees, you can work as an ET in the oil field. They pay fairly good.

**brjones** · December 13th, 2011, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by MariaW

Who fixes computer problems on the ship, for example, the navigation stuff?

Anyone who can...lol. Usually if it something on the bridge the mates would attempt to fix it before the engine dept would get called. I have to say that a lot of mates I have come across are more computer savvy than the engineers. Company also has an IT department that can access ships computers. Not equipment related computers, but office computers.

**tengineer** · December 13th, 2011, 10:54 AM

All generation 4 and above drillships and semisubs that I know of have ETs. Rarely, if ever, would anyone call a 3rd engineer to take care of a computer problem since the third is typically the least experienced member of the engineering department.
Tengineer