Working Hours

[J4mieth0mas]

As a cadet or junior engine officer working on tankers would anyone be able to tell me the sort of working hours that I would likely be working? Not work shy but I've seen a couple of posts like this one 'http://www.officercadet.com/showthread.php/11308-Role-of-deck-officer?p=100444#post100444' referring to a deck officers working day being around 13 hrs on an offshore vessel, wondering if this would be comparable to the working hours of an engine officer on a tanker.

I understand that modern vessels most likely will have an UMS now so an engineers work day is more comparable to the average workday of 8-5 doing routine checks and maintenance among other things etc... with the officer on watches responsibility being to answer to any alarms in the night. Is this a correct understanding?

[Oil&Scotch]

Hi Jamie

On chemical tankers in Phase Two I worked 7 days a week as follows; Mon-Fri 8-10, break, 10:15-12, lunch, 1-3, break, 3:15-5, dinner, 6-8. So 12 hours from start to finish but only 9.5 hours of actual work. Saturday was the same but we finished at 3 for "cabin cleaning" and Sunday we started at 10:15 and worked the same pattern until 5. I was occasionally called during the night for provisions/bunkering/cleaning fish out of the sea chest strainers but that was only because I asked them to call me to gain experience and you'd be given a lie in if you worked during the night usually.

The engineers on board worked the same pattern but spent 24 hours on/off for the UMS alarms which, to be honest, never went off too often.

It's a good life though mate! Hard, REAL work that puts hairs on your chest and pride in your stomach. Most enjoy it, some would rather sit on their arse and play Fifa..... Your call!

[J4mieth0mas]

Thanks for the info, I'm guessing it'll be much the same for me! I'm really looking forward it

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[JSTORM]

If anyone else has some info on this it'd be really interesting to hear how working hours vary from ship to ship

[jcwilson91]

I work on tankers, and we have an Eng cadet on board.

Working schedules are 8-10, break for 30 mins, 10:30 - 12:00, lunch for one hour, 13:00 - 15:00, break for 30 mins, 15:30-17:00, but we usually wind up around 4:40 and have a chat.

We have UMS so every 3rd day we take rounds from 21:00-22:00


Sundays we finish at noon with the duty engineer having a round from 16:00 - 17:00 as well as the night time inspection.

Our cadet gets sundays off

If you are with clyde marine you should have some sort of contract that states you get Sundays off for studying. Wether you want to try and enforce this is up to you.

[ETwhat?]

Assuming that the engine room runs UMS then the main work is 8-5 for most ships a morning and afternoon 'smoko' (break) will happen but it does tend to depend on ships and officers how long they are.
Our cadets will shadow an engineer once they are broken in and not a total risk to themselves,tends to be the 4th but may not be depending on different things mostly the experience and confidence of the 4th.
We make our cadets do the evening rounds with the duty officer so every 3 days will go down for the evening rounds and will also go to any alarms that happen during the night. it does mean that exact hours can be a bit broken up for that day.

this all assumes that everything is going to plan, bunkering can change it and bigger breakdowns will generally mean they all work over time. While the 4.40 and sit around for a bit is common as a cadet it is best to be the first one to start and last to finish, even if it just means giving the workshop a tidy, or getting some tools sorted for the next day. The last thing you want is to be sitting waiting as you have finished your job while someone is trying to get something else finished

[Clanky]

As above, on most cargo ships you would most likely be doing day work with a little bit extra in the evening every 2nd or 3rd night to do the log and check round the engine room.

On passenger ships (cruise) you would normally work 4 hours on / 8 hours off as a watch keeper plus 2 hours per day doing maintenance on the machinery which you have responsibility for.

On offshore vessels you would be doing a mixture of day work and 6on / 6 off watchkeeping depending on what the ship is doing at the time.

On ferries you would normally do 12 hours per day in either a 6 on/ 6 off or 12 on / 12 off watch pattern.

As ETW has said, if you are on daywork then don't wander into the control room at 07:59 with a bacon sandwich in your hand and don't be the one sat in the control room waiting to knock off as everyone else finishes. If you are on watch then get there at least 15 minutes early, so that you can listen to the handover and ask whatever questions you have on your own time and not on the time of the guy who has just been down there for hours and wants to go to bed. Timekeeping is one of the most important things at sea, I am very close to sending someone home at the moment due to poor timekeeping (has had informal verbal, formal verbal and written warnings) If you get into the habit of being on time or early when you are a cadet then it will stick with you throughout your career (as well as making you get really frustrated with the locals if you ever move to Spain!)

[ETwhat?]

Although if you cant keep time become an ETO, its very easy to find 'something kept me busy'

[endure]

Although if you cant keep time become an ETO, its very easy to find 'something kept me busy'

Or a Sparks. Solar winds - propagation - solar cycles - sorry Sir I can't get that telegram off to your missus because you're an arse - blah blah blah...