What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch (EOOW) certificate — STCW Regulation III/1, ships with propulsion power ≥ 750 kW, with flag endorsement
- Spain: professional Engine Officer of the Merchant Marine certificate (RD 973/2009) with a valid professional card
Basic STCW
- A-VI/1 Basic Training, A-VI/2-1 Survival craft and rescue boats, A-VI/3 Advanced firefighting, A-VI/4-1 Medical first aid
Specific courses
- Engine-room Resource Management (ERM), embedded in A-III/1 training since the 2010 Manila amendments
- High-voltage course (> 1,000 V) where the plant requires it; familiarisation with the specific ship's purifiers and sewage plant
- MARPOL Annex I management: Oil Record Book and operation of the 15 ppm bilge separator
Indicative experience
Entered with a fresh III/1 certificate (after 12 months of approved programme with TRB or 36 months of sea service). Typical time in rank: 1 to 3 years (indicative). Promotion to Second Engineer requires the STCW III/2 management-level certificate (plants ≥ 3,000 kW), with ≥ 12 months of sea service as engineer officer.
Observations
Progression route: Cadet → Second Officer (EOOW, III/1) → First Officer (III/2) → Chief Engineer (III/2); Regulation III/3 applies on 750–3,000 kW plants. Mind the nomenclature: the Spanish «Segundo Oficial» equals the Anglo-Saxon Third Engineer — the Second Engineer is the Spanish First Officer. Mastery of the purifiers and of the plant's electrical balance is what distinguishes a solid watch; generator failure during manoeuvring is the classic critical scenario of the rank.
What this role does
Operational-level engine officer (Third Engineer in Anglo-Saxon nomenclature): keeps watch as Engineer Officer of the Watch (EOOW) and is typically assigned the generators, fuel and lube-oil purifiers and auxiliary machinery. First responder to alarms and breakdowns during the watch and, on UMS ships, answers system calls during unattended periods. It is the rank where technical judgement consolidates before taking charge of larger plants.
Typical watches
- Engine-room watch according to the ship's watch schedule
Key responsibilities
- Operation and maintenance of generators and auxiliary machinery.
- Control of fuel/lubricant systems, separators and filters.
- Monitoring alarms, pressures and temperatures.
Operational scope
- Auxiliary machinery
- Engineering watch
- Troubleshooting
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.