What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Certificate of competency as Officer in charge of an engineering watch — STCW Regulation III/1 (section A-III/1), ships of ≥ 750 kW propulsion power.
- Spain: professional title of Merchant Navy Engine Officer (Royal Decree 973/2009 on merchant navy professional qualifications — verify the consolidated text), after a degree in Marine Engineering or equivalent and a cadetship at sea.
Basic STCW
- STCW A-VI/1 Basic Safety Training.
- Survival craft and rescue boats A-VI/2-1 (PSCRB), advanced fire fighting A-VI/3 and medical first aid A-VI/4-1 — the standard officer package.
Specific courses
- High voltage (operational level) when the ship operates systems above 1,000 V — competence incorporated into A-III/1 by the Manila Amendments.
- Engine-room resource management (ERM), integrated into A-III/1 after Manila 2010.
- Basic tanker training (STCW V/1-1 or V/1-2) when serving on oil, chemical or gas tankers.
Indicative experience
Regulation III/1: 12 months of seagoing service within an approved training programme with an onboard training record book — including at least 6 months of supervised engine-room watchkeeping — or 36 months of seagoing service without an approved programme (verify with the Administration). As a guide: first officer posting after the cadet period; 1–2 years in rank before promotion to second engineer.
Observations
Route: engine cadet → third engineer (III/1) → second engineer → first engineer and chief engineer (STCW III/2 for plants ≥ 3,000 kW; III/3 between 750 and 3,000 kW). Under Spanish flag, the exact attributions depend on the professional card in force. Industry advice: the third engineer who documents purifiers and sewage plant properly earns an unsupervised watch sooner; the one who doctors records never makes second.
What this role does
First engine-officer rank after the cadet period. Keeps the watch under the chief engineer's organisation and is usually assigned the auxiliaries: purifiers, water treatment, fresh-water generator and, depending on the ship, refrigeration and HVAC. The goal of the rank is to consolidate diagnosis, watch discipline and the judgement to know when to solve and when to call the second engineer.
Typical watches
- Engine-room watch as assigned
Key responsibilities
- Management of purifiers, wastewater plant and fresh water generator.
- Support in refrigeration/HVAC operation depending on the vessel.
- Rounds and records of machinery conditions.
- Keep watch records and assist with Oil Record Book entries under the first engineer's supervision.
Operational scope
- Support in auxiliaries
- Watch rounds
- Support in security equipment
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.