Engineer

Chief Engineer (CHE)

Minimum endorsement as a national chief engineer (limited) of motor-propelled vessels of less than 1600 gross registered tons (GRT) upon near coastal without a horsepower limitation. Pay rates: 12-hour day: $365.65, 24-hour day: $731.30.

Schedule is:

Seven days on the vessel and seven days off the vessel.

Job Summary

The engineer is directly responsible to the master for the proper operation and maintenance of all mechanical equipment on the vessel. The primary responsibility of the chief engineer is to safely operate and efficiently maintain vessel machinery.

Key Interactions

G&H employees, G&H executive leadership, senior client leadership, mariners, industry associations, and third party vendors.

Physical Demands

• An engineer must be capable of reading well enough to comprehend the various manufacturers' instruction manuals that describe preventative and corrective maintenance procedures for the equipment aboard the vessel. An Engineer must also be capable of reading and understanding written directives that may affect his job or emergency assignment.
• An Engineer must possess enough physical dexterity to manipulate small items in restricted spaces or large objects when using mechanical lifting devices.
• An engineer's hearing must be adequate to ensure safety while working in a machinery space with a high level of background noise and to detect changes in the operating sounds of machinery. An Engineer must be capable of communicating with the master or other personnel via portable or fixed VHF-FM radio as well as by intercom systems or voice communication.
• Engineers are frequently required to move equipment that is heavy or awkward. It will frequently be necessary to move equipment that is heavy, large, and awkward from one level to another. Mechanical lifting devices are provided and must be used as necessary; assistance must be obtained from other members of the crew when appropriate.
• Engineers must ascend and descend stairs and ladders, sometimes while transporting tools or objects. They must use portable ladders or stools to allow them to work on systems that are in the overhead section of machinery spaces.
• Repairs may require that engineers reach into small, poorly accessible areas of machinery; work on equipment that has pressurized or hot components; secure or segregate systems to provide an adequate safety margin; troubleshoot equipment that is difficult to reach; work in areas that have high noise levels; work below decks in an area that may experience periods of darkness in unusual situations, and work in confined and restricted spaces.
• The Engineer must be capable of performing assigned emergency duties without undue danger to oneself or the vessel.
• The Engineer must have color vision that allows him/her to safely work on electrical systems that have color-coded wires; distinguish between warning, alarm, and normal operating lights; discern system components that are identifiable by color code and observe basic safety precautions that may be related to color identification.

Duties

• All gear is to be stowed securely in its proper location when not in use.
• All main engine cylinder blow-down valves shall be kept in good working order so that all cylinders can be blown down prior to each starting of the main engines.
• Become familiar with and adhere to company policies and procedures.
• Become proficient in and assist in line-handling operations.
• Daily vessels Engine Logs, Fuel and/or DEF receipts, and fuel or lube requestions need to be emailed daily to engine.logs@gandhtowing.com as soon as possible after midnight. The engineer on the watch will note all tests in the engineer's diary. The engineer's diary shall be maintained per the standard established guidelines.
• During the monthly fire drill, all emergency equipment will be inspected and or tested, and all deficiencies of these inspections and/or any abnormal conditions found will be recorded in the engineer's diary, along with the corrective action. On vessel crew change days, this inspection will be coordinated with the master per TSMS Section 3.11, 33 C.F.R 164.80 tests and inspections.
• For vessels not implemented in MobileOps: The engine department maintenance checklist, must be completed by the chief engineer and be submitted to the engineering department no later than the 20th of the month due. The checklist is to be completed quarterly and is due in the months of March, June, September, and December.
• If the machinery alarm system is inoperable, the engineer will take hourly readings of all systems and record them in the engine log.
• If the vessel is operating seaward of the jetties, the above section also applies. This includes transits to Freeport, Corpus Christi, and LNG offshore transits.
• If the vessel is underway for a full 24-hour period, multiple sheets will have to be completed with temperature, pressure, rack or fuel position (this pertains to mechanical and electronic engines), exhaust temperature (if equipped) and RPM readings for main engines and generator engines recorded hourly.
• In the event the engineer on watch feels the vessel touch bottom or strike an object, the facts and circumstances surrounding this occurrence will be entered in the engineer's diary and the OICNW will be promptly notified.
• Main engines shall be blown down prior to each starting of the main engines.
• Make every effort to ensure that the total hour figure is correct, as routine maintenance plans are based on this figure.
• On vessels equipped with emergency bilge suctions, the valves are to be operated weekly, the valve stem oiled, and the packing checked. The access floor plate is to be painted in a contrasting color or labeled.
• On vessels not equipped with an air box drain piping system for the main and or auxiliary engines, the drains are to be kept clear with buckets in place; do not allow drainage to run into the bilge.
• Oversee the transfer of necessary fluids including, but to limited to fuel, lube oil, DEF, hydraulic oil, ballast water, and potable water.
• Perform routine and emergency repairs to the vessel's main and auxiliary systems.
• Perform scheduled maintenance plans.
• Safely and efficiently operate the vessels machinery.
• Shall be corrected. If monitored by a remote alarm panel, the engineer on watch may monitor the alarms from a location within hearing distance of the panel. If the remote alarm panel is in any way inoperative, the engineer on the watch is to be in an appropriate working area within sight or sound of the engine room at all times when the vessel is underway in the harbor.
• Should it become necessary for the vessel to be towed by another vessel, the engineer on the watch is to contact the engineering department for instructions.
• The chief engineer is accountable for all engine room tools and equipment.
• The chief engineer is required to comply with this Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) and with all applicable regulations.
• The chief engineer is responsible for adhering to the provisions of the certificate of inspection (COI), if applicable.
• The chief engineer is responsible for conducting all oil and fuel transfers per TSMS Section 5.1 Oil Transfer Procedures for that particular vessel.
• The chief engineer is responsible for ensuring all firefighting equipment is in good working condition and shall continually maintain the fire pump and ensure it is always ready for immediate use.
• The chief engineer is responsible for maintaining all equipment and, if necessary, for repairing any machinery and equipment on board the vessel, within their capacity. If additional assistance is required, the engineer will notify the company watchstander per TSMS section 4.5 maintenance and repair reporting.
• The chief engineer is responsible for maintaining engine room cleanliness by practicing good housekeeping. This includes keeping the engine room neat, clean, and free from slipping or tripping hazards including keeping decks free from oil and fuel.
• The chief engineer is responsible for reporting unsafe conditions to the master and for taking early and positive action to prevent accidents.
• The chief engineer is responsible for stopping work whenever they feel that the evolution is dangerous and that hazards can be mitigated cannot be mitigated, then they are responsible for implementing stop-work responsibility as outlined in TSMS Section 6.8 Stop Work Responsibility (SWR).
• The chief engineer is responsible for the safety of the crew and for preventing environmental pollution incidents by maintaining and safely operating all vessel machinery.
• The chief engineer may be called out on the deck, by the officer in charge of the navigation watch (OICNW), to assist as directed when necessary for the safety of operations or to meet other requirements of the TSMS.
• The chief engineer may be required to stand a