from Marine Engineering to marine contracting
If you’re already working as a marine engineer there's a parallel career choice available to you which could open up a whole new set of horizons - in the marine contracting industry.
Marine construction vessels come in all shapes and sizes to complete an array of tasks from heavy lifting to pipelaying, from dive support to supply vessel roles.
Unlike conventional cargo ships which are designed to travel from port to port, marine construction vessels have an altogether more challenging role. In general they are required to maintain a constant station in one position while supporting a multiplicity of tasks on offshore survey and construction projects.
This has a considerable bearing on their engines and control systems. Construction vessels generally burn diesel rather than heavy oil. They often have several propellers and thrusters. And their controls, especially if the vessel is dynamically positioned, are complex, with multiple redundancies built in.
Marine engineers are faced with design, construction and maintenance challenges in offshore contracting which are wonderfully varied on each vessel as well as across the contractor's fleet. In addition to all the responsibilities you are already familiar with, you will probably find yourself working with lots of other complex and interesting equipment on the vessels such as cranes and winches. You’ll be a vital part of a team enabling the vessel to deliver projects, on time, on budget, safely and efficiently. You could well find that your qualifications and experience in marine engineering become a stepping stone into projects and project management - probably never doing the same job twice.
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