If you have always wanted to lead your life sailing the high seas, then the merchant navy should interest you. A marine engineer can lead a cool life- there's great money and one can travel around the world while on duty.

Merchant ships or vessels that deliver cargo from one country to another have a number of personnel working aboard. The main positions available are Navigating officers, Radio officers and Marine engineers.

Work

A marine engineer is responsible for the smooth running of a ship. He looks after the engines, boilers, refrigerating and sanitary equipment, deck machinery and steam connections, maintenance and construction. He also supervises the crew. To qualify as a marine engineer, one has to do a four-year degree in Marine Engineering

A Navigation officer is in charge of navigating the ship and is responsible for safe loading and unloading of cargo. He has to observe the national and international codes of conduct of navigation. A navigation officer should have obtained a Certificate in Competency after qualifying the exam conducted by the Ministry of Surface Transport through the Director General of Shipping (DGS), Mumbai.

A Radio officer looks after communication needs of a ship.

The crew usually works on a contractual basis for about six to nine months in a year. The profession has traditionally been a male preserve. But things are slowly changing and women are taking up jobs as radio officers and ship doctors.

Money

Merchant Navy is a high paying career and the salary can be anything from Rs.12,000 a month to even Rs. 8 lakh a month.

Attributes

Organising ability, practical nature, skillfulness, ability to get along with people at all levels -from operatives to department heads, ability to handle high-pressure and crisis situations and readiness for action are the attributes required in a Merchant Navy officer.

Job opportunities

Job opportunities for marine engineers are immense. They have the option of either joining the Merchant Navy or shipping companies. Experienced officers can try their hand at consulting or get into associated areas such as ship care and maintenance.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the candidate's age should not exceed 20 years and to get into T.S. Chanakya, a normal vision 6/6 in each eye is essential. Candidates with spectacles are not admitted.

Individual entrance exams are held by institutions. The candidate should have completed 10+2 (Science stream-Physics, Chemistry and Maths). Competitive examinations on an all-India basis for admission to a B Tech / B.E course are also conducted by the Birla Institute of Technology, at Pilani, Rajasthan, and at Ranchi; the University of Roorkee, UP; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal; the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Annamalai University, among others.

The Director General of Shipping (DGS) conducts a three-year B.Sc Navigation science course at the T.S. Chanakya, Navi Mumbai and the four-year marine engineering course at the Marine Engineering Research Institute (MERI) Kolkata. The former can lead him eventually to the position of captain of a merchant ship while MERI gives training for a chief engineer's job in the merchant navy. The admission process for these courses is based on performance in a written exam. The DGS either conducts a separate written test or uses the IIT-JEE merit list to consider students for admission into its courses.

Educational Institutions

Institute of Maritime Studies
ISBT Complex
Vasco da Gama
Goa 403 802
Ph. No: 0832 520986

Marine Engineering and Research Institute
P-19,Taratola Road
Kolkata-700 088

T.S Chanakya
Karave
Nerul,
Navi Mumbai- 400 706