Training stokers for steam plants

[Neill McKay]

I was surprised to read today that the tankers are still steam-driven, and it raised a question that perhaps someone here can answer: are all marine engineering mechanics entering the navy now still trained on steam plants, or is it a specialty only for those posted to the tankers?

 

[yak]

Neil:  The answer to your question is "no". 

Seriously, the stoker world is currently arranged around four tickets:

Cert 1 (Auxiliary Machinery Operator, our mechanic level)
Cert 2 (Console Operator, or in the case of a steam driven ship, Boiler Room I/C, our technician level)
Cert 3 (Engineering Officer of the Watch, Artificer)
Cert 4 (Chief Engine Room Artificer)

The first three tickets are class specific, with a letter denoting the class ship.  An "A" means a steam qualification.  The tankers require a steam ticket, which used to be attainable also on the old steam driven destroyers.  Thus, my old Cert 2A which I got on HMCS Mackenzie would still be valid on one of our tankers but require some re-qual but not a full ticket.  However, my Cert 3E (for gas turbine/diesel) would not.  The bulk of the tickets being produced in the fleet would be "E" tickets I imagine as the frigates are the most numerous vessel type.

The Cert 4 is not class specific and once achieved allows one to be the Chief ERA on any class of vessel.

And I'm not too sure how the subs do things, that's a D ticket I think, as well as the requirement for the dolphin.

Since the tankers are the only steam platforms we're sailing, they are the only ones turning out current "A" tickets.  Steam isn't bad, it's pretty efficient and reliable, but its power to weight ratio is poor compared to the other propulsion plants out there.  I certainly don't miss making feed water either. 

 

[Neill McKay]

Thanks!

 

[hugh19]

Just a note about the Cert 4 on submarines.  The CERA of the sub must also have a cert 3 for that class of submarine.

 

[Njord]

Hey all,
I'm currently waiting form my transcripts before dropping off my application and Marine Engineering MEch is top on my list. From what I've been able to figure out through here and from the recruiter (man one needs some good verbal kung foolery to get past some of those answers) i can end up as a marine articifier which is spec 2 pay...and above i noticed experience depends on which type of ship your on. My question is, is it very likely for me to be able to request transfers to other other ships to get that experience? i'm already planning on busting my balls, crossing my i's dotting my t's and having everything i do squared away in a circular time manner in order to assure that my performance reports are as top notch as i can make them. as well what other advice would you have for me to help my naval career resume look good?

Thanks

 

[Pat in Halifax]

You saw my other response and to reiterate; don't jump the gun. If you pan out to be as energetic as you say, you will be 'helped' along. As per the timings in my other reponse, you will reach the Mar Eng Art (Spec 2) level around the 11-12-13 year mark if all goes well. This will be your biggest pay raise of your career as well. For a while, when you rec'd spec 2, you were dropped back to incentive one even though you may have been at the PO2 rank for several years. This has since been rescinded. In 1993 when I got my 'first' Cert 3, the pay increase was about $320 before taxes - no small pitance and that is the 'reward' for the work (including at home) that you will do to achieve this career milestone.
One of my other duties is as the Cert 3 (Engineering Officer of the Watch) Training Coordinator for all 4 classes (HAL, IRO, PRO, VIC) on the east coast though VIC class is physically run down at the MOG. I have seen a marked decrease in the finite time for qualification which I attribute mainly (aside from all the mentorship now in place) to energetic 'younger' people coming through the system, not unlike yourself. Of the 17 EOOWs qualified on the east coast this year, 8 have done this well inside the 12 month finite time with 3 doing it in 4-6 months. This is phenomenal!
I hope this answers any remaining questions and if I can offer anything more, don't come across initially as 'too energetic' as, depending on who you are dealing with, your attitude may be mis-perceived as cockiness.
If you have any more specific trade related questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

[The Lutz]

"D" is actually a 280 qual (not sure how differant frigate/280 is, never sailed a cpf, maybe b/c 280 have no pd?), victoria submarine stokers are class "V", cert 2 (also called OPCERT, when the et's do the same course) is done after ql5 and bsq (dolphin) board

Neil:  The answer to your question is "no". 

Seriously, the stoker world is currently arranged around four tickets:

Cert 1 (Auxiliary Machinery Operator, our mechanic level)
Cert 2 (Console Operator, or in the case of a steam driven ship, Boiler Room I/C, our technician level)
Cert 3 (Engineering Officer of the Watch, Artificer)
Cert 4 (Chief Engine Room Artificer)

The first three tickets are class specific, with a letter denoting the class ship.  An "A" means a steam qualification.  The tankers require a steam ticket, which used to be attainable also on the old steam driven destroyers.  Thus, my old Cert 2A which I got on HMCS Mackenzie would still be valid on one of our tankers but require some re-qual but not a full ticket.  However, my Cert 3E (for gas turbine/diesel) would not.  The bulk of the tickets being produced in the fleet would be "E" tickets I imagine as the frigates are the most numerous vessel type.

The Cert 4 is not class specific and once achieved allows one to be the Chief ERA on any class of vessel.

And I'm not too sure how the subs do things, that's a D ticket I think, as well as the requirement for the dolphin.

Since the tankers are the only steam platforms we're sailing, they are the only ones turning out current "A" tickets.  Steam isn't bad, it's pretty efficient and reliable, but its power to weight ratio is poor compared to the other propulsion plants out there.  I certainly don't miss making feed water either.