Ship fitter

As a ship fitter you inspect repair and maintain ships' main engines and the associated machinery: couplings and pipe and cooling systems. You work with diesel engines pumps cranes and deck equipment at shipyards repair shops and aboard vessels. It is machinery craft where reliability is crucial as a ship idle due to a defect costs a lot of money.

§What do you do in everyday life?

A typical day involves inspecting and repairing diesel engines checking and servicing cooling and pipe systems, pumps and piping lubricating and replacing filters and troubleshooting when something acts up. You work from manuals, drawings and measurements both at the shipyard, in the workshop and aboard and you document the work performed.

• 01You learn to inspect and repair diesel engines, cooling and pipe systems.
• 02You learn to read technical drawings and work according to them.
• 03You learn to customize, cut, and process metal.
• 04You learn to service cranes, deck pumps, and other maritime equipment on board.
• 05You learn to work safely with heavy equipment and in the shipyard.

§How do you get started?

You start with a basic course at a vocational school and then find an apprenticeship at a shipyard, repair workshop, or maritime service company. You get apprentice wages throughout the education and alternate between school stays and practice so you learn both the technique and gain experience with real shipyard work.

§The way forward

As a trained ship fitter you can work at shipyards repair shops shipping companies and maritime service companies or with large motor and pump systems on land. You can specialise in particular engine types or systems become a team leader or further your education for example to machine master.

“The ship fitter keeps the ship's heart going so the vessel can brave the sea every single day.”