How to join offshore as 4th Engineer or 3rd Officer ?

Hello there !

Many guys have been asking me how to get into offshore as they are struggling to find a job opening on main fleet vessels. If you are one of those guys, you will get a clear-cut idea after reading this post.

Below, I have attached the contacts of 50 offshore companies where you can apply for a job online ( You might have to skip some advertisements while you download the list of companies ). Before sending your application, please read the full article to get some tips.

Email ids of 50 Shipping Companies (Offshore)

The address of these companies has been attached below, in case if you would take an effort to visit their company offices in Mumbai to drop your resume. 

Address of Offshore Companies in India

Certifications and documents required for offshore

There are not many extra certificates or documents needed. But following are some mandatory and optional certificates you should be having before you join the vessel.

• BOSIET ( Basic Offshore Safety Induction Emergency Training ) - This is a short course and can be done in any of the DG shipping approved institutes. The course fee is around 6000 INR but the same course which is approved by OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) which is an organisation responsible for the standards in the oil and gas industry particularly in emergency response and training. OPITO approved course is quite expensive and it can vary from 50000 to 60000 INR in Mumbai. Not every company asks for OPITO approved certificate, you could do the non-OPITO course as a beginner and some companies bear the expenses of the course themselves.

• HUET (Helicopter Under Water Escape Training) - This certificate is needed only when you join your ship on a chopper. Often, this course is done along with BOSIET. If you want to do it separately, you will have to pay about 2000 INR in Mumbai.

• H2S and BA Familiarisation - This is only a one day course and the cost is about 2000 INR in Mumbai.

• DP Maintenance Course and DP Logbook - This is required only for offshore vessels with DP system. DP maintenance course is not mandatory for operational level, though good companies do ask for the certificate. You will receive a DP logbook after completion of the course. This course is different for engine and deck officers and the expense is over 1 lakh INR in Mumbai. You do not need to possess this certificate if you are to join offshore for the first time.

What is a DP vessel? Are DP vessels and offshore vessels the same?

People often think of DP vessels as something different from that of offshore. DP stands for 'Dynamic Positioning'. A DP vessel is simply a an offshore vessel that has a dynamic positioning system in it. It is a computer-controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel's  position using it's propeller and thrusters. So an offshore vessel could be either DP or non-DP. These ships are useful where dropping the anchor is not possible, for example, in deep ocean and oil fields where you have a lot of pipelines and cables on the seabed. There are several types of vessels available in offshore industry that carry out different operations. Some of the types are given below.

• Anchor Handling Tug Vessel (AHT)
• Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs)
• Offshore Supply Vessels (OSVs)
• Seismic Vessels
• Accommodation Ships
• Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) 
• Multi-Purpose Support Vessels (MSVs)
• Cable Lay and Repair Vessels
• Drill Ships
• Well Intervention Vessels
• Jack Up Vessels
• Semi-submersible Vessels 

So, what are the benefits of working in offshore ?

• Short contracts: You could get a contract of 3 months or even lesser which makes it attractive in the first place. You may also find round the year contracts which makes it the best for married seafarers. 

• Connectivity: Nowadays wifi network is available on most of the offshore vessels and you could even get mobile network if you are near the coastline.

• Medical Assistance: Though doctors are not available on these vessels, you could get medical assistance from nearby platforms, rigs or even from shore facilities in case of medical emergencies which is impossible if you are in mid-sea on a cargo vessel. On offshore vessels like Research, DSV and MSV you could even find doctors 

• Quick Money: What I mean here is, you do not need to go on a five or six months contract to make some money. this does attract the people who do not like much sailing.

Some things I would like to add....

Only few ships like DSV, MSV, Drill Ships and Research vessels have 4th engineer and 3rd officer positions on board. On rest of the vessels you can't find these ranks. Instead, you will be joining as 3rd engineer or 2nd officer directly. As far as competency examinations for Class 2 and Chief Mate are concerned there will be some limitations applicable if you sail only on offshore vessels. More information can be found on DG shipping websites. For your reference, I have attached the links below.

• Eligibility for Engine Exam
• Eligibility for Nautical Exam

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