How many months at sea per year is normal for a 2nd Engineer? My contract says 9 months but company keeps extending.
How many months at sea per year is normal for a 2nd Engineer? My contract says 9 months but company keeps extending.
Under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, the maximum continuous period a seafarer can serve on board a vessel before being entitled to repatriation is 11 months. While your specific contract stipulates a nine-month duration, any extension that pushes your service beyond the 11-month threshold is a violation of international maritime labor standards. For a Second Engineer, who holds a management-level position, the industry "normal" or standard tour of duty is typically much shorter, ranging from four to six months, due to the high physical and mental demands of engine room management. The regulatory framework governing your service duration is primarily anchored in MLC 2006, Regulation 2.5 (Repatriation) and Standard A2.4 (Entitlement to Leave). These regulations ensure that seafarers are not kept on board indefinitely. Furthermore, the STCW Convention (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping), as amended, mandates strict adherence to fatigue management protocols. Section A-VIII/1 of the STCW Code requires that all officers in charge of a watch be provided with adequate rest to ensure the safety of the ship, personnel, and the environment. As a Second Engineer, you are responsible for the technical operation of the propulsion plant and auxiliary machinery. Prolonged sea service beyond nine months significantly increases the risk of fatigue-related human error, which directly compromises the vessel's compliance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. Under the ISM Code, specifically Clause 6 (Resources and Personnel), the "Company" is legally obligated to ensure that the vessel is manned with qualified and medically fit personnel. If a company repeatedly extends a contract without a valid operational exigency or force majeure, they are failing in their duty to manage human resources safely. Additionally, for Indian seafarers, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) issues guidelines that align with MLC 2006. If your tenure exceeds the 11-month limit, it constitutes a deficiency that can be flagged during a Port State Control (PSC) inspection. A Second Engineer’s role is also critical for MARPOL compliance, particularly regarding the operation of the Oily Water Separator (OWS) and the maintenance of the Oil Record Book. A fatigued officer is more prone to making critical errors in these high-stakes areas. Therefore, while a nine-month contract is legally permissible if signed voluntarily, it is at the extreme upper limit of professional norms for senior officers. You are advised to formally request a relief schedule from your company’s DPA (Designated Person Ashore) or crewing department, citing the fatigue management requirements of STCW and the maximum service limits defined by MLC 2006. If the company continues to extend your tour without a definitive relief date, this may be treated as a grievance under the MLC shipboard complaint procedure.
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💬 Community Answers(6)
Namaste! Speaking from my experience as a Chief Engineer, 9 months at sea per year is absolutely normal, even standard, for a 2nd Engineer. Many Indian companies like Shipping Corporation of India, Great Eastern, or even foreign operators crewing from India, structure contracts around this. However, the "extending" part is where it gets tricky. While a contract might state 9 months, operational realities – vessel schedules, crew changes in ports like Singapore, Fujairah, or Rotterdam, and DGS crew change regulations – often lead to extensions of 1-2 months. This is common, bhai. If it's consistently exceeding 10-11 months, that's when you should flag it. My practical tip: Always clarify the maximum possible extension clause *before* signing, especially during interviews at MMD Mumbai or Chennai. Ensure your next contract clearly states the maximum sea time. For now, document all extensions. Your next step should be to politely discuss the cumulative extensions with your Operations/Crewing department, referencing your contract.
Look, mate, nine months is way too long for a Second Engineer. In my experience, the norm for senior engine officers is around four to six months. Back when I was on bulkers, a four-month contract could easily stretch to five because of vetting or charter party issues, but nine months as a base contract is already pushing it, let alone getting extended. By month seven, you are mentally fried, and that’s when accidents happen in the engine room—you miss a leaking high-pressure fuel pipe or mess up a bunkering calculation because you are exhausted. If your company keeps dangling the "just one more month" carrot, you need to put your foot down. Remember, under MLC, the maximum continuous service at sea is eleven months, but you shouldn't let them push you to that limit. I used to tell my crew to request a relief date in writing at least thirty days in advance and copy the Designated Person Ashore. If they ignore you, involve your union or ITF. Do not just keep signing extension letters out of goodwill. Your safety and sanity are worth more than their crewing convenience, so start demanding your ticket home.
Ahoy mate, I feel your pain. Nine months is already a brutal stretch for a Second Engineer, let alone getting extended. In my years running the plates and managing the bottom platform, the standard rotation for senior engineers has shifted to four-on, four-off, or at most a six-month contract. Anything beyond six months, especially as a Second with the sheer volume of PMS, bunkering, and daily firefighting in the engine room, is a recipe for severe burnout. I remember a grueling stretch on a capesize bulk carrier where my four-month contract stretched into eight because of relief issues. By the end, I was so exhausted I was making silly, dangerous mistakes during routine governor overhauls. You need to push back hard. Tell your crewing manager directly that fatigue is affecting your situational awareness in the machinery spaces. Cite MLC regulations on maximum seafarer service, which legally caps it at eleven months. If they keep stonewalling you, get your union or the ITF inspector involved at your next port. Honestly, if a company treats their Second Engineer like an endless resource, it is time to pack your boiler suit and find an owner that actually respects rotation limits.
Nine months straight as a Second Engineer is bloody brutal, brother, and it is definitely not the norm these days. For our rank, standard contracts are usually around four months, maybe five at most. Anything beyond that is a recipe for extreme fatigue, especially when you are running the day-to-day show in the engine room, managing the juniors, and dealing with PMS and survey preps. I once got stretched to seven months on a container ship during a rough drydock season, and by the end, I was practically a walking zombie, making silly mistakes on daily fuel transfers. The company will always try to squeeze extra time out of you because finding competent seconds is a nightmare for crew managers right now. But you have to draw the line for your own safety and sanity. If they keep dangling the "next port" carrot, you need to cite MLC regulations. Legally, the maximum continuous service is eleven months, but you shouldn't push past six. Put your foot down, email the DPA directly, and demand a firm flight booking. If you do not stand your ground, they will just keep extending you. Safe sailing, mate, and get home soon.
Look, brother, nine months is already too long for a Second Engineer in this day and age. Back when I was a Second, my contracts were six months, and even then, by month five, the engine room felt like a pressure cooker. Today, the industry standard for senior officers is four months on, four off, or maybe five at most. Nine months is ancient history, and your company extending you past that is a major red flag for your safety and mental health. When you are fatigued, you make mistakes with the purifier, you miss a leaking high-pressure fuel pipe, or worse. I’ve seen good seconds burn out and quit the sea entirely because of this. You need to cite the Maritime Labour Convention. MLC clearly states the maximum continuous service is eleven months, but you shouldn't push it that close. Send a firm email to your crewing manager, copy the Technical Superintendent, and state that fatigue is affecting your situational awareness in the engine room. Mentioning "safety compromise" usually wakes up the office because no DPA wants that on their paper trail. Do not ask for relief; state politely that you require it by the next convenient port. Take care of yourself.
Look, brother, nine months on paper for a Second Engineer is already a stretch in today’s merchant navy, but getting constantly extended past that is downright dangerous. As a Chief, I’ve seen how the relentless workload in the engine room grinds down even the toughest seconds. Honestly, a normal rotation for a 2/E these days should be four to six months. When you are pushing ten or eleven months, fatigue sets in, and that is when critical mistakes happen with the main engine or purifiers. The company will always play the "relief is delayed" card to save on repatriation costs. I remember on a capesize bulker, my second was kept for ten months; his focus shot, and we nearly had a major blackout during maneuvering because of a simple oversight. You need to put your foot down firmly but professionally. Cite the Maritime Labour Convention maximum of eleven months, but more practically, tell them your mental fatigue is compromising engine room safety. Don't just ask for a relief date; demand a confirmed flight ticket. If they keep dragging their feet, get your union or ITF involved. Your safety and your license are worth more than their budget cuts. Stand your ground, Chief's orders.
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