[Question] Any Marine Electricians out there?

[Master Electrician]

The reason I ask this question is that marine installations are very different to shore based installations. The first difference is that you can't always call some oke with a bakkie and a step ladder when you are out at sea. And your electrical wholesaler does not have a boat.
Any so-called marine electricians out there, let me know. Will you float, sink or swim?

[mikilianis]

Any Marine Electricians out there?

I am a marine electrician I served an apprenticeship in the S.A. Navy in the late 70’s, my mustering was Electronician Ships and at that time the trade was not recognized by the Dept of Labour something to do with Industrial Poaching .One of the subjects we wrote for our national certificate N.T.C.3 was Electronicians Theory. I had to do a major apprenticeship once I purchased my discharge in order to write a Trade Test in Olifantsfontein as an Electrician The advantage I had was most apparent when it came to electric motors and motor control although I battled with the conduit work.I have since worked as an seagoing electrician in the merchant navy on genral cargo, Ro Ro’s ,container vessels and tankers I had to learn quickly and as you mentioned there is no help, I have had to strip and assemble contactors and many other types of electrical machines. The worst was when I sailed on one general cargo vessel she was about 15 years old and built in france so what diagrams that there were, were all in French I spent about 7 years at sea and the experience was worth it, a university at sea, we also had a lot of good times though, most of the machinery that I had to work on you find ashore but there are some specialized equipment , I used to pray that the air con plant didn’t pack up when we were in the tropics, it can get pretty hot in the engine room and accommodation when at sea. Another experience I had was that no matter how one tries to waterproof a limit switch or proximity switch if it’s not the correct I.P rating it’s not going to last.