The Chief Engineer

As you opened the door into the funnel space the hot air rushed up at you, as did the noise from the engine room far below. The steel steps, the companionway,and the greasy hand rail descended into a world of noisy machinery, of hot air and steam, of noises which to the engineers ear was as comforting as the tuning cords to an orchestra. Each sound meant a piece of integrated machinery was still integrated, still performing the task allotted to producing the 10,000 horse power needed to push 15,000 tons of ship plus cargo through the water. The routine of checking, of continually keeping an eye on the gear, of observing the gauges and noticing undue vibrations. Of checking levels and feeling the bearings for heat, of noting the hours of the watch and logging the conditions under your responsibility. 

Generally cheery, the watches at handover reflected the expectancy of a cold beer as the relieved crew pulled themselves up the hot companionway,out of the noise to the relative calm of their cabin, as the incomers settled into their 4 hour stint.
There was and needs to be a hierarchy at sea. The organisation of who does what is clearly defined and the rules on board are generally unquestioned.
The skipper is the boss. His word is law. He has the experience and the training to make the voyage safe and he is the Companies representative on board.

The chief engineer is in charge of the propulsion equipment and the ancillary equipment which make the ship a productive unit and therefore, in terms of responsibility the chief is a close second to the skipper in the eyes of the company who's responsibility it is to turn a profit for the owners and the shareholders.

I had the pleasure the other day to sit and chat with a 91 year old ex chief engineer / engineer superintendent.
I remember, the Superintendents were 'gods' as they descended on the ship whilst we were alongside in port, their job to examine and search for defects in the machinery. In their spotless white boiler suits with white gloves they were what Ofsted inspectors are to a school but on a higher plane, more of a mystic as their presence around the ship was treated with awe and reverence. The chief followed them on their tour hoping that between him  and the 2nd engineer they were prepared for any interrogation, whilst we, the underlings stayed well out of the way.
This 91 year old Superintendent was a delight. A twinkle of recognition as we delved into the past and invoked memories of a sea going life which for many, now being a landlubber, is a poor substitute in so many ways. As a Chief at sea and in port he was master of his environment, respected by the men who worked under him, the company equally impressed on his importance showered upon him what ever domestic benefits which  the Chief and a Captain expect to obtain in this closed world of shipboard living.
Rank entitled you to a large cabin and a separate bedroom and shower. When we entered his cabin we were always impressed by its size replicating as much as possible living quarters ashore. Many Chiefs and Captains travelled with their wives on certain trips and having a woman on board had a strange settling effect on the ranks. It reminded us to be less bawdy a little more shore wise as we remembered that "other half" waiting at home or, for the single lads, in the next port.
In most ships the Chief and the Captain kept to themselves, in fact tradition required that they be invited into the officers bar where most people spent at least a couple of hours each night spinning the tales to the clink of a bottle of cold beer or two. The division between deck and engine room with the inherent snobbery of the deck officers over the grease monkeys below meant that at the pinnacle the Captain and Chief Engineer were separated by a gulf of contrived separation. The Captain was boss he had more in common with the Chief Mate, both having opted for the advantages of a career path which would promote them to being "the boss".   Even under the close environment of a ship, with its need for In-dependability the need for elitism kept them apart and whilst it was always light hearted there was always a measure of one up man ship between the deck and the engineers.
Technically speaking the deck were, to some extent stuck in a time warp. Their profession, that of plotting a route, ensuring the cargo was secured and placed appropriately for the unload at the next port, most of their equipment such as electronic navigation was making their job more mundane. The use of the sextant (part of the navigation ticket or exam) by the third mate as the sun came up and he took a sight placed him in line with but not far advanced from Captain Cook.
Engines, steam and diesel were forever evolving. The complexity of automation was the engineers expertise and whilst bridge control placed the engine momentarily in the hands of the Captain as he manoeuvred alongside, the effects of his demands on the engine were still in the hands of the engineer below. As the ship gained in complexity it was a mechanical / electrical complexity which had to be mastered by the engineers and fell under the Chiefs responsibility. Modern skippers are as much mechanically trained as they are navigators but the responsibility for making sure that a ultra complex environment such as a ship works, belongs to the Chief Engineer and I was privileged to have had the opportunity to chat to one very old seafarer who's life experience was more than enough for one man.