Chief engineer
The chief engineer (LI, also chief technical officer) on a ship is responsible for the correct, safe and efficient operation of the machinery and all auxiliary equipment on board. He is the superior of any other technical officers ( marine engineers ) as well as the crew members of the machine division.
As part of his responsibilities, the chief technical officer reports not only to the master on board, but also to the technical inspection on land.
The LI must have a corresponding patent , which he can acquire after completing his studies , and has the rank of officer .
On smaller vehicles, on which there is no officer in the relevant function, the highest grade in the technical department, such as a boatman, is often addressed as "in charge", even though he does not formally hold the position.
On submarines , the LI also has the command to operate the depth rudder and the dive and control cells that are used to control the depth. In order to accelerate or slow down the diving process by changing the weight distribution, he also gives orders to the whole crew to go to the front or rear of the boat, depending on the situation.
On English and American ships, although this designation has established itself in the entire commercial shipping industry, the corresponding officer rank is referred to as Chief Engineer or Chief for short .