Peter - Marine Engineer
As a child Peter was fascinated by the ships he saw everyday on Sydney Harbour. Now as a marine engineer he works with the real thing.
Growing up in Balmain, Peter used to watch the tug boats working at Sydney Harbour. In those days he could canoe out to ships in bare feet and be allowed on board to inspect the engines. Peter’s fascination with the maritime life also grew while working at Sydney’s ship museum.
After school Peter joined Howard Smith as an apprentice fitter and turner. He then completed a marine engineering cadetship over a period of 11 years.
What drew me to being a marine engineer?
“I’ve always had a fascination with ships and the sea, together with a love of problem solving; marine engineering seemed like the perfect career.”
Career Highlights
“Tug boats also work on ship salvaging, and during my career I’ve been involved in some really interesting projects. Each one is very different and succeeding always gives you a great feeling of satisfaction. One recent salvage job was the Pasha Bulker, a coal ship beached at Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle, which needed to be floated before it caused environmental damage. The most problematic job involved a floating dock that had sunk off Papua New Guinea. It needed to be refloated by pumping compressed air into it; unfortunately it was extremely rusty and due to its shape was very difficult to refloat. We succeeded but it was a challenge.”