John Trainor
Principal | First-Class Marine Engineer
Vessel Operations · Shipyard & Refit Management · Owner's Representation · Project Delivery
John Trainor is a First-Class Marine Engineer with more than 35 years of experience spanning vessel operations, technical management, shipyard projects, vessel refits and conversions, offshore operations, owner's representation and marine project delivery.
Experience at a Glance
35+ YEARS
Marine Industry Experience
FIRST-CLASS
Marine Engineer
GLOBAL
Vessel & Shipyard Experience
DP I–III
Dynamic Positioning Experience
Areas of Expertise
Marine Engineering
Vessel Operations
Shipyard & Refit Management
Vessel Conversions
Owner's Representation
Project Management
Marine Surveys & Inspections
Dynamic Positioning Systems
Planned Maintenance & Lifecycle Management
Technical Specifications & Statements of Work
Selected Career Experience
Canadian Coast Guard — Fleet Engineering Officer
Began his marine career aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels, including heavy icebreakers, buoy tenders and search and rescue vessels operating on Canada's East Coast, the St. Lawrence River and in the Canadian High Arctic.
Marine Superintendent & Vessel Management
Held shore-based roles including Engineering Superintendent, Vessel Manager, Technical Manager and Operations Manager with responsibility for vessel maintenance, repairs, surveys, drydockings, conversions and technical operations across offshore, subsea, tug and barge, and commercial fishing fleets.
Offshore & Subsea Operations
Served as Chief Engineer aboard dynamically positioned offshore support, dive support and subsea construction vessels and sixth-generation drilling units. His experience includes DP systems, commissioning, class surveys, maintenance planning, subsea construction support and offshore operations in Canada and internationally.
Marine Project & Technical Advisory
Through his consulting work, John has provided project management, performance specification review, Statement of Work and technical specification development, technical evaluation, lifecycle management and marine survey services, including condition, suitability and bridging surveys for vessels entering Canadian flag.
About John
John is a graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College's Marine Engineering Program and holds a Canadian First-Class Motor Certificate. He began his career aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels and subsequently developed broad operational experience across numerous vessel types and marine sectors.
His seagoing career has included service aboard Coast Guard vessels, product tankers, anchor-handling tug supply vessels, platform supply vessels, dive support and subsea construction vessels, factory fishing vessels and mobile offshore drilling units. He has served as Chief Engineer in the offshore industry and developed extensive experience with dynamically positioned vessels and drilling units, including DP II, DP II Enhanced and DP III systems.
John subsequently moved into shore-based positions including Engineering Superintendent, Vessel Manager, Technical Manager and Operations Manager. These roles expanded his experience into fleet management, vessel maintenance and repair, class surveys, drydockings, emergency repairs, vessel conversions and international marine operations. His work has taken him to shipyards around the world, where he has managed projects including class drydockings and surveys, vessel conversions, crane installations and saturation diving-system installations.
His technical management experience has also included the development and implementation of planned maintenance programs and vessel-management software. John has worked with systems including AMOS, Star Information Systems, NS2, SafeNet and CAMMS, as well as the SFI coding and classification system.
John holds a Master's Certificate in Project Management and has applied this experience to the planning and execution of refits, drydockings, vessel conversions and other complex marine projects. Through his consulting work, he has also developed performance specifications, Statements of Work and technical specifications; conducted technical evaluations; provided lifecycle-management support; and undertaken marine surveys ranging from condition and suitability assessments to surveys supporting vessels entering Canadian flag.
Need Experienced Vessel & Project Support?
John works with owners and project teams on vessel operations, refits, conversions, shipyard projects, technical assessments and complex marine project delivery.