Marine Engineering Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

William H. D. Ostara is a licensed chief engineer and maritime consultant with over 20 years of sea-going and shoreside experience across the commercial fishing, offshore supply, passenger, and research sectors. He is the Principal Consultant of Sci Maritime, LLC, providing incident investigation, risk assessment, and expert witness services to vessel owners, insurers, and litigation counsel. William’s expertise centres on engineering failures, shipboard casualties, and operational negligence, with a particular focus on propulsion systems, refrigerated seawater and ammonia plants, electrical distribution, and maintenance management practices. He offers technical opinions on machinery damage, engine-room fires, regulatory compliance, human-factor contributions, and organizational safety breakdowns. His analysis blends root-cause methodology with first-hand knowledge of shipboard culture, watchstanding realities, and the constraints of commercial operation. His career spans progressive engineering roles from deck-and-engine hybrid work to multiple chief engineer positions on U.S.-flagged factory trawlers with additional experience on offshore supply vessels and passenger craft. He has overseen multi-million-dollar shipyard periods, led engineering departments of up to ten personnel, implemented digital maintenance and record-keeping systems, and acted as project manager for drydock and refit work involving class societies and regulatory agencies including DNV and RINA. William holds multiple U.S. Coast Guard licenses, including Chief Engineer Limited (7,000 HP), Chief OSV Unlimited, and 200-Ton Master, and is certified in incident investigation, human-element leadership, and shipyard competent-person procedures. He is a full member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and an affiliate of the Society for Industrial & Organisational Psychology. He is currently pursuing a research PhD in Psychology with focus on decision-making, error, and resilience in high-risk maritime environments, further informing his analysis of technical failures and organizational liability.