Reality of switching to making a living as a tradesman on sailboats?

[fschaefer4]

All very good points. I wondered about land-based carpenters working on boats. Curved fiddles look especially challenging to name one thing among hundreds. Plus I would imagine carrying all the tools for carpentry on a silboat would be a little much. And if a client isn't dry docked, finding space to work would be interesting.

A couple months back I bought a Pfaff 130 in great condition to start practicing sewing. Sails, biminis, enclosures, cushions, etc might be the track I'm most interested in.

All good possibilities. Thanks again for the input.

[Colin A]

I went to school for Marine trades and worked in the industry for well over 20 years. I currently still work on marine things from behind a desk but in the military side of things. I started off as a mechanic and doing glass work also have some wood boat experience. My favorite job was managing a boat yard (running the travel lift towing boat hydraulic trailers dock work etc). I started transitioning to desk work quickly because it paid better and most of the other yard workers weren't experienced with computers so the company owners liked giving me jobs like service writer.



Advice.... Well this industry is almost always hiring. The jobs shift around but there is almost always work of some kind. One of the reasons for the constant openings for work is that it's not easy and it doesn't tend to pay real well.

I would much rather be working in a yard now fixing a boat but the pay and benefits barely supported my family so desk work it is. In reality most of the guys I know still doing it are paid almost the same as they were 15 years ago (direct dollar to dollar they didn't even get raises to cover the inflation). If you have the time I would recommend you work with someone else for a bit then go out on your own, unless your OK with taking home 15 - 25 bucks an hour.

I do know a number of independents that make a good living. And the advice many others have given here is very true limit your customer list and good communication are key.

I did side work for years doing mostly glass and electrical work, when I was younger I had a bad habit of underbidding, it can be painful but you need to really account for all of your time accurately. As others have said even really large companies are horrible at this.

[CassidyNZ]

One of the most common understandings in marine work, mostly from people who work on their own boats is “it always takes much longer than I originally thought”. The second most common is “If it can go wrong, it will”.

Both of these when working together, always add up to far more labour required to get the job done than was expected. This has two effects:

The first is the customer never understands why the quote is so high because he sees the “simplicity” of the job and not the reality.

The second is you who doesn’t see the reality and quotes on the simplicity only to end up earning half of what you need to cover the job.

Connect these together and you end up losing money on a lot of jobs or simply losing a lot of jobs. Neither is going to go well for you. And to make things worse, most boat owners want their boats to be maintained at a very high level, especially since they’re paying high prices so second-grade work (either due to inexperience or simply inability) doesn’t go down well.

The marine service industry is not for sissies.

[john manning]

An example that uses your existing skills is a friend of mine who lives on his launch and has found a job doing general maintenance work at a seaside resort hotel and restaurant. He has permanent use of one of the resort moorings.

[Poche]

Originally Posted by fschaefer4

A couple months back I bought a Pfaff 130 in great condition to start practicing sewing. Sails, biminis, enclosures, cushions, etc might be the track I'm most interested in.

A brief interlude...The Pfaff 130 was only popular many years ago because it was portable, could be hand cranked, makes a decent zig zag stitch and good for emergency use while cruising. It is unsuitable for general canvas work as it is really an embroidery sewing machine.
There are portable walking foot machines now. Don't waste your time with the Pfaff.

[capnorv]

I don't know where you're located, but we are in need of two carpenters at the Washington State Ferries yard on Bainbridge Island right now, among other trades. Apply online .

[cdavisdb]

Its doable, if you find the right thing for you.

I made the switch from government worker to marine air conditioning and refrigeration when I was 40, never looked back. I went to work for a great guy who was willing to put up with my constant questions. Took me slightly over year of studying hard, asking a million questions and researching where to go before I went out on my own. I can reccomend that field, if you have the right characteristics.

1. Have been beat up enough to appreciate that the advantages of working for yourself outweigh the definite down sides

2. Have the analytical ability to be a good troubleshooter. This is not an obvious thing, is rare, and is critical to being good in this field. Being smart isn't enough if its not the right kind of analytical smart.

3. BE ON TIME!!!

4. Be honest and straight with people. If you don't know, say so.

Customers really appreciate showing up on time, getting the job done right, and standing behind your work.

There is considerable truth in the idea that power boat owners are much more willing to spend money on their boats. Keep that in mind. Also, working on sailboats is a pia; you gotta love boats.

Good luck finding the right thing!

[esarratt]

Brother, I would become a diesel engine mechanic. Then step on over and do heavy equipment mechanic school (take a couple extra courses). Not the trucks--that is food on the table money. Do the excavators!

Most community colleges offer diesel engine technology of some sort. There is little difference between heavy equipment mechanics (it pays the bills well!) and diesels on boats (the cooling system and transmissions).

The last time I asked, Volvo diesel mechanics wanted $225/hr to work on my boat.

I would take a course or two at a community college.

Go work for yourself. That is where the money and the freedom are.

Nigel Calder's books on boats are excellent!
~Marine Diesel Engines
~Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by esarratt

Brother, I would become a diesel engine mechanic. Then step on over and do heavy equipment mechanic school (take a couple extra courses). Not the trucks--that is food on the table money. Do the excavators!

Most community colleges offer diesel engine technology of some sort. There is little difference between heavy equipment mechanics (it pays the bills well!) and diesels on boats (the cooling system and transmissions).

The last time I asked, Volvo diesel mechanics wanted $225/hr to work on my boat.

I would take a course or two at a community college.

Go work for yourself. That is where the money and the freedom are.

Nigel Calder's books on boats are excellent!
~Marine Diesel Engines
~Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual

I don't think it is that simple.

My Son is a Diesel Fitter. He did a 5 year apprenticeship with Caterpillar where he had to spend one(?) day a week at college and he also did all sorts of courses with parts suppliers to Caterpillar. After finishing his apprenticeship he has had to update his qualifications each year.

If he does work for (say) an earth moving contractor they will ask to see his certificates of competency to do certain types of work. (They will not allow an unqualified person to work on their equipment as it will stuff up the warranty)

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by fschaefer4

Considering the times, I'm lucky enough to have a pretty decent job. However, said job is in an office behind a desk and it's killing me. So I'm considering a career change. The wolf isn't at my door and I have the luxury of time and some money stashed away. And, with COVID, Im not doing this anytime soon.

I'm sick of sitting in a building behind a desk. I want to get back to working on actual interested physical things.

So my question is, how realistic is it that someone can get into a trades job that involves working on boats? FWIW, I was a residential/commercial general contractor for 10 years. I did all the demo and carpentry and managed all the other tradesmen around me. In my current gig, I'm a Head of Facilities and have overseen some decent size construction projects, risk management, event production and all other duties as assigned. I've always done maintenance on motorcycles and in the distant past was an "engineer" on a commercial fishing boat in AK.

I'm not great at diagnosing electrical or diesel issues. I'm the DIY guy that can narrow things down and replace and hope. In other words, I couldn't sell myself as a tech. Just being realistic. But I'm sure I could get there.

Vast majority of stuff that isn't super techie? Absolutely.

I don't have to make much money initially. I could have a nice long runway to get ramped up. I'm a quick-ish learner, a hard worker and pretty decent at marketing myself. I can definitely show up on time, be honest about what I can and can't do and communicate professionally.

So what are the chances that a guy like me can make the career change? And what would that path look like?

As always, thanks in advance for your insights.

I did exactly that. I was a white collar desk jockey until I was 50. I was able to "retire" from that but needed to make some money to keep going. And I didn't know anything, repeat anything, about boats or boat skills. I found a boatyard that took a chance on me. I think they wanted someone that would be a quick study, but most important reliable. You have to learn from your mistakes and have a mentor to get you going. There is a TON to learn.


Right now there is an extreme shortage of boat techs in Washington state at least. The boat yards will hire just warm bodies. But you want to actually learn the skills so you need to have an understanding that you will not be washing and waxing boats all the time. None of the time actually as they can get people to do that. They need techs who can learn all the technical trade stuff - electrical, engines, hydraulics, plumbing. You will always have to do some (or a lot) of plumbing. When a customer's head is plugged up they will grab who they can. If you say no, you will likely be close to leaving by the front door. I absolutely hated plumbing. The heads and holding tanks were easy. It was finding the fittings that was hard.



And you have to have a brain wired for doing all this. I have met a lot of smart people, including smart sailors, who, for the life of them, cannot figure out wiring or engines. It's just not their thing. If you want to do this make sure you think you have the aptitude for it.



If there is a marine trades school nearby that is another way to get in. The teachers will be recommending the "best" or "adequate" students to the boatyards. You don't have to get a two year certificate to get a job. Doing well with a couple of technical courses will make it 100% easier to sell yourself.



And leave you smartphone at home when you interview. They need techs to do the work fast and well. I have seen many (mostly younger) hirees get kicked out by being on their phones too much.


Overall I found my age and desire to do the work is what got me the trainee job. I made a lot of mistakes. I remember looking at a wiring diagram for a bilge pump with a float for a couple of hours. I ended up getting ABYC certified in a couple of years, and was replacing entire boat electrical systems.

[mvweebles]

As mentioned in a prior post, I did pretty well transitioning into a full time delivery skipper, but luck played an important role - too much to recommend.

If I were to start from scratch, I'd probably shoot for a Surveyor. The better accreditations require a 5 year apprenticeship but it's clean work that can be done for a lifetime. I'd spend the 5 years on relatively short learning curve skills ( vs diesel and ABYC electrician) such as AC/refrigeration or power generation/storage like solar and hi-capacity alternators. Then I'd find a Surveyor who was thinking about retiring and shadow him/her for a year before purchasing their business.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

As mentioned in a prior post, I did pretty well transitioning into a full time delivery skipper, but luck played an important role - too much to recommend.

I'd rather be lucky than good.
Curiously, the harder I work ... the luckier I get

[piloto]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Not just boats, but all trades suffer from flakiness. House, car, you name it. People confuse inability to abide by a schedule with being busy. It's not. Just plain flakiness.

As Woody Allen said "80% of life is just showing up.".

i thought it was 90%!

[fschaefer4]

@exMaggieDrum

This is exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks for the input. I'm 50 and know that I can show up and see something through- even if I don't know how to do it, I can put it together or find those who can. The one thing that got me more work was that I always finished my jobs all the way through having cleaners show up at a clients house.

I do think if I worked the boat yard angle I could become a strong team player somewhere. There's a lot you can get done while you're learning. Your point about making sure I'm there to learn is well taken.

Thanks again.

[JPA Cate]

@fschaefer,

I think you're going to do well with this. Come back and let us know, eh?

Ann