What Trades are in demand in marine industry

[nortonscove]

Worked with the government here in Newfoundland and Labrador as an employment counsellor. Helped hundreds of people get work in the Marine industry. Being an oil producing province we have tons of work on the rigs and supply boats. In this part of the world a six month program in pre-sea deckhand will get you into the field somewhat easily. Wages are far above average. From there any of the other shipboard jobs are made available.

[ThereAndBack]

I second the others that have put forth the point about reliable and honest. If you charge a fair wage, show up on time, and don't overstep what you can do.... Literally any marine trade is in high demand. The vast majority of people in the marine trade that I've encounter are unreliable when it comes to scheduling, dishonest about their ability to do what they say they will (for a number of reasons), and inaccurate at best when it comes to quotes and billing.

If you can do reliable, honest work, and get your quotes within 15-20%, you'll have a line waiting to hire you in any port in the US. Doesn't matter what it is.

Canvas, sail repair, rigging, mechanic, electronics, electrical, welding, hvac, refrig, plumbing and water makers, etc.

[OneHullPaul]

Marine ABYC Electrical Code in USA is voluntary.

Don't ttry and learn from the ABYC code.

Learn from others like Jeff Cote of Pacific Yachts on YouTube, invaluable lessons.

It's a good plan, you'll be glad you did.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

If you need certifications, such as becoming a licensed electrician, be aware that state licensing people believe in their own job security, and require classes that are guaranteed to destroy brain cells independent of your knowledge or ability to pass their tests. Sometimes, that is valid, because there is hand-on stuff to learn. Otherwise, it's frustrating, but not a bureaucracy you can defeat.

[Shrew]

In our area, boating is seasonal. Those in the marine trades are typically slammed from spring until fall, and then dead through the winter. You might be able to work three seasons, then take the winter off and head south.

[Bill_Giles]

I am a retired aircraft engineer and there are no jobs on my own boat that I have not been able to undertake. Even some which are outside of my training. Having read and implemented the most complex manuals and regulations pertaining to aircraft carrying hundreds of people and (at other times) enough explosives to destroy small cities I have no fears of dealing with a slow moving boat that cannot fall out of the sky.

I am happy to do woodwork, electrics and mechanical etc. THe only thing that I draw the line at is fibreglass work which is horrible and reluctantly I’d rather pay someone to do this.

But to be honest, for the UK, finding a hardworking, honest and reliable trades person to do any sort of work is not always easy. Reputation is hard won, but easily lost.

[CaptBobR]

Florida Youth Maritime Training provides free vocational training to disadvantaged youth-at-risk. We include introduction to ABYC marine standards, marine electrical and diesel. Graduates have all been able to get hired.

[Tudorsailor]

In Lefkas (Greece) and english guy kept hearing people moan that they could not get refrigeration issues fixed. So he trained up to do fridge stuff and is busy through the season

TudorSailor

[sycheckmate]

Marine Refrigeration and air conditioning is always in demand

[Kit_L]

I jumped right here to the end without reading the intervening posts, simply from the experiences of this last year.

Get practical 12V and 24V electrical wiring/engineering skills and qualifications.

I say this because finding someone to work on my boat in my area has been simply impossible—the stories around this search are Kafkaesque. If you have real practical marine electrical skills, then you will always have work.

Just my 2¢'s worth.

[JordanH]

This is an interesting discussion and I often ponder this myself. I usually come back to the following...
If there's a labour shortage (mechanics, canvas workers etc.) where there is more work than workers, then this indicates the jobs are not paying "enough" and that workers find better opportunities else where. I would be hesitant to get into those businesses if that low profit is the cause of the labour shortage.
(Sure you can work at them and make some money but it'll be difficult to make a lot of money.)

The trick to being efficiently profitable must therefore be to find out where there is a labour shortage that is not caused by low wages but by some other factor such as a difficult skill that most can't master. Or perhaps an area that requires capital investment that others aren't willing to make to compete. Or some other barrier to trade, like patents, or training etc. that others aren't willing to do. After you have jumped these barriers to trade, you can trade on higher margins and earn profit more efficiently.

So what are the "large barrier to trade" jobs in the marine industry?

My premise here is that you are taking on a job to maximize your wealth, and not just doing a job for the love of it. If you have other motivators than efficiently earning money then good for you... do that and enjoy it.

[kev_rm]

All of the marine contractors I have encountered thus far make US$100-$150 an hour, and about one in ten are reasonable at customer service and follow up. I think you can eat all your competitors' lunch by being 70% competent and 90% just good at basic business stuff. I don't buy any of these guys aren't making money because its not profitable - very very few of them would (or did) survive a real business environment.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by kev_rm

All of the marine contractors I have encountered thus far make US$100-$150 an hour, and about one in ten are reasonable at customer service and follow up. I think you can eat all your competitors' lunch by being 70% competent and 90% just good at basic business stuff. I don't buy any of these guys aren't making money because its not profitable - very very few of them would (or did) survive a real business environment.

“Profitable” is a relative thing, as long as you make $1 after your expenses you are profitable. But do you want to work long hours in cramped quarters for hyper-critical customers for $1000 a week? In the 2020’s? It is one thing to do this to fund your cruising, but if you plan on having any sort of a life, raise a family or buy a home and pay your personal taxes, buy healthcare etc, you will need a whole lot more!

How many of those contractors are the owners of the business and how many are employees? If the former and they have any employees of their own even if only back at the office that $100/150 per hour can get used up pretty quickly by rent, business insurance, truck payments and insurance, workmen’s comp etc. factor in just one dissatisfied customer who goes to court or even needs to be reworked at your expense and you are over the edge for that month. This does not include the cost of building up an inventory of parts nor does it include any special tools or equipment you might need.

There is a reason that 60% or more of small businesses fail within 3 years.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by kev_rm

All of the marine contractors I have encountered thus far make US$100-$150 an hour, and about one in ten are reasonable at customer service and follow up. I think you can eat all your competitors' lunch by being 70% competent and 90% just good at basic business stuff. I don't buy any of these guys aren't making money because its not profitable - very very few of them would (or did) survive a real business environment.

No, they bill US$100-$150 an hour, and with travel and scheduling, they're lucky to average 5 to 6 billable hours a day, when it's busy. (often it's not). Subtract overhead (shop, tools, truck,insurance etc etc) and that might become a net wage of ~ $50/ billed hr.

[edit - what WH just said above ]

From my own time working for a marine electrician or mechanic, we experienced all of the following:

• owners not showing up and no key left with boat
• fully-made aft cabins that we had to clear ourselves (maid-service @ $100/hr)
• Having to do an emergency fix or cleanup that wasn't in the estimated work.

... and every boat is unique and different. All this makes scheduling tough.

The good people can make a nice living, but it won't usually allow you to own the same big boats as your customers. Then there's all us yotties who fixed up their own boat and maybe assisted a neighbour,and suddenly think we can enter the trade.

[JordanH]

This is a perfect example; The boat owner thinks $120/hour is too expensive and thinks the labour is making a fortune. The labourer knows that because of the downtime between jobs, and unbillable work (sales, "maid service" etc), it reduces the hourly rate to something much less. It gets worse if the labourer works as an employee as a chunk needs to go to the business owner.

Here's the math.
In a 9-5 job, there are about 2,000 billable hours in a year (Including stat holidays, excluding vacations). If you're an individual tradesman, you are spending time to get to a marina, you're spending sales and accounting time, not to mention all the other job functions. If Lake-Effect estimated accurately at a lucky 5-6 hours per day then on average it's 5.5 hours per day, 27.5 hours per week and only 1,375 billable hours a year excluding vacations. If your rate is $120/hour, then your revenue is $165,000... but you still have to pay for your truck, fuel, tools, rent for your business property, accountant, marketing material etc. The net profit is likely much less unless you can keep your costs down.

In the early 2000's, I was working for a company that had billable targets (IT field) and they considered 80% to be "good". I'm not sure what it would be in the short-season marine industry up here... but probably isn't 70 or 80%.

And as for my comment on efficiency... if you have the merits to demand $120/hour for electrical or mechanical work, then you're likely pretty good and you can probably earn the same or more - with EASIER TO FIND CUSTOMERS - by working in the automotive industry. What incentive is there for you to apply those skills to marine engines? Seriously... an auto mechanic has customers that come to them, they literally drive to your work instead of vice versa, and you don't have to clean anybody's aft cabin or worry about them not providing keys. The non-billable stuff is easier and therefore allows you to bill more. Seems more profitable and hence why people choose to work there.

[exMaggieDrum]

Having been through what you are doing I can at least talk about what I did and what I have seen and the current market for marine "trades" people. Reading most of the replies they are about the hands-on building and maintenance type trades: electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, electronics tech, fiberglass, machinists, engine techs. You mentioned a different type of "trade" in your OP though - more of a head office or regional office type - e.g. sales engineer. I have worked in both these types and they are night and day.


Both can be "hands-on" if the sales engineer also goes out in to the field on customer boats or boat yards or builders. This is more of a travel (may be local or wider) job with occasional hands-on. You don't schlep a tool bag down to boats everyday or work in a factory/boat yard all the time putting in wiring, troubleshooting, fixing, etc. Entirely different than what most people here call a marine "trade" although generically they all are.



There is an incredible shortage of the true hands-on tradespeople right now. We are a major boating town (small to large recreational boats but also a large ship maintenance builder of commercial ships/tow boats/etc. Not enough electricians or mechanics or painters or most of the others. These are the ones who go to the boats and do installations of new toys, replacement of old toys or major gear, rebuilds, troubleshooting. They are not what I would call "overpaid" jobs. Most places start a new guy at $20/hr sometimes less without much experience and some a little bit more with a lot of experience. No one will be able to support much of a family or other life on these wages.


Not that people don't but you need to know what it can be. They are slow to give you raises and you may or may not have much in the way in perks, especially to start out. Think healthcare insurance, paid time off/vacations, other perks.



However, a sales engineer would be more likely with a small to large company which is not in to the day to day repair and maintenance of boats/ships. Which brings up the other split in the "trades" as mentioned above - large ships/boats or smaller recreational. Also large yachts and superyachts are different in expertise levels required and what is paid.



All of these have dramatic differences in physical demands and repercussions for your health and your body. On one hand the really physical work involves a lot of walking (down the docs), up and down ladders, on your knees, wiggling in to small nooks and crannies, carrying big tool bags, wrestling motors around, etc. This will get and keep you in shape but if you ask any long term tradesperson they will immediately tell you about how their knees are damaged for the rest of their life, or their backs are shot, etc. And depending on your location you may either be working in hot/humid conditions or in the rain or snow occasionally.



The boatyards here are certainly the busiest in the spring and early summer to get boats ready, in the later summer to fix boats that get broken or late season boaters, and then long term projects that are done over the winter months. Most do not lay off people in the winter because they won't be able to replace them in the spring if they do.



Also as a trade person, and this can be mightily important to some (like me), you are charged out by the hour so there is enormous pressure to be busy and to finish jobs in the lowest hours and fast. You don't have time to ponder on the best way to fix something and then charge the company/customer for a lot of planning or even for keeping you work station tidy. They want you "billable". Some even go for 100% billable which is stupid but they do it. This can be draining over time.


Not so on a lot of other companies, or as a sales engineer for example (in most cases). Like everything not all jobs and trades fit into nice categories and examples.



Someone mentioned that there is such a shortage a lot of boatyards will train a good solid, mature person who has a good work ethic. Young kids nowadays like to stay on their smart phones every minute and this doesn't help with billable hours or attention to skills requiring concentration or safe practices. (Also trade work can be dangerous in some ways - like falling from boats on the hard, falling in the water at the docks, electrical hazards, etc.). So I suspect you could find a boatyard that would train you but they wouldn't pay you as much.


Also, if you make a major goof on a customer boat, the heat will be on you. In a factory they can fix it before it gets to a customer. They won't tolerate too many goofs though. On a customer's boat, a major goof can take the boat out of commission, PO the customer anyway, or cost the boatyard "unbillable" or hard to bill hours. Some yards (the better ones) know that mistakes happen. Others not so much.


So - you need to figure out what general work environment would suit you best. How to break in to that job market. How to get the skills to break in and maintain. What pay you need or want. How physical you want or can handle. Do you need to buy a lot of tools.



Also, manufacturers of parts, equipment, boats are driven by demand for their products and whether they have designed and developed a superior (or adequate in need) product. If not, or a major marine cycle change happens (like the infamous "wealth" tax on yachts), there will be layoffs. We have had boat builders go belly-up here. The local large shipyard almost went broke because they used imported steel (just a little) which violated the Jones Act for all material in a boat to be US made if it will be used as a commercial US flagged ship. Others are the result of incredibly bad management.


A company like Blue Sea, or Furuno, or an engine manufacturer would be as much office work as anything. Along with usually travel to boat shows where you stand on your feet for two days to over a week and talk to potential customers. These are not usually beginner positions but you could work you way up.


In general you can get in to the business at any level if you approach the job type you want intelligently and with discipline. You need to show you can learn and master the skills they need for whatever. There are excellent marine trade schools. In Anacortes, we have a really good trade school which is associated with the local community college. Their graduates are scooped up immediately. Or you could do OJT like I did and then take courses and get certified as you go. There is always a shortage for "good" workers in every field.



If you want to do it bad enough, you can make it happen.