What the heck is going on in the marine trades right now?
Posted by whyrumalwaysgone@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 132 comments
Is anyone else seeing this? Basically demand for techs that can work on boat systems is insane right now. I have no idea if this is universal or just the places I've worked lately.
Background: I'm a travelling marine electrician and delivery captain so I get around a bit. I've worked in US NE, California, Netherlands, Panama, Florida, and Spain in the last couple years. Basically people fly me in to work on boats when they have exhausted their local options. I've spent many years in yards and ran my own shop for a bit in San Diego, the work is pretty similar wherever and I love to see new places.
5 years ago, I was the expensive "hired gun" brought in for premium service. I was frequently told how expensive I was, and focus was on doing the hard parts so they could let locals finish the work for cheaper. This was fine, as I would rather troubleshoot a complex system than boring manual labor.
More recently, all I hear is how nobody is available to work on boats at all. Local shops have 6 month waiting lists, electricians and mechanics no show no call. I keep getting astonished "you actually showed up!" responses. Of course I showed up, I want your money lol. This isn't a hobby, its a job. All six of the yards I've worked at in the last 2 years have tried to hire me (or anyone with a pulse apparently) full time. I would love to believe its because of my skills but they are mostly meeting me for the first time and have no idea what I can do. I'm getting offers to fly out (for a pretty fair rate) and do what I honestly consider to be pretty basic stuff - autopilot screen installs or battery swaps instead of more complex work like an engine swap or rewiring a complete panel. No complaints, I'm happy to have the work, but are there not locals who can do this stuff?
I'm curious if I have a skewed perspective because I'm inside the industry looking out. As boat owners, are you guys seeing the same thing?
Also, for any of the younger crowd (or older), if you love boats and want to work in the trades, its a pretty easy hiring process (show up) and the pay is good. Talk to your local boat repair shop or yard. They are desperate for people right now, seriously.
gvictor808@reddit
I think it's more than just your industry. Even Costco can't get folks for the food court ... was just there and it was only one lane open and the line was 100ppl deep. Another day I tried and there were three signs "no calzone, no smoothies, no salads".
And on a personal anecdote...I'm worth more to my family by NOT working than BY working (IT with two kids in $90k/yr private colleges), so I retired unwillingly. That is... because of how Financial Aid works, my expenses go up if I go back to work!
MoonBearsPaw@reddit
any trades for that matter these days.
guess i’m lucky. we got a solid crew that can handle any position on the boat during the sailing season as well as the maintenance in the offseason.
stem to stern, we have five guys comfortable with putting in the hours to keep a 1982 IOR on the podium consistently
shep4031@reddit
What’s it pay?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Well the company that hired me in San Francisco was billing out my time at $230/hr. So if I wanted to sit still and run my own shop that would be my hourly rate. The EU work was similar rates, Maine it was lowest, I think $160, and southern California currently its $185.
Bear in mind these are what companies are charging when I work, my pay is a flat $90/hr whether I'm solo or a contractor, plus travel expenses. I also carry my own insurance and certifications same as if I was a boat yard, so I pay ~2k/year for that, otherwise zero overhead. Definitely could make a lot more if I didn't travel.
Starting pay with zero skills is closer to $35-45 where I've been working, but 2 years in a yard and you would be more than qualified to run your own shop and charge whatever you wanted. Most colleagues I work with have less experience than that. Its wild.
the_mustard_king@reddit
Almost every boat tech or adjacent job I have seen pays around 25-35 an hour for people with experience and that’s in the SF bay. And here specifically there simply aren‘t enough shops or places to get your boat worked on.
I think especially things like the disparity between 230/hr that the customer pays and the 90 you get is a huge reason that people won’t do the job. I have considered looking into that type of work but the pay genuinely doesn’t seem worth it at the low end.
OrganicParamedic6606@reddit
Billing rate and what a local tech gets are very different, as you know.
Why didn’t you accept any offers from the 6 yards that offered you full time jobs?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I don't want to live permanently in any of the places I was working necessarily. I prefer traveling - both captain work and systems/electrical. I've worked for years in yards, and I prefer doing my own thing.
I see your point, some of my perspective may be skewed as an outside contractor gets paid more than the regular full time yard ape. I will say though that yards seem to be learning (finally) that they have to pay well to retain workers. I see "good" yards treating their people well and paying well, this was very rare a decade ago.
OberonsGhost@reddit
I can attest to that. I worked as an assistant engineer on small ships for 8 years and every year we had to go in to the shipyard and get work done plus do some work ourselves and I used to have to help do final inspections and then fix everything the guys from the shipyard screwed up and there were some pretty ugly, basic mistakes I had to fix like not putting a p trap in a toilet. I wonder what I would get as an offer now. I have been retired for 2 years but besides my experience, I have degrees now in both Machine tech and Electrical/Power tech and a BA in Math.
LameBMX@reddit
what are some good certs to get? and how much of a pain is international paid work (im used to it from a corporate perspective, but we arent allowed to actually perform "work tasks")
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
ABYC for US, very worth it.
Working internationally is tricky, I never job hunt out of the US. The way it works is all word of mouth, a boat owner knows someone who knows me. I fly in, sometimes they register me as crew or whatever, somwtimes not. I only work on the boat that brought me in, never hustling or competing with the locals.
Its never been an issue, but worth mentioning that they have generally already tried the local options. So I don't feel like I'm taking advantage. Its more like "I have an unsolvable problem here in Turkey (or wherever) - I can ship my boat to the US for this guy to fix, or bring him to my boat instead." Obviously the second option works better.
Shertzy@reddit
Very interesting, thanks for the post. Do you know the going rates for complex composite manufacturer and repair technicians?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
If you can get in with specialist work like carbon fiber, or a good boat builder you can do pretty well. The poor bastards that are long boarding hulls not as lucrative. Couple guys I know with basic skills are doing 40-50/hr, but if you're in the design part or more skilled you can do better
Shertzy@reddit
Thanks for the insights. I’m from the wind turbine blades composite industry, it appears a bit more complex in work but the rates are quite comparable. Like you I also liked to travel the work before I had a family, Godspeed dude!
str8dwn@reddit
$45 p/h to paint a bottom?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Last place I was at the bottom paint guys got 60, but they had some experience
str8dwn@reddit
Spraying or rolling?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Rolling, but mostly sanding or soda blasting. The painting is the easy part
frozenhawaiian@reddit
High dependent on where you are. I’m in the marine trades and located in maine and the wages are criminally low by industry standards.
Aggressive-Might-703@reddit
I’m a MTME student in Ontario and Marine Small Engines is by FAR the smallest program when it comes to number of students. There are not a lot of young people going into the trades, and the ones who are doing electrical, plumbing, or welding. There are over 200 welders plumbers and electricians who will finish there first phase alone.
Pair this with mechanic jobs being paid horribly, and there just isn’t enough kids going to be mechanics. If there are a lot of boats and not a lot of students learning to fix them, well the ones who get certfied will be in high demand.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
One nice thing about the classes is sometimes you come out of it with a real cert like ABYC. Huge leg up for getting hired
Aggressive-Might-703@reddit
Exactly!
byrds_the_word@reddit
I'm pretty new to the industry, was hired as a technician about 3 months ago. From my limited experience it seems like there aren't a lot of folks doing this work, period. The number of folks who do it really well is a slim fraction of that. It feels like there's a large learning gap between the newer guys and the techs who have been doing this for a decade plus, and it's tough to train down to that lower level.
I think I'm motivated and eager to learn, but when I hear a more senior guy use 14 acronyms in one sentence I get lost and everything else said after that is tough to make sense of. It's a lot to learn on the job, but I enjoy when I can get my hands inside the equipment.
We get calls for support on some very basic things from dealers and their techs - some guys would rather leave a voicemail and get a call back hours or days later than check the manual to identify a part number. There are a number of repeat offenders who refuse to learn how to find answers and want to call us with the same questions every time.
Sea-Technology87@reddit
Most of the younger mechanics realized that they make more money either going out on their own as a subcontractor or hop into the yachting industry which pays well, gives you a place to live, and getting to travel. That is what I have noticed...
repilicus@reddit
Just curious, how'd you get into marine electrician trade?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Working as a yard ape, got stick doing fiberglass work. Hated it, looked around the yard at what jobs sucked the least. Went and talked to the owner, we split the cost of the ABYC class. Worked there 2 more years, left and started my own shop
repilicus@reddit
Good on ya for the hard work and reward at the end of the rainbow of sanding fiberglass!. What is to and of boats are you working on?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Pretty good variety. Mostly sailboats, some catamaran (did a new build and an Atlantic crossing on a big cat). Over in EU I was working on some big power yachts, biggest one was a 300ft Feadship. Some cool retracting drive projects on Gunboats and big sailboats. Recently I did some lighting work on commercial fishing boats, thats a very different vibe haha
My preference is cruising sailboats and cats, but Im not picky
mikeboatman@reddit
I'm a marine electrician, have had a service business for 5 years, and also started a boat yard 2 years ago.
It's extremely hard to find people. I've tried training several people but it cost me more than it was worth.
The old guys are dying and retiring faster than they're being replaced, and everyone in the trades thinks working for yourself is glamorous and wants to go out on their own.
It's a weird situation.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Yes, very similar to what Im seeing. Where are you located? Not trying to dox you just curious about what general area
mikeboatman@reddit
I'm in New England. Wish I was somewhere warmer year round though lol.
-Maris-@reddit
The evolution of Lithium technology is placing a higher demand on properly certified electricians due to stringent insurance requirements. It’s such new technology that only a few pros qualify.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
This is only partially true - anyone can install a lithium bank if the owner is willing to tell their insurance company it was done by a qualified tech. Nobody checks, and this is really common. I know this because I've been brought in to clean up a few hack jobs
-Maris-@reddit
Nope, they are getting more strict with requirements with every boat fire. Insurance companies want receipts from qualified electricians or good luck getting insurance at all. Their guidelines evolve as we type.
throwawaycape@reddit
How hard is it to get hired in this field?
My background - lots of technical work but very broad. Worked in bike shops, worked in electronics/hardware testing, I have my own sailboat and do most of my own work. Experience working on motors, fiberglass repair, etc.
However I am a graduate student in a tech field, and it's very difficult to get hired in that world right now. I've thought about trying to find work as a marine tech or something while I work on my degree, just because I like boats and I enjoy fixing stuff.
With no real experience as a professional marine tech, how realistic is it?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
This is the most boomer job advice ever haha but literally just go to a yard and ask. Boat repair shops are 30+ years behind in stuff like tech and HR, so unlike most industries this is still the best way to get in. Show up, be eager to learn, you're in.
You can try emailing a resume or an inquiry, but the places I've worked thats much less likely to get a response. One yard owner i know checks his email like once a month.
RandyJester@reddit
\^\^\^ This! Give them a decentish resume and check back regularly and they'll be desperate at some point and hire you. I was hired at $45/hr by a local "at the dock" maintenance and repair company last year and now I'm independent and making a decent living. The real money is, of course, in running the company not turning the wrenches.
throwawaycape@reddit
Thank you!
squishyPup@reddit
So... I just DIY'd my electrical panel replacement this spring from fuses to breakers with busbars and terminals. I also rewired a friend's mast over the summer. If I get ABYC certification, I'm a rockstar?
DogtariousVanDog@reddit
Hooking everything up is one thing, chosing the right wire gauges is another. This could be a great panel or a dangerous one, it really depends.
caeru1ean@reddit
What kind of wood is that?
squishyPup@reddit
I think it's a pine 1x6 board, nothing exotic.
I needed a non-conductive mounting board for all the components. It's glued to the fiberglass bulkhead. The terminal block, negative bus bar, and wire ties are all screwed to it. There were two dead instruments also using this cavity. I pulled those out and covered the holes with a laminated wood cover I made. It's thin and a little translucent, but fully waterproofed.
caeru1ean@reddit
I like using starboard for mounting stuff like that. more water resistant and looks clean!
Nice job cleaning up the wiring looking good
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
To be fair, there is a difference between a tech who has done 1-2 panels and a tech who has done 200. But thats clean work and you are well on your way! No joke, that pic an ABYC cert and you could get a job in a yard with minimal effort.
The biggest difference between journeyman and master in marine trades is the master has already made every possible mistake and knows how to fix it. The journeyman can do good work, but problems or mistakes take a little longer to remedy. Every screwup is a learning opportunity
DogtariousVanDog@reddit
What's exactly the work that you're doing? I assume part of it is electrical but electrical is also really basic on a boat.
Advanced-Present8291@reddit
Damn so you’re saying I should put up the ad I’ve been contemplating to offer light electrical and mechanical work to my local marinas?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Lol yes. A business license is cheap, and insurance really isn't too bad. My overhead is less than 2k/year
Logically_Challenge2@reddit
I run a nonprofit building a school vessel for maritime trades. I was at a convention this past 3 days and talked to a lot of people in the industry. Their opinion universally was that there is a dramatic shortage of trained maritime labor right now. I got a lot of good networking with other schools who would normally view something like our project as competition because the need so great, there is effectively no competition right now.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Thats how I feel about things right now. I meet another tech or work with another company and its not competitive at all. There's more than enough for everyone
furiousfotographie@reddit
I know the last yard i was hauled in (Chesapeake area) had an in house do it all guy and then a couple of subcontractors that they called in for specialty stuff and they were booked months out with the yardies working 10-15h days, 6 days a week.
Not a big yard at all but always slammed. Seemed like they did pretty decent work, but i had very little interaction with them as i DIY everything. Not that i do very good work...derp.
JohnHazardWandering@reddit
Is this across all regions or is it higher in some areas like the US?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I can't speak for everywhere, thats actually why I posted this to see if my experience is common right now. US yes in the places Ive worked, sounds like not so much in Georgia or North Carolina. Western Europe as well, at least in Spain/Netherlands/France
Hootn_and_a_hollern@reddit
This is across the trades, not just marine trades.
I'm an aircraft mechanic, and we have a serious shortage of mechs.
I've been working on aircraft for 20 years, granted, but I could wheel my toolbox into any business and ask when I start and they'd give me a job. And the same thing applies to nearly any licensed aircraft mechanic.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Same for anyone with an ABYC cert in my industry. ~1500 for a 2 week class and you can walk into any yard and have a job same day.
Hootn_and_a_hollern@reddit
My wife and I are in the process of selling everything and moving aboard.... I might trade my A&P certs for an ABYC cert.
Doing woodwork, composite repairs like honeycomb or fiberglass, electrical work etc... it's all the same.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
It can't hurt. Its worth mentioning though that ABYC classes don't teach you how to be a marine electrician. You are meant to already be qualified, they teach you the standards.
Some of them are more entry level, but the electrical cert at least requires some background experience
Hootn_and_a_hollern@reddit
In your mind, what would be the biggest difference between marine electrical and aviation electrical?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
The utter lack of regulation in marine work. Zero laws aside from a couple basic Coast Guard regs, and ABYC is an industry cert invented by the businesses, not any kind of government body. Very optional, they just tell you the safest way to do stuff and you make your own choices
Both-Platypus-8521@reddit
On inspected vessels there are codes, standards
Hootn_and_a_hollern@reddit
Jfc.... that's wild 😂
Everything I do on an aircraft has a regulation, standard, or law attached to it.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I recently took apart a panel that included wire nuts (like little cups for salt water!), aluminum foil, car fuses, a household AC panel running 230 and 110, and a couple large capacitors sitting in a puddle of goo.
Sometimes it feels like I'm the guy in a post-apocalyptic movie who fixes the equipment. Like, who tf put this together and why could they not just use waterproof heat shrink? Duct tape? Really?
honkytonkheart@reddit
One of you in this thread mentioned a mechanic that would go smoke crack in his car. I suspect that explains what you just described
Hootn_and_a_hollern@reddit
Sounds like I can be the guy who charges a little more to guarantee the job gets done properly.... without wire nuts and goo
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Thats the idea. The ABYC cert covers this stuff in detail. They won't teach you how to wire a 3 phase genset, but they will tell you which fittings to use and how many zip ties you need for it to be safe
333chordme@reddit
How do you become “already qualified”? Seriously considering this as a career.
daysailor70@reddit
Former marina and OB dealer here. The demand for skilled marine techs is insane. We were paying to relocate techs and $40+ an hour. I can go into how this started with the Clinton administration's push for college educations which has now created the student loan crisis. But the net result is an entire generation abandoned the trades for college while all the old timers aged out. The result being an acute shortage of experienced marine trades people. And this isn't just in the marine industry, it's trades across the board. I have three grandkids, if any of them said they didn't want to go to college but wanted to be anything in the trades, Marine tech, electrician etc., I'd support the 100%. The opportunity is huge and they can get into an extremely lucrative career without debt.
caeru1ean@reddit
I think it’s starting to swing the other way with the rise of AI and disappearing tech jobs. A lot of people went to college and got CS degrees with true promise of high paying jobs that are starting to go away already
daysailor70@reddit
Not to mention the hoards of liberal arts graduates that found there were no jobs and no real career path for them. The promised land of opportunity for generic degrees never appeared.
caeru1ean@reddit
No need to call me out like that 😂
63pelicanmailman@reddit
I’m an idiot when it comes to marine electronics. Would love to learn how to do this as I’m now retired from USPS after 34 years there and retirement funds really aren’t enough. I love sailboats and would love to learn it. (I have 2 sailboats that need work).
Unfair-Engine-9440@reddit
In the business since 1979. Full time marine surveyor since 2001.
I agree there are opportunities, but it is not just the learning curve. In most cases you have to show up with liability insurance. Marina/boatyards are the gatekeepers. They may also require worker's compensation and will add surcharges if they allow you in at all. There are a few DIY yards where you might be able to hang around and build some experience and recognition, but those places are full of people who DIY so are doing their own grunt work. That's the entry level stuff that helps build familiarity with the work environment.
If you are connected to the industry in some way such as owning a boat, living aboard, working at West Marine or some other way you can zero in on what interests you and begin networking and practicing within your skill set. If you weld, wire, paint, mechanic or have other transferable skills those can work well in the DIY places. Even with that, you will likely be starting with lots of stop and go small projects that may not cover much overhead at the outset. Otherwise, find a competent mentor and study for a while. You can't take a class for experience.
honkytonkheart@reddit
Damn. I do handyman and residential remodeling work on land, and I'm definitely in the wrong business. I travel a lot and i've been watching wages in my trades around the country, and 5-10 years ago they were pretty shitty for friends who worked in boat yards, even very skilled friends in Bay Area boatyards. There was definitely a huge re-alignment in residential construction trades after 2020. In the mid-2010's, it was frustrating that there was so much disparity in trades wages by state and yet walmart still sells milk at the same price everywhere.
I haven't been boating since the pandemic boat buying spree and I'm shocked to read this thread. I knew a lot of people in boat trades in SF before the pandemic.
In my landlubber trades, I'm very concerned about a potential repeat of the 2008 recession, which will absolutely screw residential remodeling. Do you have any sense of how your boat repair industry feels about it's prospects if that happens? One thing different from 2008 is that income inequality is even more insane than it was then, so the very rich have a lot more riches, partly thanks to crypto and tech. I'm guessing the have-yachts will be somewhat insulated from however the next recession/bubble bursting economic downturn might look (the AI build bubble is super scary, there are obviously issues with the current administration's economic policy, crypto's potential to implode with a lot of ordinary people's pension funds and money is terrifying).
SkiBigLines@reddit
Not only you. I'm a professional rigger with enough competency in other fields to be useful, generally I work for individual clients/teams. Every time I'm in a yard working for a client they offer me a job, and many clients try to bring me in full time. There's lots of warm bodies that want work but from what I've seen no mentorship/learning/commitment in the last 5-10 years has created a huge skills gap for young people now.
Amper-send@reddit
are you looking for a trainee? moving to SF in january, have enough cash flow for 8-10 months, want to sail someday, want to learn. lmk
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Right now I'm not. I sometimes take short term apprentices (see my post history) in various places. But its not a real job, more like keeping me company and handing me tools in exchange for detailed explanations of what I'm doing and why. More useful for a boat owner looking to upgrade skills than a proper apprenticeship for a tradesman.
The deciding factor is if I'm in charge of the job, or if I'm working as a contractor for a yard or company. As a contractor its more complicated, and usually I can't bring in anyone.
SomeGuyFromWisconsin@reddit
This is good to know, considering I am attempting to get into boat tech work. Here in thr Midwest its a little harder to get an apprenticeship/job.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Midwest is tough, not as much there to work with. Lots of sailors in Great Lakes/Chicago, and lakes everywhere. But much more $$$ to be made in ocean ports. Palma Mallorca, Ft Lauderdale, Newport RI are the biggest hubs, but cost of living is pretty wild there. Was paying 4k for a 1 bedroom in Newport this summer, not really sustainable. Another reason I prefer traveling work
Independent-Donut376@reddit
No matter how much demand there is, and how much the companies charge, pay is absolute dogshit.
The techs are needed where the boats are, and where the boats are has super high COL, but the companies want to pay like they are in mid-Ohio.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Of course they do! But a little training, willingness to job hop, or the motivation to start your own business and sky is the limit.
Truly though, just in the last few years Im seeing big improvements in pay and treatment at boat yards. Not all of them, but enough to give me hope.
richey15@reddit
I am in a significantly different industry, but a technichal trade none the less.
i have increased my pay almost exclusively by hopping around. if i had stuck with any full time offer, i would be making easily half of what i do currently, and working significantly more days. Granted, like you, i travel to most (all) of my jobs and im in hotels for all of that, but i also get to live exactly where i want (in a van), and dont have to worry about my local job market, or figure out COL/What they pay and make those kinds of tough calls.
it doesnt surprise me that this kind of technical work could have alot of similar freelance options like my line of work does. I mean boats are mobile. its probably beneficial for some of them to know that since you fly to them anyways, they can fly you to wherever the boat is with out much pushback.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Nice thing about boats is you are almost always working in cool locations. Owners don't want to park an expensive boat in a miserable location, so I get to work on boats in exotic locations.
Typically any labor beyond my own is organized by the boat, but deliveries I bring my own crew usually. I do a lot of "teaching deliveries", where the owner is on as crew so they learn their boat during the passage. So a crew for me could be myself, owner, and a couple of experienced crew
Independent-Donut376@reddit
Can I get a $6M loan from your dad?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Haha my parents were broke liveaboard hippies on a 29ft wooden boat
PM_ME_UR_SPACECRAFT@reddit
explains the username ;)
FormalPrune@reddit
My experience mirrors yours. I worked as an independent contractor in an area with a lot of new boat builds and I couldn't charge them enough to give me any rest. The shop owners would pay their employees peanuts and end up having to pay my high rate in order to get the jobs done on time and working. They would hire me to train the new guys, but the turn over was too fast to produce good techs since they didn't pay them enough, so I ended up with endless work at 3 figures an hour. It's a good gig, I too have my 50ton masters and between those two skills I could work every day forever. I wanted to retire while I'm young enough to surf though so I told them all I was done a couple years ago. More for you!
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
More for everyone! We can only work on one boat at a time, so plenty of boats to go around
Nearby-Writer-9205@reddit
Out of curiosity, what is your travel set up? Picking up a Milwaukee Packout on the baggage carousel? 😂
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I travel very light. Maybe 1 bag of specific stuff for the job, and 1 bag of tools I cannot function without. Boat usually has stuff like wrenches, or they can be purchased locally. So my multimeter, a specific driver drill, my wiring tools and a kit of misc parts and drill bits. The exact screws that fit in a Blue Seas breaker panel and are easily dropped for example.
mistahbrown1@reddit
I’m a broker in SoCal. Anyone with decent skills and more importantly basic communication skills absolutely crushes it around here. Labor easily $100/hr and all the best guys are weeks out on their work.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Thats what I'm seeing. Showing up seems to be the biggest factor haha
mistahbrown1@reddit
So sad but so true! I’ve helped a handful of ex navy and coast guard mechanics/technicians get their business off the ground and if they just answer the phone and show up when they say they will, they don’t need any of my referrals after like 2 months
vulkoriscoming@reddit
Seriously. I had a mechanical problem and was willing to pay what it cost to fix, but I couldn't get anyone to show up. I finally just sold the boat.
svapplause@reddit
We actually looked into it when we fell in love with the Savannah area traveling through. They were hiring, but the pay didnt match the COL by a long shot.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Might be worth checking back, it really feels like its changing over the last few years
svapplause@reddit
This was 4/25
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Ah bummer. Sounds like my observations aren't universal. So far it sounds like Savannah and North Carolina are still paying poorly
dwkfym@reddit
I'm thinking all the new boat purchases (I imagine you're working on bigger, newer vessels) from 2020-2023 are now needing service. In my area (Washington DC) the influx was so bad, focused on 18-30ft outboard vessels, and there was absolutely nowhere you could take to do harder work, and if you found a tech, it cost an arm and a leg. Techs will literally ignore everyone, unless they know them to be cool or by reputation.
(Even to this day, 9/10 boats you see have been purchased in the last 5 years, and yes, they don't know what they are doing nor have the boats left a 20 mile radius from where they sit... but owners all have extremely huge egos)
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Its a factor for sure. Boat size is weird though, I work a lot on very big yachts in the EU and Florida, but now i can get the same pay working on regular cruisers. Which is MUCH better work, in my opinion. Billionaire owners love to stiff their contractors and treat workers as appliances, mom and pop sailors treat you like a human instead and generally pay if they are happy with the work.
TR64ever@reddit
Boat owner, Jersey shore. Very hard to find marine electric techs. Change in electrical code c.2020 creates ground fault problems in older boats. Lots of demand. Diesel and marine engine techs also impossible to find, very expensive.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
It feels like that everywhere ive been lately, and from the comments here it seems pretty universal
Sea-Technology87@reddit
Been in the boat business for 20 years.... I agree that mechanics/systems guys have indeed just up and gone, disappeared. I'm based in Maine where there isn't a ton of people anyway.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Like where did they go? It wasn't this way 10 or even 5 years ago
SaltBedroom2733@reddit
Any talk of this as a potential career has to talk of the extreme physical discomfort of being pretzeled into weird shaped cramped tiny spaces. You once know how hard it is to access the spaces where the electric wires have to be connected, or the plumbing, or the engine...this is a job for the petite girls.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
As a 6ft3 gen X man, I couldn't agree more. 2 of my best apprentices were girls
HashishPeddler@reddit
Would it be pretty easy to get hired on with a bachelor’s degree and zero experience in the NYC area?
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
From what I've seen, yes. Ive not worked in NYC yet, but im supposed to fly there in Nov to install an autopilot. Its a fairly straightforward 2-3 days job, and the fact that they can't find anyone local indicates to me there is a need for workers there too.
SailingSpark@reddit
I am a stage hand, a stage electrician to be exact. We are seeing it as well. I do not know about the marine trade, but in my neck of the woods there is a huge churn in employees as the older guys are finally retiring out. These people have been in their positions for thirty or forty years and kept everyone else out that entire time and now they are gone or going. It's creating a vacuum that is going to drive up rates the next time we negotiate our contract.
We also seeing it in people who can adapt and learn the newest high tech equipment. While my own boats are very low tech, I have seen the electronics on newer boats, I am certain you need to be a specialist to troubleshoot, set up, and service them. This is going to also weed out a lot of people.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
This could be a factor. Also lots of the older guys at yards now are struggling with health stuff. 25 years of fiberglassing or painting without proper PPE is a bummer
WhetherWitch@reddit
This is why I learned to do my own lithium upgrade. I was mentored by professionals who really know their stuff, though. I liked it so much that I often wonder if I should just get ABYC certified and do more of them.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
DIY is of course the best solution. I've actually had some customers do DIY jobs punctuated by Zoom calls with me. I charge them a lower rate (since I don't have to crawl into a bilge) and i have a 3 page legal disclaimer, but its worked for a few people pretty well.
Its helpful because they know and understand the systems better having done the actual work. And realistically even a big job has a lot of grunt work and less "skilled" work. Getting a professional to help plan and do occasional "checking in" video calls but doing the install yourself is becoming more common as Starlink becomes more widespread. I recently walked a guy through a PSS shaft seal repair 800nm off Bermuda haha. Its weird living in the future.
snowdrone@reddit
In the Caribbean I was told that it was hard to find qualified techs, because the mega 50+ ft boats don't want to deal with local unions, and the live aboard skippers on the 30-40ft boats are stingier. So the mega yachts hire international talent, and the local techs don't get enough income from the 30-40ft boaters.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I did some work for Moorings when I was there, would not do so again. But thats a story for another time.
The boats that can afford to bring in a traveling tech used to be bigger yachts, EU I was working on boats up to 300ft. Now I'm getting fairly frequent work at a similar pay for much smaller boats like family cruisers. My background is liveaboard and cruising sailor, so I've always had a soft spot/preference for that kind of work. No complaints.
I think the average "cruiser" has a much bigger budget than even 10 years ago. Again though, my perspective could be skewed because thats who I'm seeing.
RaisedByBooksNTV@reddit
So if I wanted to do what you're doing, they would train on the job? Because you all have great skillsets.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Yes, if you start working for a boat yard or shop/mobile service you will be paid reasonably well while you learn. Like most trades there will be good days and bad days, I've done my share of rebuilding toilets or sanding. But there is literally unlimited work, boats are always falling apart 24/7 and lots boat owners have $$$ to pay a tech but not the time to DIY. Even a small marina (300-500 boats) can support a couple tradesmen indefinitely. When I owned my own shop, I had unlimited work (booked out) just in the local 2 marinas I could walk to.
Horse_Cock42069@reddit
I knew a diesel tech in San Diego that was an undocumented immigrant from South Africa.
mistahbrown1@reddit
I’m a broker in SD and I know exactly who you’re talking about too haha
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I probably know that guy lol
givetwinkly@reddit
I really wouldn't say the pay is good unless you're already highly qualified to work on engines or electrical systems
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Yard charges $165/hr for sanding and bilge cleaning.
givetwinkly@reddit
Right, but in most instances the guy actually doing the work gets paid like a fast food worker.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Not lately, from what I'm seeing. This was very true 5 years ago, but now they are just desperate to have someone show up. Entry level guys in Maine were making 40ish, and thats a comparatively low cost of living area.
When I started my own shop I just split the difference. I charged half what the yard used to charge for my work, and got to keep it all. Well more like 60% of it because owning your own shop is expensive, but you get the idea.
givetwinkly@reddit
I'm genuinely curious which shops in Maine you're referring to, because when I was looking for jobs there earlier this year the offered pay was pitiful.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
Sorry to hear that. Maine is a weird one, because they have a lot more skilled workers than anywhere else Ive been. The worst tech in Maine would be a rock star in California.
AK_Ranch@reddit
odd question: is this a symptom of the “hollowing out of the middle class” or the “widening economic gap” we’ve been hearing about for a decade+ ? I’m not saying it is, but here’s a way I could see it explaining what you’re experiencing: keeping a local posse of marine workers employed requires a relatively high population of local boat owners to generate enough work. If the money stays sort of the same but goes to fewer and fewer boat owners then there isn’t enough work to go around to keep all the local workers employed but there is enough money to pay for high-pay fly-in workers like you (OP), and to pay for infrequent but ridiculous things like $165/hr bilge cleaning.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
From what I've seen theres no shortage of boats that need work. One yard i worked at turned away a US Senator's yacht because they were too busy haha. I got to hear their end of the phone conversation, I don't think some folks get told "no" very often.
TangoLimaGolf@reddit
Our yard guys here in North Carolina make $25.00 hourly. It’s not a big money job unless you’re the top man.
caeru1ean@reddit
I went to help my dad do an electrical refit on his boat in Ventura a few years back and that was our experience as well with the diesel mechanic. He was always busy, to turn point where it was a pain to get him to show up and do something.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
I just finished a lighting job in Ventura, and got the same "wow you showed up!" comments haha. Apparently the last electrician kept leaving the job to smoke crack in his car. The bar is low.
caeru1ean@reddit
I sent you a PM, but yeah I’m thinking of trying to get into the trade while we take a hiatus from cruising for a while.
Blarghnog@reddit
I think it’s both the fallout of a lot of under-qualified buyers from 2020-2021, combined with the mass retirement of the boomers — and all that entails.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
This is something I've considered - seems like things went wild after the COVID boat buying frenzy. Also inflation probably. Maybe thats part of what's driving this.
Hp0_Zs1@reddit
Hands on work is in big demand every not only marine trade. Especially if you know what you’re doing.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit (OP)
From the sheer quantity of jobs where I come in to "clean up" after someone who has been paid a lot of money, I'm going to say knowing what you are doing is optional /s