About Boat Mechanics

Boat mechanics are distinct from other vehicle maintenance professionals in that they specialize virtually exclusively in the care and upkeep of boat engines. These may be diesel engines, inboard or outboard motors, or may be mounted to small pleasure boats or huge yachts or commercial freighters. Learning about boat mechanics offers insights into the employability you might enjoy in this field, the various avenues of training, and also where you might find gainful employment.

Job Description

Boat mechanics are highly skilled professionals who are primarily responsible for fixing, upgrading and installing boat engines. In some cases a boat mechanic may expand the scope of her employment by also doubling as a small engine mechanic and taking on other mechanical maintenance jobs. In this case, she may not only be responsible for maintaining the boat engine, but she also takes care of the proper working of the generators and maybe even the heating and air conditioning systems.

Places of Employment

The most obvious place of employment for boat mechanics is a marina or a repair shop located on or around a docking station. Smaller outboard engines are frequently removed by the boats' owners and taken to the mechanics, while the large inboard motors necessitate a visit to the ship. Large cruise lines and also commercial shippers frequently employ one or more boat mechanics who are specifically trained to work on their boat engines and related circuitry. The same holds true for a dealership that specializes in used boats.

Training

The majority of boat mechanics undergo an apprenticeship. This is commonly due to the specific engine models a repair shop specializes in. Prior to accepting a trainee, repair shops require their aspiring apprentices to undergo some technical education. For example, a boat mechanic may graduate from the Marine Mechanics Institute's marine technician course of study (a link is placed in the resources section). In the course of this vocational training, boat mechanics learn about the various fuel systems boat engines may have, their tie in to manual starters, and also the proper lubrication of such engines.

Considerations

Paying student loans for a vocational program is frequently cost prohibitive. If you are determined to enter the field of boat mechanics, it is time to give the Navy a second look. This military branch offers a mechanical training program (a link is placed in the resources section) that provides not only marine mechanical training but also aviation technology experience and various other mechanical skills that will come in handy at discharge.

Statistical Employability

Even as the economy is faltering, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) released a 2007 study (a link is placed in the resources section) that showed an estimated 32.1% of Americans being involved in some form of boating. This translates into roughly 72.6 million hobbyists, a good number of whom own a boat outright, or legal rights to a boat. This provides a broad base of potential employers for boat mechanics, and since their skills may be easily translated into other fields of small engine mechanics as well, their future employability looks stable.

Resources

• Marine technician courses are offered at Marine Mechanics Institute at UTI.Edu.
• Check out the boating study done at NMMA.org.
• Visit the Navy's mechanical career training site at Navy.com.