A Career In The Industry

[stamford]

I am 33 and keen to give up a very well-paid job due to an increasing addiction of boats. I know own an ageing 41ft twin-diesel motor boat which is currently on the Thames but will soon be on the South Coast. My question is: Is it possible to change my career to start working in the boating industry and actually make a living?
I'm told it's a growing industry but are there really many opportunities? The main jobs seem to be:
Surveyor
Instruction e.g RYA courses
Delivery
Building
Brokerage
Charter
Superyacht crew
At the end of July 2003 I'm actually available full-time to further my boating career. I have Competent Crew (raggie), an Atlantic crossing (80ft Maxi big raggie yacht) and Yachtmaster Theory. I'm also learning Spanish and see my long-term future as being in Spain (I believe boat ownership is growing 20% year-on-year there). Any hints or suggestions or do I just stick to accountancy, get married and get on the M3 ASAP every Friday with the odd week over to France?

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[Guest]

I was hoping to give up everything and become an MBY journo - free trips all round the world, expensive toys to play with without worrying about breaking them, power, fame, glamorous women throwing themselves at me...

Leastways, that's how Kim described it.

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[DepSol]

Why pick a category from that list when you can create your own. Start small and keep the income coming in then as it grows make your decision to either continue at that level or quit and do it full time. Once you have got your feet under the table all sorts of other opportunities turn up. I have been offered quite a few different jobs in the trade over the last six months and a few of them are quite tempting.

If you are doing it as a hobby job think carefully about it. If the wage reduction means you have to work very hard to get very little wouldn’t it be better to stay in the higher paid job so you can afford your lifestyle of big boys toys rather than work with the toys and not be able to afford them or have the time to enjoy them. I suppose its all about finding a balance.


<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

Now where is that Brendan hiding?

 

[oldsaltoz]

Points to ponder. . . . . .

Surveyor:-
Work on about a 12 year apprenticeship, even then work can be a bit patchy

Instruction e.g RYA courses:-
Market oversupply in most areas, would have be with or set up your own school to get continuity, go nuts over the winter, not highly paid.

Delivery:-
Again a bit patchy, some of the boats are to say the least dodgy, getting crew can be a problem at short notice, not highly paid.

Building:-
Was good a few years ago, but insurance has eaten a lot of the profit, bloody hard work, effected by weather, maintaining a good work force takes a lot of time and care. Good customer and supplier relations skills required 24 / 7.

Charter:-
A great way to make a small fortune, but you need a large one when starting, Must have the right boat at the right place at the right time, get this right and you might make a little better than a wage for the 14 hrs a day worked.

Superyacht crew:-
Sorry you have left your run too late for crew, over 29 you should have a master mariners ticket (well almost) and be skippering for someone who wants the boat in the Solent next weekend, Spain the week after, then a quick run to the states for a couple of weeks, head for the Bahamas and wait there for 2 months. Lots of crew changes and victuals to arrange, and even more polishing.

Brokerage:-
A used car salesman in a blazer and soft shoes, not highly paid.

What about Pro Fisherman, Boat Rigger, Boat transport Company, or a Chandlery that sells marine equipment at caravan shop prices (And quality), Boat cleaning and storage is a good one, make money cleaning in summer, then storing in winter, plus 10% of all repair work done in your yard. Sailmaker, Compass boxer, Osmosis treatment (Limited future), Sand blasting mobile unit, Spray painting mobile unit, Marina Management, Water Police, Environ'mental' Inspector, Gas fitter, Auto/boat electrician, Fishing Tackle and Bait shop, Rigging loft and fastener shop, Lock keeper, Air-sea rescue, Coastal surveillance Officer, Provedore, Prop repair shop, Tug or line boat crew, Resort water sports coordinator, Shipping agent or Pier master,

That should keep you going till dinner time...



<hr width=100% size=1> Old Salt Oz /forums/images/icons/cool.gif Growing old is unavoidable. However, growing up is still optional.

 

[TomIsitt]

Hmmm...well he's sort of right. Fending off the amorous attentions of grateful PR totty and bending obscenely expensive machinery is indeed part and parcel of the job. But it's not all fun and games — there's also the small matter of whiney-arsed cry-baby boat-builders insisting we get our facts right, know-it-all readers who seem to think that we ought to know what we're talking about, and crypto-fascist Production Editors demanding we turn in our copy on deadline. If it wasn't for the bungs and back-handers, none of us would do this lousy job.

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