Marine electricians, crowded market or not?

[Bru]

A bit of a kite flying exercise which you lot might shoot down in flames but here goes ...

Background: I started out in my working life as a qualified electrical and electronics engineer in the lift industry (BTEC National Diploma no less) before moving, some years later, into IT hardware maintenance and then networking and security. Ended up latterly asking people if they want chocolate on their cappuccino (our equivalent of "do you want fries with that?" ) due to a convoluted chain of circumstances that I won't bore you with at this point (feel free to ask if you've got half an hour and a hanky to spare)

To my considerable surprise, the Dear Lady Wife has become (subject to certain conditions being met) fairly keen on the idea of applying for a transfer within Morereasons and moving down to Essex (I've been more than fairly keen on the idea for some considerable time). The obvious choice of store being Maldon (assuming we continue to keep the boat at Fambridge) but other options are available. I could apply for a transfer to a nearby BP but I'm not wild about the idea

So, to cut a long story slightly less long, I'm contemplating getting some re-training, tooling up and obtaining the necessary insurance(s) to offer my services as a mobile marine electrician and instrumentation engineer.

Given that I wouldn't need (or necessarily want) 40 or 50 hours work week in week out - at a reasonable hourly rate of (say) £25 an hour a couple of days work a week would suffice, more would be money in the pot towards full retirement ...

Does the panel think that there is room for (another) such a service covering primarily Essex / Suffolk? Am I being optimistic, pessimistic or hopelessly unrealistic?

 

[wingdiver]

Given how busy marine electricians seem to be in this part of the world, it's not a bad call.
Your IT/networking background might be especially useful given that a lot of folks are adding laptops or tablets to their nav kit.

 

[Laurin]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[Athene V30]

As a hand fisted amateur with no understanding of engineering, mechanical or electrical I would welcome someone I would trust to do what is required, well, at a reasonable cost and leave my boat in the condition they found it (other than with the bit of kit that wasn't working fixed).

I wonder work is fairly seasonal and all comes at once?

With that in mind am looking to install a chart plotter & VHF / AIS in the winter - would you be able to fit it (through bulkhead) and do the carpentry to make it look right inside?

 

[Bru]

I could happily live with seasonal work especially if the season is not the sailing season!

Specifically, Peter, best I can say now is possibly! My problem at present is living so far from the action and being tied up with Jane and my jobs but if I can work around that to our mutual benefit...

 

[Javelin]

John Gill is our man here.
He spends one or two days here, one or two at SYH and the rest round the Orwell area.

John is always saying he's up to his eyes in work and he really wants to ease off but he say's there's a severe lack of decent engineers who will take up the slack.

So given the above it sounds like a great idea.

 

[ChattingLil]

+ 1.

 

[David2452]

Judging by my workload and extended lead times a crowded market is the last thing it is, though only about 60% of my work, the other 40% being heating & plumbing my next slot for work of any magnitude is mid September. There are plenty of people around who can do it tomorrow, but that just makes more work for me sorting it out. With your background you will have no difficulty coming to terms with the BS requirements for low voltage AC and ultra low voltage DC used on vessels or getting your MEI and then AMEI ticket and at £25 an hour would probably even get some "sub" work to supplement direct customers. Good luck with your enterprise if you go ahead.

 

[Bru]

Thanks all for the replies. Coupled with some other conversations elsewhere it all looks very positive

In fact, potentially my only real problem is the logistics of getting started sooner rather than later!

(on that front, the several enquiries as to my availability to tackle some jobs this coming winter have set me looking at ways and means. Bear with me!)

 

[PeterWright]

In my experience there are two skill sets here - electrics and electronics. Even though most in the market will turn their hand to the other skill, it tends not to be their forte.

Rather surprisingly (at least to an old codger like me) it is the electrics (i.e. currents measured in Amps or greater) side that is in particularly short supply and that is where John Gill, recommended by Javelin, excells. Trouble is, again as Javelin days, the long queue for his time. Finding someone to make modern electronic boxes talk to each other seems much easier.

If you plan to get into this market, it's worth thinking about which skill set you wish to major in.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bru]

In my experience there are two skill sets here - electrics and electronics. Even though most in the market will turn their hand to the other skill, it tends not to be their forte.

Rather surprisingly (at least to an old codger like me) it is the electrics (i.e. currents measured in Amps or greater) side that is in particularly short supply and that is where John Gill, recommended by Javelin, excells. Trouble is, again as Javelin days, the long queue for his time. Finding someone to make modern electronic boxes talk to each other seems much easier.

If you plan to get into this market, it's worth thinking about which skill set you wish to major in.

Hope this helps.

Well as my college education and apprenticeship was in Electrical AND Electronic Engineering the plain answer is most definitely both!

However, I think I get what you mean because I rather doubt many people in the industry today have had the practical training and experience in wiring skills, especially low voltage wiring, that an apprenticeship and two years on the bench building lift control equipment hammered into me (ah, such happy days, sniff ). Then again, how many people in the marine industry spent more'n two decades working in IT and networking. Basically, I'm equally at home with soldering PL259 connectors onto the end of coax and configuring a laptop to talk to an NMEA network via a serial to USB lead and all points in between. I'm hoping that the saying "nobody likes a smartarse" is not true in this case!!!

I shall find out in due course where the work is to be had and I'm not going to be getting picky (at least not to begin with) - whether it's making a chart plotter talk to a VHF via NMEA, fitting a solar charging system, chasing a faulty nav light or even, when it gets right down to it, scraping and antifouling a hull, varnishing woodwork or unblocking a blocked heads I'll take the work where I can get it . Mind you, unblocking a blocked heads would definitely be a premium price job though!!!!

 

[Beyondhelp]

Interesting, have thought about the same topic as well, no where near my retirement however, so more of a career change. Worried however that the change from hobby to job may spoil it as the current career has kind of done. Wasn't aware of the M.E.I. course however, may look to doing that just out of pure interest.

 

[David2452]

Interesting, have thought about the same topic as well, no where near my retirement however, so more of a career change. Worried however that the change from hobby to job may spoil it as the current career has kind of done. Wasn't aware of the M.E.I. course however, may look to doing that just out of pure interest.

Problem with new entrants to the market and the MEI course is the condition that one needs to have a couple of years marine electrical & or electronics business background before taking the course and exam.

 

[Bru]

Ah yes, the good old Equity problem

You can't be in equity unless your an actor

You can't be an actor unless you're in Equity

 

[David2452]

Ah yes, the good old Equity problem

You can't be in equity unless your an actor

You can't be an actor unless you're in Equity

It is something I think is a bit mean really, a trained shore based electrician / electronics tech would have no problem with absorbing the important differences in best practise but those differences do need to be addressed before starting paid work and allowing it would be beneficial to the industry. Nothing to stop anybody buying a copy of the NMEA0400 standard, BSI documents relating to low voltage AC and extra low voltage DC or the BMEA code of practice though.

 

[Bru]

Nope, nothing to stop someone buying those at all. Bloody big dent in my beer token fund though!

 

[David2452]

Nope, nothing to stop someone buying those at all. Bloody big dent in my beer token fund though!

Or rather an investment for your business just like your public liability, material stock etc.

 

[Bru]

Or rather an investment for your business just like your public liability, material stock etc.

Absolutely. Still a bloody big dent in my beer token fund though!

 

[Beyondhelp]

Problem with new entrants to the market and the MEI course is the condition that one needs to have a couple of years marine electrical & or electronics business background before taking the course and exam.

No problem for me (I'd hope). I design and make low volume electronics stuff, and my full time job is engine management/high performance engine building. Last couple of years have started working on outboards. Did several years after college of working with RF design PLL/RF amplifiers etc so hands on with RF too -although a bit rusty now I'll admit. I think unusually my skills spread across quite a wide area, I also do some subby work for an events company and work with their AV/IT/Networking (whatever skills they ask and are short of tbh) So has to be some room for some of those skills somewhere, but wouldn't know where to start.

Love the thought of bringing this into a marine environment rather than just automotive where I mostly work now however. I'm still early 30's so plenty of time I guess/hope.