Originally Posted by BBYSTWY

So my opinion on the matter....

My dad has been a marine mechanic since before I was alive and of course I wanted to follow in dad's footsteps. I was officially in the marine mechanic world for 8 years and these are the things I learned....

1. The money compared to other jobs in my area is garbage. My dad is still in the industry as a wrench and he just recently broke 30 bucks an hour and has been doing it for 40+ years.
2. I quickly realized that because of the money all of the cool go fast boats that I would want would NEVER be attainable working in the industry.
3. People are frickin nasty. You have no idea how gross some people are until you have to work on their cabin cruiser they use for a vacation cottage essentially. More times than I can count I would have to shower and change my clothes before I would even think of climbing in my personal vehicle or my house.
4. When you work on boats all day everyday the last thing you want to imagine is being around a boat after you finally get done working for the day. Really turned me off from something that has been a passion and dream since I was a kid and that is owning a boat. Didn't even want to look at one after work which I assume would be the same as a car mechanic that gets asked to change their mother in laws brakes after work hahaha
5. Linked to number 4...you have no idea the amount of "friends" you attain when they learn you "work on boats" you will never make everyone happy and things will happen. A quick "favor" for a friend turns into a nightmare and you are the worst person in the world because their boat is junk. You will gain/lose friends faster than you can imagine.
6. Especially nowadays with staffing issues....if you are a good mechanic that knows what's what you will NOT have a summer life. You will be the one that's always at work because the high school kid that should be working doesn't know a spark plug form a water pump.

Don't get me wrong the industry can be fun and great. I live in a small area and these are just the things that I picked up while I was working in the boat world. If you're willing to move to a big area like Miami or even LOTO I'm sure things would be very different. Moving was not something I wanted to do so I chose to move on to a different career path and now have no greater joy than using my boat and even wrenching on it.

Good luck with whatever you decide!!

Originally Posted by techman

I had a small break in my "professional career" one summer and to fill the void, I did boat deliveries. Driving new boats almost daily for a couple of months wasn't the dream you might think. From prepping the boat, to pre-delivery inspection, to hauling, to delivery, and some boat handling training for the new owners, I did it all. It got old real fast! One thing is these are customer facing jobs and people basically suck. I get it, you are spending a ton of money and you want everything to be perfect, but boats, even new ones are NOT perfect. It was nearly impossible to make the perfect delivery experience. There were always issues, either missed expectations or just bad luck on any given day. I even tried doing basic detailing at the same dealership and some sales and I even had thoughts of co- buying a marina. I knew it was over for me when the weekend rolled around and the last thing I wanted to do was be in my own boat.

At the end of the day, I came to the realization that I wanted to be the one buying the boats and not selling or repairing them.

The marine industry is a tough one. Owning, selling, working, etc. Not many are rich from it that is for sure. A lot of burn out too.

Originally Posted by HOSSMAN

I worked for Marine Max 99ish through 2005 and it was a great experience. Did sales, did all the Baja ordering at that time, became a service manager with them then moved to the auto industry. I'd love to get back into boats but cannot afford to move backwards (as many can't as we get older) financially for the amount of time it takes to get up and going. If I was still in my 20's or even early 30's I'd do it but at 47 I can't justify it. Seeing so many making hand over fist money is awesome but that is the people who have been hustling for a long time usually and have the clientele base.
If you have the opportunity and can financially do it hell do it man and good luck to you! To find an honest wrench in the marine industry is a needle in an haystack. Build a repair center that does what they actually say they will do and deliver it and "they will come".

Originally Posted by Wildman_grafix

Am I the only one that thinks in the long run low pay for mechanics will be a BIG issue?

Originally Posted by 87CigCafe

id definitely be going backwards for a bit but lately with the amount of people moving to my area and a new marina being just recently built on our lake I bet we have gained around 3,000 boats in my area at minimum. I have constant calls of people wanting work done cause they heard about me through a buddy I helped out just goofing off on the side. Sadly I have a well established excavation company but the calls have slowed down on that as building in our area has slowed down….. so naturally my mind got to wondering my wife is begging me to do it as she thinks she see’s great potential in our area. ( she owns a construction company also ) and 4-10 are new comers to the lake and alway ask “ who is reliable to work on my boats “ cause it’s slim Here. Very slim.

Originally Posted by Wildman_grafix

Am I the only one that thinks in the long run low pay for mechanics will be a BIG issue?

Originally Posted by SecondWind

Eddie Young is not too far from you. Maybe give him a call and see if he needs some help.

Originally Posted by snapmorgan

To make any real money, you need to own it, not turn wrenches.
I would acquire a nice shop in a centrally located place with easy access, find the best, certified techs in the area and offer them enough money to come work for you.
From there, maybe become a dealer for the type of boats that are popular in your area. Think BIG, anyone can think small. Good luck in whatever you decide.