Such a problem should come as no surprise as starting pay is low for a type of manual labor that now requires high technical skills right off the bat. In addition, marina work is seasonal in some parts of the country, so lay offs are the norm after boats are stored for the winter. And, many high schools are shifting their focus away from vocational training, so many kids are no longer exposed to opportunities in the marine market.

This is bad news for those of us who mess about in boats and rely on marine mechanics, electricians and carpenters to keep them running right and looking good.

Poor repairs, slow response time and high costs are perennial complaints reported to BoatU.S. by its members. Complaints about how hard it is to find a competent mechanic to make complicated engine repairs at spring launch time or in the middle of July are legion. Marine industry surveys show that poor service or difficulty finding service are reasons for not participating in boating or for consumers leaving the sport.

To tackle this problem, the American Boat & Yacht Council, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Professional BoatBuider magazine sponsored the Conference on Marine Industry Technical Training (COMITT) earlier this year to develop a comprehensive education and training plan.

“There is a need for a coordinated approach to education and training for the marine industry,” says Thom Dammrich, president of NMMA, says. “We are at a critical point.”

The question is, will industry efforts produce results quickly enough for current boat owners to see improvements anytime soon? This is more than just a future problem; it’s one that’s existed for some time.

According to Ed Sherman, ABYC’s senior curriculum development designer, it could be five or six years before a new wave of technicians can hit the docks running.

“I recently met with a school superintendent and high school principal in the Northern Neck of Virginia [on the Chesapeake Bay] and they were really excited, ready to go and had great support from the local marine industry, but they were talking about starting [a marine training program] in September 2006,” he says. “It can’t happen overnight.”

Comments from marina owners, repair technicians and boat owners demonstrate just how critical the problem is.

• From the owner of a boat dealership and marina in Massapequa, NY: “The New York Marine Trades Association as a group went to the high school in Freeport [a boating mecca on Long Island’s south shore]. We got them engines to work on and all kinds of equipment. We guaranteed the students summer jobs.

“The result? We only got four or five students, so we scrapped the program. Schools today focus all their education in one direction: technology. No one goes into the trades.”

• From a New Hampshire boat owner: “In my area, marinas get $100 an hour, pay their top techs $20 and try to screw them out of benefits and overtime. I have been a certified master [automotive] technician for 24 years and the same holds true for car shops. I can see why kids don’t want to enter the trade.”

• From an Oceanport, NJ, boat dealer: “I rarely take on new customers unless it is for an engine or generator that we are dealers for. I feel sorry for new boaters because I have to turn a lot away, but we can only do so much.

“I stopped running ads for mechanics a while back,” he adds. “I would get either zero response or applicants with absolutely no experience.”

• From a Florida dealer, who says he started earning pocket money at age 12 by working on boats: “I went into this field because of my love of boating, but with it getting harder to do business everyday, I often think about doing something else.”

Money is certainly one reason why. According to Boating Industry Magazine’s annual profile of marinas and boat yards, wages for non-management positions have gone down in recent years, while management pay has increased. Skilled engine mechanics can expect to max out at a national average of $18 to $19 per hour after years of experience.

It’s easy to see why kids aren’t exactly flocking to slog their way up from working as dock hands, where the starting pay ranges from minimum wage to less than $9 per hour, or as general yard laborers, where they might be paid $12 per hour — all with the possibility of getting laid off after Labor Day.

According to ABYC’s Sherman, “ The marine industry hasn’t done enough.

“It’s not enough to throw a few used engines at a high school vocational training program. We’ve got to be involved in curriculum development and ongoing support, we’ve got to connect with the students” the way other industries do at the high school level. “There’s far more competition these days to attract young people into other trades.” Until recently, for example, a computer support technician with a two-year association degree could expect to earn a starting salary of about $35,000 per year.

While not exactly commonplace, there are a number of different schools and organizations offering technical training for the boat-minded.

Technical high schools, like Cape Code Regional Technical High School in Harwich, MA, teach kids how to troubleshoot and overhaul marine engines and perform preventive maintenance. The school is also the only four-year technical high school designated as a training site for Mercury engines — presumably a good thing, since the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association reports a current shortfall of 1,600 local marine technicians and expects that number to grow to over 5,000 in five years. Is it any wonder? According to the Boston Globe, the average salary for area marine technicians is between $19 and $23 per hour.

The scarcity of mechanics to work on boats on Tennessee’s lakes and the 140 miles long Chattanooga River was one reason why the Tennessee Technology Center at Chattanooga State began offering its Marine/Small Engine Repair course. Instate students pay a little over $1,200 a year in tuition and fees and graduate with the skills to begin working right away.

Mid-level and master marine technicians can take continuing education courses offered by ABYC and can become certified in specific areas, like marine electrical systems, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, engines, corrosion and fiberglass.

ABYC began offering technical seminars, standards certification and continuing education in the 1980s. Enrollment has grown steadily and last year 1,053 people signed up, an 18% increase over the previous year. Basic three-day non-graded seminars are considered to be “generic primers” for less experienced mechanics, marine surveyors or even boat owners “interested in learning the essentials surrounding inboard engines.”

According to Bonnie Barsa, ABYC’s education director, a small number of boat owners attend classes each year. “In the past, we have not really offered something for boat owners. However, we currently offer two courses that would be appropriate for them. They are our Basic Electrical Course and our Basic Engines Course. We are hoping to be more aggressive in getting the consumer involved this year, but in the past, we have not really gone after that market.”

The COMITT web site (www.abycinc/org/comitt), lists over 50 different schools and organizations offering marine technical training across the country. For more information about ABYC technical training, visit www.abycinc.org or call 410-956-1050.

In the meantime, as boat owners wait for the new wave of mechanics, technicians, marine electricians, carpenters and finishers who hopefully will materialize over the next five to 10 years, they will need to reply on marine industry giants Genmar, Brunswick and Bombardier to provide their own ways of tackling the manpower shortage.

(c) Copyright BoatU.S. Magazine, May 2005