jobs in boatbuilding/maintanence

salfriz

Hi all,
I am hoping to start a course in the above in a september as i,m into kayaking and fishing, am handy enough at carpentry and i think i would find the course interesting. However i,m not to sure about the job prospects in boatbuilding/maintanence, especially in ireland. I,d appreciate any advice as to whether or not it would be practical to make a career of it... Thanks a lot

Pigeon Reaper

It's a nice skill to have but not many jobs in Ireland at the moment. Most boats are built in eastern Europe unless they're custom jobs. Some maintaince work over here which appears to be increasing in volume. You might get some work but expect it to be seasonal and not too well paid.

Tabnabs

OP, I would highly recommend you get trained in fibreglass moulding and repair instead. There is huge demand (year round) for this but chippy's and boats are a dead duck.

geminidawn

You'll probably have to go and train in the UK as I did in order to get the appropriate certificates that's accepted by the EU and are RCD compliant. At the end of the day you are sending people out into a potentially hazzardous environment so you really need to know your stuff and prove that you do. In most places now they will not let you near a boat until you have something on paper to prove that you know what you are doing and it will not be long before that is as standard in Ireland and the rest of Europe.
Most of it is composite construction, Glassfiber, Epoxy, and Carbon Nomex so an understanding of basic chemistry helps, maths and physics come into it too for you need to be able to work out weight, stress and volume. As for wood work there is little involved in modren boatbuilding as you just can't get good quality wood anymore so it's mainly fit outs and decks but it has to be up to a standard of +/- 1mm.
If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Try New Zealand

Grawns

Question, where is and how long is this course.

I know plenty of people with IDRA's and Mermaids who need help with their boats. It's a dying skill so I guess people who know how to build and maintain these boats will be in demand.

If you can build a boat you're just about a master carpernter in my book. Always a job there!

geminidawn

Grawns wrote: »

Question, where is and how long is this course.

I know plenty of people with IDRA's and Mermaids who need help with their boats. It's a dying skill so I guess people who know how to build and maintain these boats will be in demand.

If you can build a boat you're just about a master carpernter in my book. Always a job there!

There are many in the UK, depending on what type of boat building you wish to do. If you wish to do more of the traditional style you'd want to go to Lowestoft, the course there is about a year. There is also Lyme Regis and Plymouth. I studied at James Watt College which was a two year course in Yacht and Boat building along with a three year apprenticeship but it covered a broader spectrum both traditional, GRP & Composite which are more in demand these days.

Master Carpenter - No, building boats is different, different tools, different methods, different tolerances and different materials, glues, finishes etc, etc. Because I can build a boat dose not mean I can throw a roof on a house and vice versa

castlepoint

the college in lowesoft is topnotch.