Lookin for info...

[mlb227]

Hi
I was hoping someone might have a little info for me, like
how to get into boat building as a career, are there special schools to go to?
What the job market is like etc. Any help would be great
Thanks
Matt

[ondarvr]

The marine industry in Oregon (or any part of the country) is not doing well, so it may difficult to find a job at this time. Are you looking for a type of boat or material to make them with, wood, aluminum, fiberglass?

[mlb227]

Well... I just moved to Oregon after living in Arizona for the last twenty years,
Im twenty four and have realized that the idea of working on a boat, or building boats, or anything to do with the water is something I would like to do.
Ultimately Im just looking for information on how to do any of this, I didnt finish college and was wondering if there are special schools geared in this direction, or if i just need to find an old guy and stock his beer fridge in exchange for info.
What do you think

[rwatson]

I would get a job/training as a cabinet maker for daytime paying work, and build some small boats part time.

If you can sell a few small boats (even just to break even) then you will be on your way to bigger things.

The cabinet making will give you and eye for quality finish, and fiddly bits that many boat builders dont always have a lot of expertise in, and it will keep you fed while you learn

This sort of experience will stand you in good stead when you find a larger boatbuilding business who is hiring, (or an old guy with an empty beer fridge).

[mlb227]

Haha, thanks for the reply
Good advice, I appreciate it, any ideas where to find plans or kits for small boats that i could maybe build in my fairly small garage?

[rwatson]

Blimey - only about a million of them!

If you fancy yourself as a decent woodworker, you should go for a strip planking project - everyone should do at least one in their life!

If you are not that confident - a great stitch and glue design would suit.

I found http://www.selway-fisher.com/ as good a source as any, but there are heaps of other great sites.

For a free intro to strip planking, I stuck my canoe building experience on the web at

au.360.yahoo.com/greenwoodenfish

Perhaps you could go for a fairly easy but bigger boat - so if you cant sell it, at least you can live in it. :-)