Boat assemblers put together wood, fibreglass, or metal marine craft such as motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, cabin cruisers, and other recreational craft. They are found in marine craft manufacturing plants.
When working on a boat, you refer to diagrams or blueprints to help fit and fasten pre-fabricated parts and sub-assemblies to form the boat. Working with such materials as wood, fibreglass, composites and aluminum, you cut, shape, and form sections of the boat to specified standards using power and hand tools. Fastening of sections is done with rivets, drills, screws, and glues. Manufacturers that build customized designs use jigs to achieve the exact shapes required.
Other assembly fitting and hook-up may include connecting wiring, plumbing, installing furniture, appliances, and engines. With some of the heavier parts or components of the boat, hoists may be used to help with positioning.
You usually work in a crew of two or more people. Your crew performs a specific set of assembly jobs before the boat moves to the next stage in the production line. Pay for assembly positions is based on an hourly wage and boat assemblers work regular hours.
Though many assembly jobs in this industry are with manufacturers that produce lines of particular marine craft, you can also work in smaller shops where boats are custom-made to unique design specifications. Moreover, positions in assembly work in large operations tend to be focused on a few specific tasks. Smaller firms may expect you to become familiar with all aspects of boat assembly.
Training for this job consists largely of an orientation period. you are introduced to the basic functions of assembly work and are teamed with experienced staff who are able to instruct you on the job. Most assembly work is based on company manuals that contain detailed instructions of the process. On entering the field, you are expected to learn the trade on the job-to-job basis, acquiring new skills as you work on various aspects of the assembly line.
Boat assembly calls for many different skills, so you have to be adaptable. Good eye-hand coordination is helpful in this work since you use a wide range of tools on the job. If you work on customized boats, you must be especially careful to follow the plans given to you.
Since you work with other assemblers in the production of each boat, you have to communicate well with others. As well, you need to be conscious of safety since you occasionally work with large structures, heavy machinery, and sometimes with chemicals.