Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

[sbbamafan]

I have decided to pursue my 'dream career'. This is not a whim. I have thought about this for nearly a decade. I am a 45 year old college graduate that has decided not to continue down the career path I have had for 20+ years. I am in metro Atlanta but willing to relocate / long distance commute. My wife is somewhat supportive in this and has a great position here. I realize there will be a substantial step down in pay and I don't expect to be near the top of the hierarchy but I am of the opinion that while all industries are down, I will have less to lose now (as far as earnings) than in good times and, all things being equal, income and benefits will come up as with other industries. Best of all, I will be doing something I have an undying passion for. I am hoping that someone will chime in with some personal experience in the industry including some ways of how to break in to it. Thanks.

 

[oops!]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

best way to start a career in the marine industry????......answer.....find a brick wall and slam your head against it.......repetedly !

the real estate value is worth more than the industry......so you are allways on the loosing side till you sell the land

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

Agreed... Unless you intend to buy a Marina with High and Dry cash in Fl.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

The replies seem to be about buying or starting a marina. I'm not sure I read that in the OP.

I've thought about getting a job in the marina industry here at LOTO. I was looking at starting at an entry level position which would probably lead to management fairly quickly with my experience. Commuting to work by boat sounds pretty cool, too.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

DaNinja is correct. I have no desire to buy or build at this point. That could possibly be way down the road but right now I want to learn the business working for someone else. I am sure my background in operations and project management will come in handy as well, but I am prepared to be 'the Noobie'.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

DaNinja is correct. I have no desire to buy or build at this point. That could possibly be way down the road but right now I want to learn the business working for someone else. I am sure my background in operations and project management will come in handy as well, but I am prepared to be 'the Noobie'.

I've thought of applying as a gas dock attendant, as long as they wave the "must be comfortable in a bikini" requirement.

 

[soggy_feet]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

See ad's on tv all the time for marine mechanic schooling. Probably a 1 year program, and you've got some training.
I don't know how well the mechanics get paid, but considering what the shops are charging, I'd hope the money trickles down....

 

[sasto]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

Do what you love...love what you do.

One day over 20 years ago I was sitting in my EZ Boy, overlooking the Ohio River, after an easy day of work at at EI Dupont, I contemplated the same situation.

I packed up my truck and headed to the Outer Banks of NC for a job building Sportfishing boats.....with absolutely know knowledge. Had no clue what a bilge pump was! Worked for a third of what I was being paid.

Since then? More education and hard work landed me here. Broke....but...livin' like a wealthy man.


Good Luck! Follow your dreams. Find something you love to do, stick to it, Those that do survive are the ones that "love what they do, and do what they love"

 

[southkogs]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

Tough call --- the boating industry (sales/service/support) including marinas is just devastated in many areas right now. There's very little money out there for paying people much - and most marinas that I've been too are run on a pretty tight budget, meaning entry level with them is WAAYY low on the pay scale. To find a higher end marina that can pay you even reasonably (not even well) may require a commute that costs you more than you make (all things considered).

I understand sasto's point - and kind of agree: find something you love to do (in this case, play with boats) and make a living out of it. I'd just hate to see you driving an hour back and forth to a $9hr job only getting 32 hours and it costs you more in gas.

It'll take some creativity on your part to find the right niche. Once you do, you can probably work into making a good living. I would just doubt that starting on the fuel dock for a marina is a good way to find that niche.

What would you want to be doing within 5 years of making the change?

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

I appreciate the constructive posts so far. About me - I have a degree in comunication with a minor in corporate finance. I have been commercial general contracting business since 1987. Worked through the ranks in commercial construction management from estimator to project engineer to senior estimator to project manager in about 5 years. Projects ranged from $50k to $50M, size from 2000 SF to 250,000 SF. I then had my own company until recently. I also had a company that did somewhat technical work involving biometric access control and surveillance systems (neat stuff). I am very computer literate and enjoy. I have loved boats as long as I can remember and either my parents or I always had one. Even in college, I purchased a 6 man raft and an outboard kit (along with an ancient Sears outboard) that I used to putter around in. I have done all my own maintenance, some mechanical work, replaced a floor, etc over the years. I don't want to be a mechanic - nor am I skilled to. I would be terribly underutilized if I was pumping gas.

In five years, I'd like to be running / operating a full service marina, including gas dock, dry dock launch / storage, property management, marketing, ship's store, slip rental, transient slips, would like a restaurant on site (likely run by others), boat rental facility, mechanics / maintenance shop, etc. I have the skills to do all these things - I just have not done it yet. I also realize the value of working in the industry first to learn 'tricks of the trade' and likely more importantly the contacts and specialty vendors in the business.

Thanks again.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

Okay, I'm reading you a little better now: What you probably need more than anything else in the next 18 months or so is a bunch of good industry research on what a good marine operation looks like. If you want to be a owner/operator in the next five years, it would be best to know what that operation needs to look like so you recognize it when you find it. That'll require that you visit a bunch of them (if not work for one or two) and gain an understanding of what makes some of them successful.

I haven't spent much time on Norris Lake in TN, so my exposure is limited. But several of these guys are clients of my company, and they are some of the more successful (and nicer) marina's I've seen in the southeast. Some of these guys are probably a good point of contact to gather some information and ideas: http://www.norrislakemarinas.com/. This marina is the last one I did some work for, and it seems pretty successful: http://sequoyahmarina.net/.

Good luck man. I have a couple of "when I get done with this gig" jobs I'd like to have in the boating industry too.

 

[slag]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

If you want to start small and learn as you go, my father is selling his marina. The caveat is that it is in the middle of Kansas. You would learn all aspects of the business and the cost of ownership is relatively small.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

Thanks again for what you all have been writing. As for location, I certainly could see going to work with one of the marinas at Lanier but my eventual plan is to get out of Atlanta - besides there are certainly plenty of facilities there already. Wouldn't mind working into a good situation there though. My long term plan is to go back to North Alabama. The lakes to consider there are Guntersville, Smith, Wheeler, Tims Ford, and a few others. Who knows - that would be a long way off...

 

[jollymon]

Re: Best way to start a new career in the marina industry?

This is an old joke, so I am sure it is worse now.

How do you make one million dollars in the marine industry?

Start with two million dollars.

Good luck and follow your passion, a wise man once said, find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life!