ABYC Certifications

[unbusted67]

So I just came across this thread :
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ded-38448.html
and thought to myself, hey that would just be a fantastic thing to get. I am a sound engineer who is totally exhausted with the field, I have tons of low and high voltage experience, I positively love working on marine electronics, and my girlfriend and I are always looking for jobs that we can do while traveling. She is currently enrolled to become a nurse (travel nurses can make 80,000 a year when you factor in housing etc.) but I have kind of been drawing a blank for myself and my future for the last few years. Touring as an engineer can be exhausting and lonely, and working in a club you will forever be barked at as "Hey Sound Guy" which in the field of Sound Engineers is akin to "Hey D$ck Head", needless to say it is often a fairly degrading job no matter how you dress it up. (needless to say I am sure all who read this will hereby refrain from ever uttering the from-now-on-derogatory term, Sound Guy again.)

What are the prospects of someone who gets their ABYC certification in Electrical and starts building their reference base as a freelance engineer? How would someone with an Electrical Certification fare vs someone with the Diesel Engine, or, say, a certification by Mercury in a freelance environment?

[GordMay]

As a Sound Engineer, you'd likely find it easier to qualify for ABYC Electrical certification, than on engines.
I think you could do quite well.
See: American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) - Calendar of Events

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by GordMay

As a Sound Engineer, you'd likely find it easier to qualify for ABYC Electrical certification, than on engines.
I think you could do quite well.
See: American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) - Calendar of Events

Yeah I checked it out. I think I could do the October one in Mystic. I would probably do the basic course first as a refresher and to learn "the right way" to do things. Thanks Gord.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Yeah I checked it out. I think I could do the October one in Mystic. I would probably do the basic course first as a refresher and to learn "the right way" to do things. Thanks Gord.

Join the ABYC, which gets you the good book, then study it (E-11).

[sailvayu]

I have had the cert for the last 10 years, I was one of the first to get it when they started the program. (well one of the first 100 or so) The test is hard and you have to retest every 5 years. It is not cheap as you have to travel and I strongly recommend taking the course that goes with it. The certification alone will not get you jobs it takes some time to get established. I would not expect to pull into a town and start working the next day. Most boating towns have a handful of guys that are well established. Competition is big in this field lots of guys out there doing it, at least in coastal NC. Worthwhile getting the cert if you are serious about becoming a marine electrician. Boat electrical is NOT like house, RV, or any other field so learn it first.

Good Luck