Marine Engine Technician

Boats are harder on engines than roads are on cars. Salt water corrodes, engines run at high load for hours, and a failure can leave a crew adrift. The marine engine technician's job is to prevent that.

What makes marine work different

An outboard is an engine, gearbox and steering system in one unit hanging off the transom. It is cooled by the water it floats in, drawn up by a rubber impeller that wears out. Corrosion is managed with sacrificial anodes of zinc, aluminum or magnesium that dissolve so the engine does not. Marine electrical work follows American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards because a spark in a bilge full of fuel vapour is an explosion.

From Evinrude to electronic

Ole Evinrude sold the first commercially successful outboards around 1909. Today's outboards are fuel-injected four-strokes of several hundred horsepower, managed by computers and diagnosed by laptop. Electric outboards are arriving. The technician's work has moved from carburetors to data, but the impeller still fails.

Florida's marine economy

Florida has more registered recreational boats than any other state, and marinas, dealers and boatyards along both coasts need technicians every season.

Learning it here

The Marine Engine / Outboard program covers engine principles, two- and four-stroke outboards, lower units, fuel systems, marine electrical, diesel inboards and rigging. Credentials prepared: ABYC Marine Engine and factory certifications from the major outboard makers.

Where it leads

Dealer service technician, boatyard mechanic, yacht engineer, mobile marine service owner, or marine surveyor after further experience.