Marine Mechanics
Henry Budd
Boat hulls are not built for people who are 193cm tall, says Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering marine mechanic Tim Pettit.
Marine mechanics do more than just service and repair engines, he says. They also fit and repair plumbing, install GPS and fish-finding systems and repair and weld hulls.
SSRE repairs commercial boats, including Sydney ferries, tugboats, and navy ships.
But getting access to some of the big diesel engines is a bit more complex than popping the hood on a car, Pettit says.
“Sometimes you have to cut half the boat apart to get the engine out,”he says.
At other times it is a case of finding creative ways to wriggle into the tight confines of a hull.
“They don’t really give you much room to work,” Pettit says. “It is surprising once you get used to it how you can fold yourself up into a pretty small ball. Or you get people to hold you by the ankles and lower you down into the hole and pull you back when you are done.”
Pettit grew up on the Central Coast and was always interested in motorcycles, cars and boat engines. He explains: “I went to TAFE when I was still at school to learn about automotives to service my own car [and] save a bit of money. Then I became interested in being a marine mechanic.
“I thought that instead of being stuck inside everyday in a workshop, why not be outside on the water.”
With the help of his high-school careers adviser, Pettit found an apprenticeship with a houseboat company on the Hawkesbury River and completed a Marine (Mechanical) Certificate III at Ultimo TAFE.
He started out servicing the company’s fleet of two- and six-horsepower tinnies.
“I moved on to the houseboat motors and then on to private customer’s motors,” he says.
Since beginning his career seven years ago, Pettit has worked on the full gamut of marine craft, from 12ft runabouts to 80ft yachts and up to commercial ships. He says the best part of the job is taking boats for a test run once the job has been completed.
“Before I worked at SSRE I was at Rushcutters Bay and they do a lot of the top-end boats on Sydney Harbour,” he says.
“When you finish someone’s twin 8.1-litre V8 Scarab and you take it for a run up Sydney Harbour, it is pretty fun.”
Like most tradesmen these days, marine mechanics are in high demand, Pettit says.
“Because the boating market is just expanding at a rapid rate, there is not really enough people around to work on the boats.”
“In America after they had all the hurricanes through Florida, where there are probably more boats than anywhere else in the world, they were looking for mechanics.”
Love your work
( Q ) How did you get your job?
( A ) The last place I worked head-hunted me, so I left here. I got sick of doing private boats so I rang my old boss, who was happy to have
me back.
( Q ) Upside?
( A ) When a sunken wreck comes in and you pull it all apart and rebuild the whole engine and at the first turn of the key it purrs like a kitten.
That’s a good feeling.
( Q ) Downside?
( A ) Having to work on boats when it’s wet and windy.
