The Difference Between a Marine Mechanic and a Marine Technician
When it comes to having someone work on you boat or engine the terms “mechanic” and “technician” get thrown around interchangeably. To the average person these two jobs can look essentially the same. Both people work on and repair boats after all. How different can they be? There are a few key differences that may make you consider what you are paying for and who you want working on your boat.
What is a Technician?
A marine technician is an individual that has gone through additional training to improve their ability to diagnose engines and other boat problems. This training is typically manufacture specific. For example, Mercury has specific training and standards set to be a technician certified to work on Mercury products. This can be particularly important when it comes to work being done around warranties. Manufacturers will only cover warranty work if it is done by a certified technician. Many warranties will be considered void if someone other than a manufacturer certified technician does work on the engine.
How Technicians Maintain Certifications
It should be noted that in order for a technician to maintain their certification they have to continue training with that manufacturer. In order for a technician to continue with their training they need to work a a manufacturer dealership. If a technician stops working at a dealership for a certain amount of time they will no longer maintain that technician certification, no matter how much of an expert they are. This is where the title of mechanic can get deceptive. Many technicians tend to start working for themselves at some point, and if they don’t start their own dealership they will eventually no longer be a certified technician. That doesn’t stop them from being great at their jobs.
What Makes a Marine Mechanic
A marine mechanic is someone that works on boats. It takes no additional training. It just takes some tools and hopefully some knowledge about how boats and engines work. A good mechanic has a wealth of experience that allows them to make good guesses at what is causing the issue on the boat or engine. The more experience that mechanic has the more valuable they may be. Mechanics have a reputation as “wrench turners” or “parts changers” within the Marine industry. This can be an accurate description of some of the mechanics out there, but as we mentioned earlier, some mechanics used to be technicians that went out on their own. Basically, if you hire a mechanic it might be worth asking what their level of experience is.
What to Consider When Hiring Someone to Work on Your Boat
In broad strokes, a technician is someone that has additional training and certifications when it comes to working on boats and engines. There are no certifications required to be a marine mechanic. Anyone with a toolbox can become a mechanic. Again, some of the mechanics out there are great, and knowledgeable, with a wealth of experience. A discerning boat owner might just want to ask some questions about the mechanic’s level of experience, or they might end up buying significantly more parts, and time, chasing a problem where a technician will be more capable of diagnosing and fixing the problem from the start.