Rewarding careers in BC’s recreational marine Industry are in high demand!

Blackline Marine Rigging Shop

 

Sept 13, 2018

Blackline Marine rigging shop

The Marine Service Technician (MST) program under the guidance of Quadrant Marine Institute is leading the way in developing skilled professionals for the recreational and light commercial boating industry in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

The demand for skilled professionals in the recreational boating industry is extremely high. At CYOnBoard for the next few months, we will be conducting a series of interviews with owners and managers along with Marine Service Technician graduates to get a firsthand perspective on the industry, the training and career opportunities that are available in this important and ever-expanding industry.

Laying out compositeLaying out composite

Quadrant Marine Institute Inc. is a private trades training facility for boat and yacht building, repair, and maintenance. For more than two decades, it has designed and delivered apprenticeship training for technicians employed in the recreational marine industry. It is owned and operated by boatyard owners and managers—people who run successful businesses and employ skilled professionals in the service and repair of pleasure craft, yachts, and light commercial vessels. This practical perspective informs their approach to industrial training.

The institute is a designated trainer for the Industry Training Authority of British Columbia (ITA) and their extensive training resources are also used by the Nova Scotia builders Association (NSBA) for their Marine Service Technician apprenticeship program.

The Yacht Maranathe yacht Marana at Blackline paint shop

Quadrant’s approach to industrial training is competency based and relies heavily on workplace assessment. Assessment of a trainee’s progress is based on observations by the employer, on the job.

Based in Sidney, BC, Quadrant is a major centre for boat building and marine repair on the Pacific Coast. They also offer training at their facility on Granville Island, Vancouver.

A competent marine service technician understands the “whole boat.” Regardless of a technician’s primary skill area, he or she must understand the basics of vessel design, materials, equipment and systems, and the related activities of other technicians. Their training resources provide the necessary breadth of background for professional technicians.

If you as a boater or a would-be tech are interested in finding out more about Quadrant Marine Institute and the career opportunities that are available in the marine industry go to: http://www.quadrantmarine.com/

Video Gallery

Neptunus 650F Review

Neptunus 650F 400

By Andy Adams

Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario. 

Read More

Destinations

The Other Virgin Islands

Sunset off St John

By Mark Stevens

I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.

A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.

Read More

Lifestyle