Program Competencies

A graduate of the Boat Maintenance and Repair program has been trained to:

Secure a vessel to the dock or pier with correct placement of fenders, lines, and appropriate knots
Operate telescoping crane to pull and step sailboat masts
Operate marine straddle–lift to safely lift vessel from the water. Also perform start up check.
Operate pressure wash system
Operate and maintain bottom-wash water treatment system
Block and secure vessel on land
Operate Forklift and perform start up check
Operate marine hydraulic trailer and perform start up check
Choose appropriate anti-fouling bottom paint and apply

Operate and maintain standard woodshop stationary tools including: jointer, thickness planer, table saw, band saw, radial arm saw, panel saw, shaper, mortiser, tool grinder, and drill press
Operate and maintain standard woodshop portable electric tools including: circular saw, miter saw, saber saw, bayonet saw, power hand planer, pneumatic circular saw, routers, grinders, polishers, and detail sanders
Operate and maintain portable pneumatic tools including: dual action sanders, polishers, in-line sanders, staple and nail guns
Sharpen, tune, and efficiently use standard woodworking hand tools
True wood stock accurately, safely and efficiently
Identify species of wood common to boatbuilding and repair. (The student is also introduced to wood technology, lumber grading, detection of defects, and prediction of dimensional stability using a moisture meter.)
Construct shop fixtures, marine joiner's toolbox, tool shop cart with rabbeted quarter round posts
Construct lap, rabbet, dowel, biscuit, and mortise and tenon joints
Execute installation of plastic laminates
Read and interpret furniture blueprints
Create orthographic and isometric sketches

Identify composite fabrics and state when and why a certain fabric should be used
State the practical principals of polyester and epoxy resin chemistry
Utilize the concept of specific gravity to perform weight to volume conversions for accurate mixing of components
Create a shop chart from a resin’s product data sheet indicating minimum and maximum catalyst levels in cubic centimeters per liter per product data sheet
Properly catalyze resins and add various components (fillers, promoters) to polyester/epoxy resins for differing applications and working conditions
Perform standard quality control tests including gel-time, peak exotherm, Barcol hardness

Present a systematic approach to surveying a boat’s hull and deck and identifying areas that need to be repaired using their four senses (sight, touch, smell and sound) as diagnostic tools
Demonstrate the use of the moisture meter as a surveying tool for composite structures
Execute cosmetic gel coat repairs and blisters
Execute solid fiberglass repair
Execute cored hull repair
Execute structural reinforcing
Marine Coatings
Perform refinish survey to determine scope of work
Perform surface preparation including selection of tools and abrasives
Calculate material cost of refinishing project
Calculate air compressor requirements for finish systems and identify function of the air delivery system components
State and perform safety checks of Breathing Air System
Perform set-up and adjustment of Siphon Gun, Conventional Pressure Pot, and High Volume Low-Pressure Spray (HVLP) application systems including nozzle, needle, and air cap selection
Perform brightwork finishing and refinishing
Perform maintenance and clean up of equipment
Perform wet sanding and polishing of defects
Perform maintenance of Spray Booth

Demonstrate understanding of a lines plan by adding waterlines, buttocks, sections, and diagonals to an existing drawing utilizing basic mechanical drafting tools
Prepare full size drawing (lofting) of a boat in order to create templates for mold stations, stem, keelson, stem, and transom
Expand transom (develop true shape of transom from an auxiliary view))
Calculate skin or "planking" deduction from lofting
Calculate mold station and stem bevels
Hull and Deck Manufacturing
Fabricate all components necessary to build a boat hull from the lofting including: strong-back, mold stations, stem, transoms, and keelson
Erect stations, stem, keelson and transom per lofting
Apply longitudinal members (ribbands, sheer clamps)
Spile various sheathing materials (wood veneer, structural PVC sheet foam…)
Set up and execute vacuum bagging of laminates and core materials
Apply manual and sprayable fairing compounds and fair to a high gloss

State fundamental principles of how to attain quality mold cosmetics
Repair mold surface imperfections
Apply manual and sprayable mold release systems
Apply tooling gel-coat with a pressure pot with correct catalyst percentages, gel times, and at the proper film thickness
Calibrate and operate a chopper gun
Mix multi-component tooling resin systems (Reichold Tooling Resin) to specs and apply with a chopper gun
Fabricate reinforcements for stabilization of the mold
Install compressed air release systems in mold

State the basic operational principles of outboard, sterndrive, and diesel engines
Perform basic service of outboard engines
Perform basic service on sterndrives and diesel engines
State the operational principals of basic steering systems and perform basic maintenance and service

Perform trouble-shooting and testing of marine DC circuits utilizing a multi-meter or continuity tester
Perform installation of components in a ship's dc system (cabin and navigation lights, VHF radio, bilge pump with float switch, panels…). This would involve calculating load on circuit and wire sizes per American Boat and Yacht Council recommendations
Perform coaxial antennae connections for VHF radio and antennae
Perform marine battery service, recharging and installation
Understand the life threatening importance of checking polarity of AC shore power
Predict the rate of underwater metal corrosion and whether the metal has too much or not enough anodic protection

State Federal marine wastewater discharge regulations
Choose the proper plumbing components for marine plumbing installations. The components emphasized are sea cocks, thru-hulls, hose and hose clamps, pipe and pipe connections, ,valves, pumps, anti-siphon devices and tanks
Install a marine sanitation system including thru-hulls, hose, anti-siphon devices, valves, heads, and holding tanks to USCG, EPA, and ABYC guidelines
Troubleshoot a marine sanitation system
Install a potable water system with manual and automatic pumps; check valves and accumulator tanks
Design a composite water or holding tank
Install a Type III sanitation device that treats waste electro-chemically for legal overboard discharge within three miles of shore

Survey a sailboat’s rig from mast step to masthead
Attach fittings to spars with rivets, machine screws, bolts with compression tubes …
Install hardware in a manner that prevents galvanic corrosion
Attach fittings onto wire rope with a hydraulic swaging machine, nicro-press, and mechanical (Norsemen type) fittings
Rig necessary lines to safely go aloft in a boatswain’s chair
Install a roller furling system
Replace the running and standing rigging