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Boat builder

Boat builder

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Building boats such as yachts, workboats and superyachts, and refitting and repairing existing boats.

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Reference: OCC0059

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

SOC 2020 code: 5235 Boat and ship builders and repairers

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 5235/00 Boat and ship builders and repairers
  • 5419/03 Sail makers

Technical Education Products

ST0059:

Boatbuilder

(Level 3)

Approved for delivery

TL0009d:

Engineering, manufacturing, processing and control​ - Composites Manufacturing Technologies

(Level 3)

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Berthon Boat Company Ltd Hampshire, Compass Tenders, Oyster Yachts, Pendennis Shipyard Cornwall, Princess Yachts, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Sunseeker International, Sunseeker Yachts

Summary

This occupation is found in the marine sector.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to build boats such as yachts, workboats or superyachts and repair existing boats. Boats may be made of composites, metals or wood, so a boatbuilder works with and understands the capabilities of a variety of materials. They can read and interpret engineering and technical drawings to produce moulds, jigs, plugs and templates to create complex shapes using a variety of measuring equipment, machines and hand tools.  They manufacture, assemble and repair components that form the structure of a boat as well as the interior and exterior fit out. The boatbuilder will be multi-skilled and capable of adapting to changing demands as boats become more complex, and new materials and methods are introduced.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with associated trades such as marine engineers and marine electricians.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the quality and accuracy of their work. Boatbuilders work both individually and as part of a team. They understand and comply with organisational and statutory safety including sustainability requirements and can work with minimal supervision. 

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Berthon Boat Company Ltd Hampshire, Compass Tenders, Oyster Yachts, Pendennis Shipyard Cornwall, Princess Yachts, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Sunseeker International, Sunseeker Yachts

Typical job titles include:

Boatbuilder
Shipwright

Keywords:

Boat Repair
Boatbuilding
Boats
Maintenance
Ship Repair
Shipping
Superyachts
Workboats
Yachts

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: The national and international boatbuilding industry. Types of organisations and products. Supply chain. Customers. Customer requirements. Impacts on product demand.
K2: Verbal communication techniques. Giving and receiving information. Matching style to audience. Barriers in communication and how to overcome them.
K3: Written records and documentation: requirements and methods including use the of digital and information technology
K4: Non-verbal communication techniques.
K5: Customer service principles and techniques.
K6: Boatbuilding terminology.
K7: Awareness of health and safety regulations, relevant to the occupation and a boatbuilder's responsibilities: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), electrical safety and compliance, emergency evacuation procedures, Health and Safety at Work Act, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, health surveillance, manual handling, near miss reporting, noise regulations, Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Personal Protective Equipment at work regulations (PPE), Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), confined spaces, work at height and work on or near the water.
K8: Boatbuilding materials, including composites, metal, wood, and components: sourcing, costing and budgeting principles.
K9: Risk assessment; different types of hazards, hazard awareness, hierarchy of controls and risk mitigation prior to and when undertaking boatbuilding operations. Safety equipment: personal protective equipment (PPE), guards, exclusion zones, signage, fire extinguishers, situational awareness, slips, trips and falls, lone working.
K10: Sustainable use of products. Efficient use of resources, materials, tools, equipment and energy. Reducing material waste and environmental impact by applying recycling and disposal procedures.
K11: Principles of selecting and allocating tools, materials, equipment and components. Their maintenance, storage, and expiration date. Manufacturers’ instructions, what they are and how to use them.
K12: Principles and techniques used in manufacturing boats from composite, wood and metal materials.
K13: Principles and techniques used to repair existing boats with composite, wood and metal materials.
K14: Principles, techniques and materials to produce, prepare, use, maintain and store plugs and moulds.
K15: Standard operating procedures (SOP). What they are and why they are important. What they need to cover and why and where they are located.
K16: Quality management standards. Quality assurance principles and practice. Record keeping.
K17: Principles of ensuring boatbuilding processes and work products include continuous improvement techniques and how they are integrated into work processes and procedures.
K18: Problem solving techniques: diagnostics, root cause analysis, 5 Why’s, PDCA (Plan Do Check Act).
K19: Human and commercial factors that affect productivity in the workplace and how to identify potential issues and actions to mitigate them; prioritising, work scheduling, workflow and time management techniques.
K20: Maintenance and restoration of the work environment: principles and techniques.
K21: Principles of interpreting boatbuilding information.
K22: Principles and methods of positioning, holding and securing materials when undertaking boatbuilding operations.
K23: The different fastenings, sealants and adhesives, use both internally and externally, above and below the waterline and how to use them. How to ensure the quality of finish meets requirements.
K24: The different surface finishes used while undertaking boatbuilding operations and how to apply them.
K25: Principles and techniques of protecting surfaces, components and structures at all stages of work operations.
K26: Principles and methods of boatbuilding checks and tests.
K27: Manufacturer warranties: what they are and impact on boatbuilding work.
K28: Maintenance practices and techniques for equipment and tools: planned, preventative, predictive and reactive methods and their frequency.
K29: Equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
K30: Principles, techniques and materials to produce, prepare, use, maintain and store jigs and templates.
K31: Team working principles.

S1: Communicate verbally and non-verbally with others for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
S2: Apply customer service principles and techniques.
S3: Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work.
S4: Identify and document hazards and risks in the workplace. Apply control measures.
S5: Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
S6: Apply environmental and sustainability procedures for example, segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
S7: Follow standard operational procedures when carrying out work processes.
S8: Interpret information - paper based or electronic. For example, drawings and designs, formulae, risk assessments, manufacturers' documentation, and repair specifications.
S9: Produce, prepare, label, use, maintain and store plugs and moulds.
S10: Produce, prepare, label, use, maintain and store jigs and templates.
S11: Apply manufacturing techniques to boats such as yachts, workboats or superyachts.
S12: Apply repair techniques to existing boats such as yachts, workboats or superyachts.
S13: Apply surface finishes such as varnishes, paints, and gel coats.
S14: Select, use, and store materials and consumables.
S15: Apply surface finishing methods and techniques such as polishing.
S16: Select, use, and store equipment, hand tools and machinery.
S17: Apply continuous improvement and problem solving techniques.
S18: Conduct tests and checks when performing boatbuilding work operations.
S19: Apply techniques and principles of maintaining the workplace environment to restore the work area.
S20: Record and document information - paper based or electronic. For example, job sheets, risk assessments, process records, test results, handover documents and original equipment manufacturers' (OEM) documentation.
S21: Apply routine maintenance and servicing techniques to equipment and tools.
S22: Apply techniques and principles of protecting surfaces, components and structures during all stages of work operations.
S23: Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
S24: Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
S25: Apply team working principles.
S26: Plan own work.

B1: Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.
B2: Consider the environment and sustainability.
B3: Supportive of the needs and concerns of others, for example relating to diversity and inclusion.
B4: Take personal responsibility for and promote health and safety.
B5: Act in a professional manner.
B6: Collaborate and promote teamwork across disciplines.

Duties

Duty D1

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, customers, suppliers, technical support staff, and other relevant personnel, to ensure that customer and business requirements are met.   

Duty D2

Maintain their own health and safety and that of others at work, ensuring a safe working environment including control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH), working at height, on the water and lifting operations, whilst preventing incidents, accidents and damage to assets. 

Duty D3

Plan for and set up tasks, following approved work methods. Interpret and use boatbuilding drawings, technical specifications, boatbuilding principles and organisational policies and procedures to assign materials and produce, manufacture, fit out or repair vessel hulls, structures, components or hardware. 

Duty D4

Select appropriate methods for positioning and holding materials and components in place during assembly, line-up, connecting or fixing. 

Duty D5

Select appropriate methods to produce, prepare, use, maintain and store plugs, moulds, jigs and templates.

Duty D6

Prepare the work area, assemble or disassemble, move, shape and manipulate components or make repairs using suitable methods whilst safeguarding the integrity of components and the surrounding areas. 

Duty D7

Ensure the correct fixings, sealants and finishes are used (interior or exterior and above or below the waterline). Check that the quality of finish meets customer, operational and or regulatory requirements. 

Duty D8

Make the most efficient and sustainable use of products, materials, tools and equipment to reduce waste and minimise adverse environmental impacts. 

Duty D9

Restore the work area and dispose of waste (including hazardous waste) in a responsible manner, ensuring compliance with organisational procedures and relevant environmental regulations. 

Duty D10

Conduct functional tests and visual and quality checks to the required standards.

Duty D11

Identify boatbuilding defects, provide correct solutions for rectification, and implement within own area of responsibility. 

Duty D12

Complete documentation at the relevant stages of the boatbuilding work operations in accordance with organisational policy, procedures and any other relevant information and guidance. 

Duty D13

Use continuous improvement principles to aid operational, professional, and personal performance and development. 

Duty D14

Select and use appropriate hand tool and machinery to complete boatbuilding tasks. Perform routine servicing and maintenance on equipment and tools.

Duty D15

Select, use and store materials and consumables that are used in boatbuilding activities.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

Levels 2-3

Higher Technical Occupations

Levels 4-5

Professional Occupations

Levels 6-7

This is the focused occupation.
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Level 3

Progression link from focused occupation.
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Level 3

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Engineering and manufacturing