Jobs/salaries in boating industry (Portland, Southwest Harbor: find a job, income, relocating to)

[jennieb]

My husband & I are thinking of relocating to ME from Long Island, NY. My husband has been working in the boating industrty for 10+ years (rigger, carpentry, electronics, etc.) - do you think he'd be able to find a job? I know there are several boat builders/marinas in the Portland area. We're also trying to see what salaries are like in boatyards etc. to figure out if we can make it on one income.

Thanks!
Jennie

[Acadianlion]

The greater Portland area? Well, there are retail marinas and boat dealers there, but if your husband is a qualified boat carpenter, the best shot at a job is with the Hinckley Company in Southwest Harbor. They have a pretty big plant in Southwest Harbor, and another facility in nearby Trenton, where they make a particular jet powered "party boat". This is VERY high end stuff, and they are usually looking for experience quality people, and often, workers at the other end of the skills level.

As far as pay is concerned, I have no idea. My guess is that for skilled, and experienced carpenters, pay is ok for this area, but not at all what it is on Long Island.

What you need to do is come to Maine and look around. Schedule some interviews, and by all means, look at the map before you do: Maine is MUCH larger than you think it is, and it takes a LOT longer to get everywhere than people from "away" assume: Interstate 95 will be you from one part of the state to the other, but you won't be very close to much in between, unless you are going from one of the big cities to another.