What I do

I service and maintain boats. In my job I can be dealing with anything from installing rudders to going out on sea trials to test whether a boat is performing as it should in the water.

Hear more about Freya's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I always liked physics and maths and as I was coming to the end of my GCSEs, I could have done A-levels in Maths and Physics, but I knew I wanted to do a more hands-on job in engineering. So, I enrolled in a local college - City College Plymouth - and did a couple of engineering courses. I started on a Level 2 Engineering course at the age of 16. I did a year at Level 2 and then did a Level 3 course for about eight months and then the pandemic hit.

I left the course during the pandemic, and I saw that an employer local to me, Princess Yachts had an apprenticeship scheme, so I applied. I have been here since September 2020.

A typical day in my
working life

We have an amazing colleague who organises the timetable for apprentices, and she moves us around different engineering sections every couple of months. When I first started at Princess, I joined the engine room. Then I moved to the helm and then on to the outside crew. So, it has been nice to work on all the sections. It is very satisfying.

I work 7 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday, apart from Wednesdays when I’m at college. I come in and find my mentor and go from there. I like the fact that every day is different.

At the moment I am working with the pre-build team and, for the last couple of weeks, I have been looming a boat - running all the electrical cables through every section of the boat. It is very physical; the boat I am working on is 95 feet.

I have been on sea trials - the first sea trial was about eight hours long and we went from the marina out into the Plymouth Sound and tested the boat through all the different knot ranges, listening out for vibrations. If you feel the boat vibrating it could be an issue with the shaft or shaft seals. You then go round the whole boat and measure the sound at different speeds to check that everything is working properly. You also listen to see if any of the headliners are loose or rattling, so, lots of sound checks to make sure the boat is up to speed and travels well. You also test all the basic things like the anchors and windscreen wipers - you have to go through everything.

If you have a real interest in something, really look into it – don’t put it on the back burner. It’s good to talk to other people.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about the job

I really like the social aspect and getting moved around every couple of months. You get to meet a lot of different people and learn from their skills and knowledge. Everyone looks out for and respects one another.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

I was with the outside crew for snagging and one of their main jobs is installing rudders and stabiliser fins for yachts. We were out there for 2 days – we removed the dummy rudders and then installed the real rudders and stabiliser fins and bled the system so they turned at the right time and would be set dead centre. That was a massive job and difficult, but it was really memorable.

What I wear to work

I normally wear my full uniform and steel toe capped boots. If it’s raining you wear a pair of overalls and a big coat. You also need to wear your high vis and a certified life jacket on sea trials.

My hobbies

You need to keep your strength up for work. Because the boats are tall, you need to go up steep stairs, so you need to be quite fit. I have recently rebuilt a motorbike with my boyfriend, and we have both taken up cycling.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

Nine apprentices sitting on sofas socialising

Meet other technicians

Read more real life technicians stories, see what they do every day, and how they got started.