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Students to learn the nuts and bolts
of boat cleaning
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By BETH FEINSTEIN-BARTL
Waterfront News Writer
After learning that South Florida's marine industry is in need of
better skilled labor, Tom Godart came up with an idea to generate interest amongst teens searching for future careers. Using a combination of mentoring and old-fashioned elbow grease, Godart
devised a plan that allows students from the marine magnet program at South Broward High School in Hollywood to receive hands-on training in detailing boats. Now, six students scrub, soap and shine three
vessels docked in the marina at the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach.
The program kicked off in July. The students will meet to care for the boats once a month, said Godart,
president of Nuts & Boats, a dockside marine service in Fort Lauderdale. "You got to catch 'em while they're young and making career choices and get them excited about an industry that's very important to South
Florida," Godart said.
Richard Black, museum director at the IGFA, said he was thrilled when Godart approached him about the
program. "It's a great way to educate children," he said. "Their training can develop into lucrative careers."
The project is helping the museum too. The facility's marina has three boats. One is a 28-foot Wheeler called
the Playmate, a sister ship to Ernest Hemmingway's Pilar. There's also a sport fishing yacht and a 17-foot Maverick donated by singer Jimmy Buffet, Black said. "The boats are sitting next to I-95 and the airport is
really close," Black said. "There's a lot of dust and dirt that's building up. They need a lot of attention."
Godart said he was aware that the vessels hadn't been maintained in a long time and has assured museum
officials that the boats will be kept in pristine condition. Students will do the work for free. Their hours will
apply toward volunteer credits for graduation. In addition to cleaning the vessels, Godart said he will bring in
guest speakers to talk about various jobs in the marine industry The first speaker was Jeff Tieger, one of the
founders of Star Brite. The Davie-based company manufacturers marine care products and are donating materials needed to clean the boats for one year, Godart said.
"There's a definite need for trained people to maintain vessels," said Frank Herhold, executive director of
the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. "It's a job anybody thinks they can do, but when you're working on a $300,000 yacht, the owners expect perfection. As long as a boat owner parks his Mercedes along
side his boat, he's going to look for the same quality of detailing and maintenance." What Nuts & Boats has
done, aside from a funky name, is raise the bar of professionalism in one of the marine industry's most basic
segments, Herhold said. "A lot of us have had unpleasant experiences with car detailers who think they can
handle boats," he said. "The difference is training. Nuts & Boats are taking these students and giving them hands on experience."
A MIASF survey, performed in January in conjunction with Florida Atlantic University, showed there
were almost 500 open positions in various fields within South Florida's marine industry, he said. "This
industry needs to concentrate on attracting youth to marine industry careers at a much earlier age," Herhold said.
Natalie Moravek, a marine magnet student who was appointed dockmaster for the program at the IGFA
marina, said she is learning a lot. Moravek, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, originally applied for a summer job at
Nuts & Boats, but none were available. When called about the possibility of boat cleaning, she felt it was a
good opportunity "even though I wasn't being paid." "Boating is such a dominant industry in South Florida," Moravek said. "Having the knowledge to clean and detail boats will be useful."
Godart is pleased about being able to reach out to the students. "They're great, raw talent," he said. "It was fun to see a bunch of enthusiastic kids." |
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