Margot Boutry, 28 years old, has been working at Robin Marine for 3 years in a very technical position as she handles, installs and repairs electronic and electrical equipment, i.e. low voltage power supplies. Our technician works mainly in the professional sector. Her function is to prepare and equip the boats with all the equipment. Relatively autonomous, she manages the shipyard from start to finish in agreement with her superior Frédéric Chauveau, provides after-sales service and repairs. She regularly intervenes on pleasure boats, either during the construction phase or at the request of private yachtsmen.
Based in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, its area of intervention is not limited to the Vendée, it can extend to Southern Brittany and sometimes the Charentes, with exceptionally a few trips to the Mediterranean when necessary.
In business since 2007, Robin Marine is a company from Vendée specialized in the sale, installation and maintenance of electronic and computer equipment for maritime navigation. Its team of about forty people works on all types of shipyards, whether for pleasure, professional, fishing, military boats, merchant navy: a very broad spectrum.
What training, what diploma, what skills to hold the position?
Curiosity, learning and passion
Coming from a family with no marine culture or nautical leisure activities and with a training as a house painter, nothing predisposed Margot to work in this universe. While she was still looking for herself, a meeting suggested that she should take an interest in the boating profession. She decided to enrol in the Certificate of Professional Qualification as a nautical maintenance agent at the AFPA, a training that allows her to touch on a large number of trades: plumbing, welding, electricity, rigging, lamination, "boating is a sector where there is always something to do, you don't have time to get bored", says Margot, "To blossom, I needed a job that was both manual and technical
"It was very difficult for me to find a job, because without experience and also being a girl, it's complicated. Fortunately, Bruno Mécanique Bateaux met her: "my boat dad hired me which enabled me to bounce back on a new CQP in marine mechanics on a work-study course at the Institut Nautique de Bretagne (Brittany Nautical Institute).
Alternating at SNIP in Ouistreham for 2 years, this experience allows me to discover electronics and marine electricity in addition to the mechanical part. I thus learned versatility and developed a taste for electronics and electricity to the point of being passionate about it and to the point of moving in this direction after graduating in mechanics.
My time at the INB is an essential element: working under the orders of a skipper, getting to know the boats. I think I can also say that I would never have been hired if I hadn't worked at INB on a work-study basis."
In 2018, having just graduated from the INB, Margot started looking for a permanent job. She remembers having shown Thierry Chevillon, Robin Marine's skipper during Le Grand Pavois, a boat exhibited by SNIP. She contacted him to offer her services and was initially offered a 6-month fixed-term contract that was transformed into a permanent contract.
"When I left SNIP after my training at INB, I had the basic skills, since then I have learned a lot on the job by installing increasingly sophisticated systems and everything came naturally because I love my job. I'm often hooked.
After 3 years at Robin Marine, I think I've gained the equivalent of 5 years of experience in marine electrical and electronics if only through the troubleshooting that goes on before you find the cause and solution."
Margot entered the nautical industry through a mechanical training and a taste for manual work. During her training course, she discovered a passion and a lot more facilities for on-board electronics, which is why she chose a company specializing in this field.
What daily life, what are the responsibilities of this profession?
Satisfying customers
"I'm a client portfolio with my manager. I intervene on broken down equipment for that I move with a workshop vehicle, I also manage the installations and the building sites in first equipment for new constructions. The commercial part, estimates and supply is the responsibility of my manager."
When Margot leaves for an intervention in an area, she makes sure to group the appointments and acts according to each client's requests. Interventions can last from a few moments to several hours depending on the context with the objective of customer satisfaction.
Even if the work is carried out independently, Margot relies on the manufacturers, an essential support in case of specific needs or information.
Within Robin Marine, the particularity of Margot is that her field of intervention is vast since she touches on all products and all fields of activity, unlike most of her colleagues who remain confined to a defined sector. "My versatility has therefore enabled me to quickly accumulate experience," insists Margot.
What are the possible evolutions of this profession?
Move towards a commercial function or start your own business.
"At the age of 28, after 6 years in the marine environment and 3 years of technical experience in marine electricity and electronics, I would like to move into a more commercial role or set up my own company to work as a subcontractor on large construction sites for example or suppliers of electrical and electronic equipment," says Margot.
One thing is certain: "I want to remain in the field of ecologically responsible artisanal fishing, which is full of values. The bosses and shipowners are often young, passionate and vigilant about the preservation of the resource. Attitudes are changing and I want to accompany them."
