Head mechanic

Steve Miller

How I found WRAY

A friend of a friend told me about a position going at WRAY. I applied and started working here in 2003.

Nautical qualifications

Diesel fitter/mechanic, radio and senior first aid certificates.

Best Whitsunday experience

Fishing for coral trout, red emperor and other reef fish around Hook Passage, Whitsunday Island, North Molle or Hayman Island – just one hour from Shute Harbour.

Steve Miller’s career has taken him from his hometown of Sydney to the Asia-Pacific region – now he heads up the boat maintenance team at WRAY’s Shute Harbour jetty.

Steve and his team of five carry out boat maintenance inspections on all WRAY vessels prior to every charter and, when required, send out a chase boat to carry out on-the-spot repairs if charterers experience a break-down once at sea.

“Once the boats come in from a charter, we do a thorough check for wear and tear, order parts and carry out repairs if required. Most of the time, we can get the boat back in top working order before the next charter is ready to go,” Steve says.

Steve completed his apprenticeship as a diesel fitter (then known as a heavy equipment fitter) in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea in the 1970s, remaining there for six years before moving to Singapore where he worked on oil rigs for nine years.

He returned to Sydney in 1985 and has worked in the marine industry ever since. Employed at several major Sydney-based marine companies he travelled to Lord Howe Island, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, fitting, servicing and rebuilding marine engines and transmissions - working on anything from 20ft navy rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) to car-carrying ships.

While his role at WRAY is his first in the charter boat industry, his vast experience holds him in good stead for servicing a wide-ranging fleet of yachts, catamarans and motor cruisers.

“I’ve been around boats and the water my whole life. I was always swimming and surfing as a kid and I used to own game fishing boats and regularly went fishing for marlin or tuna up the east coast of Australia.”

Keen on fishing or crabbing around the Whitsundays as often as he can, Steve’s vessel of choice is a powerboat. “I love how you just turn a key and off you go!” he says.

The array of marine life in the region also never ceases to amaze him.

“Shute Harbour, where WRAY is based, is a pretty big harbour, but you can just walk down the jetty and see dugongs, turtles and many, many fish, right in front of you,” he says.

Charterer’s tip

Keep everything onboard charged as TV, inverters, lights, fridges, freezers and water supply is all powered by 12 volts and a bank of batteries is provided. Turn things off when not in use to conserve power.