I was a Marine Inspector with the US Coast Guard for 10 years. It is hard to call it a career, since you can't control whether you'll get that job in the CG, or keep it for successive tours. However, ABS does ship inspection too, and many other private agencies (stocked with ex-CG inspectors). I really enjoyed the working part of it. It requires some brains, some good capacity to read and interpret boring regulations, and lots of diplomacy over expensive problems. The working conditions can be extremely difficult, either due to climate (really hot or bitter cold, you work outside a lot), extreme confinement, high noise, fall hazards, and so on. And sea sickness, don't be prone to that. So, with those drawbacks, I always enjoyed working about the water, and boats and ships are just so interesting to be about.