The Apprehensive Naval Architect

[jose8747]

hello friends...im a recent naval arch graduate...having done my bachelors nd baing fascinated by naval architecture did the masters in the same...now having studyied the naval arch subjects crammed into a year of classroom coachin very apprehensve of wat lies ahead..i secured a job in a shipyard and will be part of the design team nd will begin my proffesional life in a month..but very frankly dont know wat to do once i get ther...i know autoCAD ANSYS some rhino nd some maxsurf...but completely lacking in on-the-job knowledge..could you guys plz give me an idea of wat lies ahead...the shipyard mainly builds cargos tankers and some hsc....@#@!# stability calcs #@$#$ hydrostatic calcs #@$# wat is all that???????????

thanks a ton....

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by jose8747

@#@!# stability calcs #@$#$ hydrostatic calcs #@$# wat is all that???????????

I'd say - it's a big trouble, that's what it is...

[Ad Hoc]

Originally Posted by jose8747

..could you guys plz give me an idea of wat lies ahead.....

Fun Fun and more Fun...oh yeah, lots and lots of learning and mistakes!

Do not get "sucked" into thinking being a naval architect involves pressing buttons on a fancy software program. These softwares are just tools. As a naval architect your knowledge, experience and education is what matters....anyone can press buttons...but can a program tell you when the welder is putting in too much heat..or is there enough room for the welder to weld..or does the stability become worse if the client adds a bigger engine...or how heavy the boat will be before you even start designing it...etc etc.

Just listen and learn from the chief designer, and relax and enjoy....

Forgot to add..spend as much time on the shopfloor as you can...listen, watch and understand what the guys building it are doing. Never, never ever be affraid to ask questions and/or look dumb. They know more than you, ask them why they do XYZ!

[jose8747]

thanks a lot adhoc for your reply !!! i'll keep it in mind !!!!!!

[Landlubber]

"never ever be affraid to ask questions and/or look dumb".....very true, if the boss is any sort worth working for they will know that you are still green and provide plenty of answers to your questions.....we still ask questions after a life time playing boats, so we can never know it all...just read some of the good replies that are answered here, there are many very clever people here to help. (also some turkeys too, so get to understand the replies before you believe them, it is after all an open forum...just be careful)

[jose8747]

thanks for the reply Landlubber...."I do not know, what I do not know" ....nice...

[Guillermo]

Originally Posted by jose8747

..could you guys plz give me an idea of wat lies ahead...the shipyard mainly builds cargos tankers and some hsc....@#@!# stability calcs #@$#$ hydrostatic calcs #@$# wat is all that???????????

I'm quite surprised about this question, coming from a Naval Architect!

[jose8747]

@guillermo: exaggerated it a bit too much....forgive me.....

[Guillermo]

Sorry. I should have imagined you were joking.
Best of lucks with your new job. Learn and enjoy.

Cheers

[jehardiman]

Yes, Ad Hoc got it right.

Everyone has to do thier time in weights and stability....it gives you character, and serves a purpose in making you familiar with size and weights of things, which will be important when you move up to the arrangements group and learn how much room is needed for a weldor to get a bead to pass class inspection...and from there to preliminary design where you learn how many prep tables and heads are needed for a 32 man complement. Naval Architecture is truely one of the last "guild" systems where you must serve an apprenticeship or you will never understand what is going on.

And in 2-3 years, you get to be the wise old salt as a fresh faced new victim stares at the 10 kilos of weight report printout you just dropped on thier desk with a blythe "check this...".

[Ad Hoc]

Originally Posted by jehardiman

Everyone has to do thier time in weights and stability....it gives you character....

Sad, but so very true.

My first job, wet behind the ears, i spent 3 months with a 20kg spring balance surgically joined to my hand. I weighed everything. What am I doing weighing bits of stuff....what am i doing doubling checking the weighing report from the supplier, why am i organising the "heavy gang" to weight sections of boats...etc etc. Dull, tedious, boring....or was it?

Until one day i was asked, can you put a weight estimate together for this proposal...what...who..me??..im a graduate, how would I know....crafty old bugger the Chief designer. Within 1 day i put together my first weight estimate.

As JEH notes, it is part of our apprenticeship. My "apprenticeship" of sorts lasted 7 years, before i became fully qualified and having the responsibility and indeed ability, to approve dwgs and documents.

Despite the sometimes tedious nature and often mind numbing tasks, i loved every minute of it..and would not have it any other way. Naval Architects that are not trained or work in shipyards, are missing out on a large chunk of their apprenticeship, as are those that just sit behind a desk staring at a monitor and the softwares output..

[jose8747]

@jehardiman & adhoc....thanks a lot for the valuable advice...it has really given me some direction I badly needed.....