Hello & Westlawn vs YDS

[Seafra]

Originally Posted by dgerr

Yes, it's too early to say more about the new options we are working on for Westlawn students. We plan to announce the details in the next year or so. Be assured, however, that all current Westlawn students and all Westlawn graduates will be able to take full advantage of the new options, with full credit for all their past Westlawn work and with no changes in their Westlawn work.

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

Dgerr,

Have you worked with any students who have had a pre-existing degree(with the related collegiate course "fluff" already endured) that wanted to apply their Westlawn course work into a NA/ME degree program at a college? Is this at all possible?

[CDBarry]

There are specific Coast Guard PE requirements, though most yacht designers won't find them - in general if an analysis would require a PE on land, Coast Guard has policy that it is expected on a ship. This might be an ASME B31.1 analysis or similar things.

However, the requirement for PEs is mainly up to the states, under the separation of power clause and subsequent Supreme Court rulings regarding PEs.

If an analysis is legally required to assure public safety, and is described as, or otherwise requires engineering analysis, a PE may be required, though there are numerous exemptions and circumstances. The most obvious example is preparing stability and trim information as required by 46 CFR 28.500 for commercial fishing vessels over 79 feet long, which is legally required and is specifically described as requiring "naval architecture calculations". There are a number of other analyses for small passenger vessels carrying more than 49 passengers and so on that might also meet these requirements, (in the absence of industrial exemption and so on). However, most of these analyses involve topics, such as damage stability, that yacht designers don't get involved in anyway.

Note also that there is no "push" to require licensure. The laws on engineering licensure go back mostly to before WWII, and if someone had a complaint, the laws were enforced. As a result of various circumstances, most involving issues other than legal ones (some military positions require PEs, for example), a number of SNAME members asked that SNAME help them to get an exam that would allow them to obtain a PE (which is a general license) by taking an exam in NAME instead of ME, EE or civil. SNAME and NCEES developed this exam, and that is all. Anyone who needed a PE before needs one now, anyone who didn't doesn't.

Mr. Gerr is correct that there is a lot of poorly informed opinion on this, but as long as yachts and many yacht-like commercial craft don't have any legally required engineering analyses, a PE is not required to perform these analyses, as long as the practioner doesn't imply that what they are doing is engineering, not design.

[Smoothride]

For CD Barry/ Mr. Gerr/E.Sponberg:

I have a marine engineering degree from 95 (Maine Maritime).

I have not used engineering per se in my career thus far, but I use the principles of engineering/physics, simple math, and mechanical systems every day for my job( sometimes just trying to retain some of that knowledge).

I thought a realistic option might be to complete the yacht design program at Westlawn, and work in the industry and take prep courses for the FE/EIT exam. Eventually I'd get enough experience to take the PE (ME) exam at some much later date (perhaps specializing for whatever state as a naval architect if the state requires that test). I read that you could specialize your PE test as ME or NAME I think...? The idea is to be marketable to the Coast Guard or Navy as a naval architect, or to be able to design commercial boats/ships without a 200 foot length limit.

I could easily be wrong about the above, please feel free to recalibrate my thinking if I'm wrong!! Need a mentor for this stuff

many thanks for your time,

SR

[dgerr]

Best thing is to go the the Wesltawn website and look around:

http://www.westlawn.edu/

Then, give me a ring and we can talk about your plans and goals.

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

[CDBarry]

Westlawn is not oriented to commercial craft and would be a waste of time compared to just going out and doing it (for you, that is) - you already have as solid a background as you need for a job. I would suggest you just go out with your Maine Maritime degree and start looking (there are a ton of openings you would match - look at www.sname.org under careers) - we have a bunch of SUNY Maritime grads (both deck and engine) around here, and though they might differ, I would believe Maine Maritime has to be at least as good. Take an AutoCAD and or Rhino course in your local community college if you get the chance.

You might also consider looking into the Coast Guard reserve officer or direct commission programs. I think you are probably still within the age limit for special enlistments, since you already have a strong maritime background - Coast Guard has a special program for engineers and licensed maritime officers (and lawyers) with civilian experience.

[Smoothride]

Thanks to CD Barry and D.Gerr for responding.

My concern is having flown Navy/Commercial airplanes since 95, not very related to design work, but familiar with aerodynamics and systems etc... (and hunting submarines ).

I thought Westlawn would get me smart quickly, so I am somewhat useful to a future employer, then I could update my engineering degree afterwards. In several months, I'll be moving to Seoul Korea for two years (jobs/schools = hard to do). So far internet searches for marine industry jobs in Korea have proven fruitless.

Another step I could take is to study hard for the FE/EIT while in Korea...??

It's a tough situation any way I look at it.

many thanks for your responses,

SR

[dgerr]

Westlawn alumni have a long history of designing commercial and workboats. Quite a few photos of these are posted to the Education Forum at:

help with career advice

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

[hvobbe]

Hello all,

I read the discussions about the school to be followed with great interest, only I missed an essential question here . In my opinion, it is not of the utmost importance if your future school delivers a degree or not . You study a subject of your choice in order to have a job in this field . Therefore, I would like to know what school is preferred by our future employers : YDS or Westlawn . If, at any chance, this forum is visited by professionals in the Yachtdesing industry all over the world (preferably from Europe, as I live in Belgium, small country between Holland and France) I would appreciate if they could give their opinion on this matter .
Thanks and best regards,
Hvobbe

[westlawn5554X]

I am a student, I dont praise institution, I will tell you it took me 6 month and a lot of forum banging to come to this conclusion. Long Distant learning WESTLAWN, hand-on trainning and more wooden stuff, LANDING School maine. That's all. Unless you speak Italian and wanted a MASTER degree then check out Italian School , I know the thread on Italian School somewhere in the froum use search. Have a Nice day.

[luckettg]

Originally Posted by westlawn5554X

I am a student, I dont praise institution, I will tell you it took me 6 month and a lot of forum banging to come to this conclusion..

I am not sure I understand what you mean. Would you mind giving it another try? I know this is a translation problem.
Thank you,
Greg Luckett

[CDBarry]

Smoothride;

You may also want to consider upgrading in mechanical through a distance learning program, since commercial marine is mostly mechanical - Georgia Tech has a online MS program, among others. ASME offers links to PE review courses as well as online learning courses.

Also, go to www.sname.org for a variety of links and other information.

[Figgy]

Originally Posted by luckettg

I am not sure I understand what you mean. Would you mind giving it another try? I know this is a translation problem.
Thank you,
Greg Luckett

What he means is he threw the idea around for six months before he came to the conclusion to attend Westlawn.

[luckettg]

Originally Posted by Figgy

What he means is he threw the idea around for six months before he came to the conclusion to attend Westlawn.

Ok, thankyou, but what I am confused about is, "I am a student, I dont praise institution...". I can guess what he meant, as maybe you have, but I would like to make sure I understand what he wanted to convey. The 6 month part is easy to understand. I apologize: I was unclear about what I was asking about.
Greg Luckett

[Smoothride]

Many thanks sir;

I'll check out the websites. Mechanical is the perfect thing to have for pretty much every industry that I have any interest in. Still, I would like to learn about boats and the design of them. I've been wanting to do that since I was a freshman in 1991. Unfortunately, that minor went away the year before...

Thanks again,

SR

[sodaboy]

Can anyone tell me, if YDS is still running?

The phone number is disconected, and no emails are being replyed too.