Prospective Student of Naval Architecture/Yacht Design

[dishsail]

I am very interested in naval architecture and yacht design in general. I would like to start to get my hands wet in the field, but don't know how to draw anything. I have some experience in AutoCAD, but nothing with mechanical drawing. Also does anyone know of any ways I can learn to design boats on my own through personal experience. I am starting to read boats, but I don't have any ideas that are flowing through my head. Any suggestions?

Joseph

[pjwalsh]

Keep on reading,

Cy Hamlin's book "Preliminary Design of Boats and Ships" is very good for an introduction.

Go out on the water in the types of boats you are interested in. Look at what the problems, common situations, and solutions are. Look at how the boats are actually used. Look at the work of other designers. Meet them and ask questions if they are willing. Not just about boats but also how the business works.

Study up in basic physics, If you are already good with mathematics that is good, if not review algebra, trigonometry, calculus is not required but it is useful.

CAD skills are good, knowledge of drafting conventions too but are easily picked up as part of learning design. The ability to quickly sketch an idea is a key skill in any type of design work.

Once you start studying this subject the ideas will come quickly.

[Stephen Ditmore]

This repeats what I've said in other places.... please forgive my redundancy.

My suggestion is to study aeronautical engineering if you're interested in yacht design, then go to Southamton Institute in England or St. Johns in Nova Scotia (associated with IMD), or Michigan or MIT (under Prof. Jerry Milgram). Aeronautical is a better fallback than ship naval architecture. Virginia Tech has a program that combines aeronautical & ocean engineering. In the SE there's New Orleans, and also related programs at Florida Tech (FIT) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU, dept of Ocean Engineering). Steven's Institute in New Jersey (ask for the Davidson Hydrodynamics Lab) is also worth checking out, as are the Naval and Coast Guard Academys and Webb Institute on Long Island if you are coming out of high school and qualify. Stevens treats NavalArchitecture and Ocean Engineering as a branch of Civil Engineering.

This is coming from a Landing School grad with a family. The Landing School is a great 1 year introduction, but if you're serious about making yacht design your career get further education if you can. Plan on taking the EIT exam as soon as you get a B.E. or equiv degree, and the PE exam two years later.

For more info you might want to browse the "Education" category in these forums.

[pjwalsh]

To follow up on Stephen's remarks,

I am also a Landing School Grad, Same year as Stephen in fact. The program there is a great introduction to design, but if you do not already have some type of engineering background or degree you are going to find your employment options within the industry limited.

For most who attend the Landing School there is in the back of the mind the idea to hang out your own shingle as a designer - this may not be realistic given the present state of the marine industry, and the recent move to PE registration.

My own experience as a non-engineer graduate of the Landing School was that few design offices were interested in me, and those that were would pay very little. As with many LS design program graduates I found building work, which did allow me some scope to practice design (there is a lot of engineering going on in boatbuilding shops), and gave me some great experience in a variety of building techniques. After a 6-7 years went by I went back to school and got an mechanical engineering degree.

The Landing School does do a great job of giving you basic design training, and, most importantly, helping you to build a network within the marine industry. The experience I had there was very, very positive. But, if you are interested in a career in naval architecture my advice would be to go to school for engineering or industrial design.

Of course, as I suggested in my previous post, you still need to understand boats from a practical point of view too - build, sail, hang about the waterfront, repair boats, and talk to people who are involved with the trades.

Considering the state of the industry and the potential payoff in yacht design, the Coast Guard Academy is probably the best bet. Mess around with yacht design on the side until you retire as a flag officer, (25 years or so) then you can afford to open your own yacht design firm.

Let me introduce myselfr
I am Valentin Vaca M, and I am interested in a set of drawing (plans) of a boat, propeled by waterjet with 19 feets length, of aluminun.
If you have some information that I want, please let me know.
best regard
My email is valentinvaca@hotmail.com

Valentin Vaca

[coulnamson]

I'm a Phdstudentship in Naval Hydrodynamics... I would like to get a series 60 model hull form to generate a grid for  my own CFD code.

Cordially,