schooling

[dsquared]

Several posters have discussed the value of getting an engineering education as part of, or prior to, entering the boat design field.

My question is, what if one already has an engineering degree? What would one recommend? A master's in naval architecture? The landing school? Westlawn?

Also, in reference to some earlier comments about EIT's and PE's; is small boat design becoming a field where registration is required to have one's own business? Or trending that way?

By the way, it's BSME 1980, EIT 1979, CAD and board experience, design experience, mostly aerospace.

[pjwalsh]

I think the Landing School is very appropriate for someone who already has an engineering degree - it is fine for those who do not also - so long as they understand that they may need to continue with schooling leading to a degree.

In most states PE registration is legally required of any one selling engineering services. This has not been enforced with regard to yacht design in the past but, due to a shift in the Coast Guard regulations, and moves by SNAME to create a PE test for ship design, closer regulation is coming.

[gonzo]

Are you talking of designing boats or ships? There are great differences in regulations.

[pjwalsh]

Both boats and ships,

There may be differences in the level of regulation here but I think the recent moves to a PE certification in ship design are going to also affect the business of designing smaller craft. Many design firms are small businesses and along with yachts will design small commercial craft, ferries etc... to stay viable. These latter projects often need some review by a PE. Even if the design of smaller yachts is not directly regulated ( I think it is likely to be though...) any person wanting to have career in design would be well advised to start along the path to qualify as a PE in order to increase their employability in a design office and to enable them eventually to design under their own name.

I do not think the state PE boards are going to start tracking and closing down small unlicensed designers, the pressure is going to be more like that described above.

Someone with an engineering degree can pretty easily pick up everything you need by self-training. Afert all, Don Blount is an ME.

Join SNAME, (www.sname.org) buy the books, and try to ooze into the field by getting a job as a systems ME and gradually slide over.

This will be a lot easier to do in the commercial field, though. You could start by going for a federal job in an agency that uses both NAs and MEs, like the Navy or MSC.

Note also that the job opportunities in yacht design are very limited.

Check out Professional Boatbuilder at www.proboat.com, and try to find Cassidy and Assoc., and Bryan SPencer on the web. They are recruiters in the marine industry.

[Thomas Ask]

Most (all perhaps) States require graduation from an ABET accredited program to sit for the PE exam. I have never needed my PE license in connection with marine designs but perhaps as a previous writer noted, this might change. PE licensure is a good thing to obtain for any engineering consultancy work.

[gonzo]

Guest:
I don't think that someone with an engineering degree can just pick it up by reading. There are many aspects of boat design that can only be learned by practice. Francis Herreshoff was a great advocate of taking "designers" in the ocean during a blow to see what it's all about. I have designed and build boats but also worked them all my life. Having someone who doesn't know about boats or ships design one is like having an automotive engineer that can't drive.