Naval Architect vs Boat Designer

[Thomas Kam]

What are the differences between a Naval Architect and a Boat Designer in terms of work responsibilities, professional qualifications, and academic background?

Much Appreciated!
Thomas

[yipster]

hope this helps

[MikeJohns]

Then there's the P.Engineers not to be forgotten :-)

Consider buildings ........... you could design a building and be a building designer (such as a draughtsman), an architect is trained to produce a wholesome outcome aimed at human habitation. An engineer makes sure things don't break . In reality your building design would have to be certified by an Architect or Engineer as does a draughtsmans.

In the boating industry there are many overlaps but commercial craft require professional certification while private craft can be designed by anyone and the plan buyer bewares. So someone knocking out plans could call themselves a designer. To be a Marine Architect or Engineer you need to meet standards of education and experience set by governing bodies. These bodeies vary country to country.

Hope this helps

[Ike]

This is the "undiscovered country" where you really do not want to go. The argument over what's a naval architect and what's a designer has been going on for ages. It can get really heated. Some people are both Naval architects and designers. Not all designers are naval Architects. Some will say you have to have a degree to be a NAval Architect. In Washington State if you want to be a NAval Architect and design (not work for someone else) you have to take a test administered by the state. SUffice it to say that I have known a lot of Naval Architects. All had an NA degree. I have also known a lot of Boat designers. Some had NA degrees, some had no degrees at all. I knew one who had a degree in History. I could call my self a designer as I've taken the Westlawn course and spent most of my life working with boat manufacturers in the standards arena. But my degree is in Operations Management with an Associates in Engineering. Does that make me an NA (even though I have spent my whole life working alondside NA's and doing exactly the same work) No.

Summation: Anyone can call themself a designer.

[Thunderhead19]

I would also say, at least in my neck of the woods, that when you call yourself a Naval Architect (a title which is administered to here by the association of professional engineers) you are assuming a large degree of liability. It is implied that with the education, trining, and experience that a Naval Architect needs to have, that when something goes wrong, "you should have known". Whereas with a designer, a title administered to by nobody, there is no standard of accountability or compitence. Fortunately people who are either very good designers or very bad designers get a reputation quickly, due to the accute shortage of such people.

[Wellydeckhand]

MMMmmmmm.......... I have people with a design course in ship claim as N.A. and asked for job, I was confused but learn from this particular post, thanks, but no naming .......

[Ike]

If they claim to be a Naval Architect simply ask where they got their degree. There are only 3 or 4 schools in the US that offer degrees in Naval Architecture. There are a few in Europe. This is not a common thing.

The Naval Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, University of Michigan, Webb Institute, University of New Orleans. There are a few others that offer graduate studies in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering but not undergraduate degrees.

Come on guys, who did I leave out???

I copied this from another thread. It was posted by Eric Sponberg
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (my alma mater)
University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, Glen Cove, NY (tuition is free if you get accepted)
The Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
The Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT.
The Merchant Marine Academy, Ft. Schuyler, NY
Stevens Institute, Hoboken, NJ
Cal Tech at Berkely (graduate only)
MIT, Cambridge, MA (graduate only)
University of Southampton, Southampton, England, has a nice yacht and small craft program leading to a bachelors degree.

See, I knew I left somebody out!

[Wellydeckhand]

He was not from these big school.......... I know the school, it is for design but I dont think naming it is good as it is the person not the school which claim N.A., But I kept his copy of resume for keepsake.

[Wynand N]

....and then again, some of the great one's are self taught or had very basic training on which they had built their careers.
And something to ponder about; if you buy a dog with an impressive pedigree, it does not necessary means it will be a good / great dog....

[Al_Rassan]

I just finished 5 years faculty of naval arhitecture and marine engineering,
Difference is that designer doesn't have to have finished any school, and today with all those softwares almost anybody can be a designer, but the most importan thing is (i'm not sure how it is in USA) that NA are primary educated for projecting and building big ships 50 - 500 meters, passangers, cargo or millitary ships, but they are learning how to build and design small ships and boats too.

As i said today almous everybody can design boats with use of software, but not much designesr know how to calculate hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, and all the other thing that i don't know how to say in english, with out use of software and NA must know those things

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by Thomas Kam

What are the differences between a Naval Architect and a Boat Designer in terms of work responsibilities, professional qualifications, and academic background?

Here is my take...

A designer is concerned with the LOOK and USE of a item...

Many things designed are NOT practicable...

An engineer is concerned with the STRUCTURE and PROUDICABILITY of an item...

Many things can be produced that are NOT useful...

A Naval Architect is one who is concened with both the USE and PRODUCABILITY of a vessel...

I have seen designers draw something that cannot be built...with current materials and methods....

I have seen engineers develop methods to build things that that have not yet been designed...

The Naval Architect marries the design with the required engineering requirements to produce a useful vessel. This is not to say that a NA cannot be a Designer and/or an Engineer, but that there are overlaps that only the NA can fill.

As I like to say....the whole vessel is mine...keel to truck, cutwater to dunce cap...I make sure that design and engineering complement each other.

John Hardiman, NA&ME PE.