Naval Architect Career

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by dfrahm, Mar 13, 2006.

  1. dfrahm
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Location: South Africa

    dfrahm New Member

    My name is Dale Frahm,

    I have just completed my first architectural degree at the former University of Port Elizabeth, now called the Nelson Mandela Metropolitain University, in South Africa, after five years of study.

    My unleashed passion for marine vessels have persuaded me into thinking of a diverge in career, one towards marine design.

    I am inquiring into what the market in marine vessels/structures is doing at the moment, and what the demand for Naval Architects is.

    I am also inquiring as to what field of marine architecture (Merchant, Passenger, War etc) is in most popular demand for this time in the world.

    How will my architectural degree help towards becoming qualified as a Naval Architect?

    Any assistance into my queries will be very appreciated.

    Kind Regards

    Dale Frahm
    dfrahm@webmail.co.za
     
  2. MikeJohns
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    Location: Australia

    MikeJohns Senior Member

    Mostly questions for the educational facility that you will need to enroll with to get your engineering/Naval Arch qualifications.

    I'm sure you'll get a few cross-credits but I imagine you have another 4 years study ahead.
     
  3. Chris Ostlind

    Chris Ostlind Previous Member

    Land to Sea Design Work

    Hi Dale,

    I should think that your architectural training will hold you well on a number of fronts as a marine designer.

    You are conversant with loadings and calculations for engineering purposes, you undertand the aesthetic application of materials to an end goal of a purposeful design, you have been engaged in abstract problem solving for functional purposes on many integrated fronts and your ability to track and maintain a build schedule is virtually the same.

    I'd say that you are way, way down the road to being able to shift over to a marine application. Yes, there wil be very specific materials and purposes that do not enter into the realm of land based architecture, but if you can get your head around the wind loadings and profiles of buildings, I don't see why you can't quickly shift your knowledge base to address similar principals for boats.

    The aerodynamic and hydrodynamic aspects of the design craft will take you to new places that will open your mind for all sorts of possibilities if you stay partially connected to terrestrial architecture. It will be fun to see what kinds of structures you may design after you have been immersed in the marine end of the design business for a while.

    I've been an architectural photographer and film/video cameraman for 30 years now, and I find the professional knowledge I have attained in that time as tremendously useful in the pursuit of small boat design. You'll likely find a similar symbiotic relationship.

    Please keep us posted as to how you progress in your decision.

    Chris Ostlind
     
  4. kach22i
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    Location: Michigan

    kach22i Architect

    I'm an architect in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA and run my own small firm. There are a couple of architects from South Africa practicing here in town. Small world, hey?

    My hobby is hovercraft, and as in architecture I turn to building models (paper & plastic kind) during the design process - not after, to help me make my way through the design problem.

    I'd imagine coming out of school these days you are pretty good with some of the 3D computer modeling programs, and can solve a programming problem. I would hope this would make you a top-notch student if nothing else.

    I trust you will at least talk to a practicing Naval Architect before spending more years of study and hundreds of thousands of dollars on your education. If you have to spend more than you make in two weeks to rub elbows with the movers and shakers in the business at a seminar or conference, then that is what you have to do. It's the best way to meet people, sitting with the right people at lunch or dinner can make a career happen.
     
  5. Herbert lotz
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Location: Aix en Provence

    Herbert lotz Junior Member

    Hi Dale

    Home town originaly from PE my self, Studied Yacht Design in the states and Yacht Construction in the UK. Designing yachts is a little more complex then desining a building but if it is your passion then nothing can stop you believe me. My advice is to get fluent in your drafting packages ie AutoCad, Rino, look for freeship on the internet. Yes its free, good to give you some kind of feel for it with out spending thousands of dollars. Then its a piles of books and read. Stick around on this site there is more info here then you need for the mo. I am based in the South of France not to sure when ill be in PE next, could be a month or two. Keep in touch we can go for a beer and a chat if you like.
    email is hplotz@hotmail.com
    Herbert Lotz
     
  6. Guillermo
    Joined: Mar 2005
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    Location: Pontevedra, Spain

    Guillermo Ingeniero Naval

    Hi, Dale
    Buy several hectoliters of beer, enough ice to keep it cold, design & build your own home in a warm weather spot, look for a nice girl, and forget about NA!
     
  7. Wynand N
    Joined: Oct 2004
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    Location: South Africa

    Wynand N Retired Steelboatbuilder

    Hi Dale,

    Im from PE originally (was actually based in Despatch) during the 80 - early 90's and built some yachts for a living then.

    However, as for becoming a NA, think again. In South Africa this is not a good way forward if you plan to raise a family. Yes, during the periods I was in PE, there was a yachting boom but that is all gone since the 1994 elections. Almost everyone with money to spare, bought a yacht and emmigrated to Australia and New Zealand, the rest elsewhere. Sadly, with this excodus of people we lost some very good designers as well - Angelo Lavranos comes to mind.....

    Even the oldest and best established yachting mag is no more with us for a decade or so. Only one survived to date. And if you look in this magazine, hopefully you will find a designer or two. Same goes for boat builders, not many around anymore. For a designer it is tough to break into the local scene. The surviving boat builders tend to support well established NA's that is understandable from a marketing point of view. Unless you have contacts and ways to market your designs overseas, (again, builders over there would rather tend to stick to well established NA's as well) stick to architecture.
    At least you will make a decent living and be able to raise that family one day;) Remember Dale, every person must have a house and not everyone will want a boat and a very few will ever own a boat.....
     
  8. Herbert lotz
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Herbert lotz Junior Member

    Hey Wynand dont talk Kak
     
  9. Herbert lotz
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Herbert lotz Junior Member

    Aero Teck took boat of the year internationaly a few years ago and there are loads of guys building boats in Cape Town and Durban. If there were more guy's like dale we would not have such a pile of crap in our marinas.
    Check out Knysna, St Frances they have sucsessfull Boat Yards. Besides architekture is bouring.
    Wynand is write about the construction industry though, so get in there while the place is booming. Im sitting in france and there are at least three ads a week for real estate in SA.
    South Africa is full of opertunity so wake up guy'sand get on with it.
    In 1993 I calculated that I could build boats for atleast 35 % less.
    Check out young James Turner From Knysna his landed some prity cool contracts too
    It is what you make of it.
    Sorry guy's i cant spell but i can build a damn fine boat. :D
     
  10. Herbert lotz
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Herbert lotz Junior Member

    boating in Sa

    Its because there is a lack of properly qualified and a huge lack in highly skilled people that the industry will take a dive.
    Clients are all over the world and I dont see many houses sailing of to the Med.
    Ok Im done. :mad:
     
  11. Wynand N
    Joined: Oct 2004
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    Wynand N Retired Steelboatbuilder

    Just incase you haven't noticed - this is a public forum and the members here are civilised and polite to each other. I would rather distance myself from you and your foul mouth.

    But it is funny how foreigners or people aboard seems to know more about other peoples affairs than the locals themself:confused:
    As a retired NA and boatbuilder in South Africa, I think I should know what I am talking about. Yes, some nice cats get build here in SA, but the bulk of them are exported to boat charter companies in the USA and foreign clients. And that kind of companies are rare. And they have their production lines of boats that have quite a long production/mold run. They wont be knocking on designer's doors.
    Most builders are little one man shows/shops and even the most notable aluminuim builders over here, travels from client to client to build boats, and they are looking for work....
    Knysna used to be home of a little outfit that made wooden boats, a builder that build the famous Peter Ilbold designed Endurance (out of production for about 18 years) and because of that lovely lagoon, a builder that made houseboats! Here and there is a chap that builds something that sails. In essence, that is Knysna's boatbuilding industry.

    As for St Frances; when I was still in the game building yachts in PE, they started with a production catamaran - build to order only. Been there quite often at the time. It is still a very tiny enterprise measured against the main players in Cape Town.
    I said it before and I will say it again, the boating industry 20 years ago was more "alive" then than now. If it is such a booming trade, why have we lost our best boating/sailing mags and have only one left - and a rather thin one at that?

    Did I mentioned that in my newspaper this week there are moulds for sail for a 40ft Cat and for a similar sized monohull for sale? The cat was designed by a famous local designer and the mono by a famous Dutch design house. This sale of moulds are from a boatyard that closed down recently. Why...

    I stand by my statement that it is not easy to break into the scene as an unknown designer. To get work, you must find clients and herein lies the problem. People are "label/brand/name" concious, and would rather go with something they are familar with, such as a known and proven designer.
    The best way to get started is to join a well established design office and take it from there. Not many of those in SA.....
     
  12. Gregg
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Location: Washington State

    Gregg Junior Member

  13. Herbert lotz
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Herbert lotz Junior Member

    Ok Wynand

    I do apologise for doing you wrong in using that all expressive K word, from which you could assume me to be a fellow South African. I used it as an light hearted expression more than any thing els, no harm intended.

    What did upset me was your attitude to wards South Africa and its future.
    Since 1994 a lot has happened I know there has been ups and downs but across the board I do think that things are looking brighter. Maybe not for us but hope fully for our children. We need to be more positive and look forward.
    If there is only one Yachting mag then that is a opportunity for business if I have ever seen one..! Or has the Internet taken over you think.
    I use to work in Knysna, Haiko wooden boats, went to the UK in 93 to study traditional wooden boat building came back worked for a while then went to the USA to study Yacht design came back to Knysna to find our little wooden boatyard had closed down.
    Any way after spending a small fortune studying Yachts in the early 90's the Rands verses the Pound, Dollar thing and then on top of it all, the swart gevaar had just started to rock the boat. So how do you think I felt, might just use that K word here again ?
    Anyway I have made a living not great but I haven't given up.
    Used the skill's that I learnt in the boating industry to my advantage and intend to continue doing so.
    South of France is great but i long to come home and to get going again, we should get together I have loads of ideas and energy and it seems that you have a vast knowledge of boats and boating so all we need is some money and of we go.
    And at the end of the day I am glad to be proudly South African, even though PW got hold of me when I was just a snotkop.
    I look forward to reviving the boating industry in Port Elizabeth.
    hplotz@hotmail.com
     
  14. tansails
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    tansails Junior Member

    At ease Wynand. The rest of us have never heard the term before
     

  15. antonfourie
    Joined: Oct 2005
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    Location: London

    antonfourie Senior Member

    As a former South African, I am saddened to hear that the industry has died in SA. I guess that until the "average" man in SA developes a liking for water sports .... then the industry is not likely to boom again.
     
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