help with career advice

Hi everyone, I just found this forum today and I have spent the last several hours reading...what a wealth if info

Here's my story: I have a bachelor's degree in history with a concentration in maritime history. I am currently work as a launch operator, taking pilots to and from ships in a week on, week off schedule. As part of my duties there I am also one of mechanics assigned to pugrading and repair our 10 launches as need be. I have a 100-ton inland master ticket and experience in the inland Chesapeake bay fisheries and offshore sailing in tallships. I spent several years running a sailing school where i was responsibel for about 50 different craft.

I like the job I have but I know it won't be enough to comfortably raise a family so I am looking for schooling that might help get a better paying job. I have been looking recently in boat design and I am interested, not in designing yachts, but in the crew, fast patrol, pilot, inland fishing boat side of the industry. Is there a market for this? I also have the problem of my work schedule...I work every other week 24 hours a day so traditional grad school or even night classes are out of the question. That leaves Westlawn (unless there is another distance learning school I don't know of). I have seen the multitude of post on the pros and cons, but if it's my only avenue, I can supplement my education down the line as need be...

So what are people's thoughts on this? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

-Cleet

 

How old are you. You may wish to consider Officer's Candidate School in the Coast Guard or Navy if you are young enough.

Most positions in design in commercial and military vessel design will either require an engineering degree or be drafting/design positions. In the latter case, study CAD - you can do this on your own, and regardless, you will be able to find a job doing CAD evenif it isn't marine. Also, do some "information interviews" with local firms. CDI has an office in Severna Park on Ritchie, and Herbert Engineering has one in Annapolis. Also go to a Chesapeake SNAME section meeting, www.sname.org under local sections.

 

cool thanks for the info I'll check them out. I'm 32 and married however so OCS is out of the picture...I need to keep my income coming in while I go to school to support my family
-Cleet

 

What's your chance of becoming a Pilot, or is that closed out (like most places)?

 

Well the money would be great but honestly I think piloting sounds boring as all get-out. It's a five year apprenticeship as well, but I'm just not at all interested.

 

Getting a four-year engineering or naval-architecture degree is always a good idea. From your description, this option isn’t practically open to you. Westlawn fills the need for a school to teach boat design to individuals who can’t otherwise mange a standard four-year college program. Yes, it is a yacht-and-boat-design program, but the fundamentals are the same. Not only has Westlawn produced more practicing small-craft designers than any other several institutions combined, but many Westlawn alumni do commercial work such as: crew boats, patrol boats, small-passenger-ferry boats, etc. You can see some of these below:

Designer: Otto Ranchi
http://www.ranchidesign.com/

fast patrol


fast patrol


fast patrol

Designer: Ivan Erdevicki
http://www.ivanerdevicki.com/

RIB launch


fireboat


launch

Designer: Jack Hargrave
http://www.hargrave.org/home/index.php

cat/tug barge


passenger vessel/party boat


fast patrol

Designer: Randal Monceaux
http://www.seacraftshipyard.com/

crew/supply boat


passenger vessel/party boat


crew/supply boat

Designer: Richard McBride
http://www.mcbridedesign.co.nz/

fast riverboat


mussel dragger


longliner

These are excerpted from Westlawn’s alumni gallery at:

http://216.119.80.31/gallery/gallery.asp

Take a look at our Website, download our catalog and course information, and give me a call to discuss your goals.

http://www.westlawn.edu/

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

 

Mr. Gerr Thanks for taking the time to write. I'm very seriously mulling things over right now and trying to figure out the finances. I am leaving town tonight to go to work for the next three weeks, but when I get off I will certainly call you. In the meantime I'll keep checking here as work permits
-Cleet