how to become a designer

Hi all,
I am here just joined the forum. My Question is.
How can I enter the field of marine vessel designing.
I have mechanical engineering's degree. 2010. And I am working as marine engines (services) for last 6 years. And has developed serious interest in Naval Architecture and design. How can I enter this field without spending years in university again.
Thanks

 

As a mechanical engineer you have all the basic knowledge. You could get a job at a design office and work your way up. Many famous designer, like Herreshoff where mechanical engineers, but they had a background in boatbuilding and design previous to going to school.

 

mechh:

Back when I entered the marine industry (in the early ‘80s) yacht designers often had engineering backgrounds, and some started as draftpersons at yacht design & construction firms, moving up as they gained experience. Things have changed a bit since then (we drew on vellum with pencil and ink), but if you have experience with CAD software, you may be able to find a position with a boatbuilder or designer.

There are several on-line programs that you also might want to consider ; Navalapp being one, and Westlawn, being another.

I attended The Landing School in Maine for 2 years, Marine Systems the first year, and Yacht Design the second year ( each program is independent) I found it a great way to reacquaint myself with the marine industry after an absence of some years (I was a boatbuilder), and Maine is a great place to spend some time.

I can speak for The Landing School as being an excellent program - for me it was time very well spent - I found that even after spending 20 years or so building boats, you can always learn more (and a designer’s perspective is sometimes different from a builder).

You will be ahead of the game in some respects; I think your degree in mechanical engineering and your work experience will prove to be useful regardless of your path.

Best wishes

 

Hi @Mech, welcome to this forum.
Be very careful with online courses. If you want to go down that path, do some research on the experience of the tutors, ask them to show you the boats they have designed, with photos of their projects floating around, not just nice looking renders. You need both practical and theoretical training from your teachers, but always with a more practical than theoretical approach and with "facts" that confirm their theories.
Check if the course in question teaches naval architecture or if, as is very common, they limit themselves to teaching you how to create 3D models in Rhino. Some courses go further and what they really teach is how to use CAD software, which, I assure you, is not enough to know how to solve the problems that arise during the design of a boat.
Avoid, I strongly advise you, the very cheap courses. You cannot buy a Rolex for the price of a Seiko.
Another observation that might be useful to you: I do not know any naval engineer or mechanical engineer (although they could exist) who is capable of designing boats. I have seen many naval architects who, without being engineers, design ships and do it very well. Each profession has its specific subjects.

 

One of the boatdesigns members Eric W. Sponberg Naval Architect (retired) told me "he wrote this just for someone like me".
THE DESIGN RATIOS A Naval Architect’s Dozen (or thereabouts) A primer on some basic principles of naval architecture for small craft. As first published on BoatDesign.net, January – March, 2010. By Eric W. Sponberg Naval Architect BSE, PE (CT) CEng (UK)
I think one of the best place to start working on it is the design ratios if you have basic understand already.
Home https://www.ericwsponberg.com/
https://ericwsponberg.com/wp-content/uploads/so-you-want-to-be-a-boat-designer.pdf
https://www.ericwsponberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/THE-DESIGN-RATIOS.pdf
Naval Architect is not for the faint of heart.

 

Most of my lecturers had never designed a boat before. They were just extremely good academics.

The OP has a degree he is not stupid.

I have met many mechanical engineers that have become very good naval architects.
One of them posts on here.

You seem to have a very myopic view of naval architecture and how it is taught, understood and who the target audience is, via course ranging from very basic, to very complex. Naval Architecture has many disciplines and depths to each subject.
Any course would be tailored to the subject and depth required.

 

Thank you @Ad Hoc for your always extremely valid and positive comments. I will not bother, I will not spend even half a minute, in refuting your claims.

 

@Ad Hoc:
I agree. For example, they are professors that teach hydrodynamics or properties of materials. Maybe they have never designed a boat, bridge or airplane. However, they are knowledgeable of the subject they teach.

 

"How to Become a [ boat ] Designer?"

"Start designing boats" seems like the most sensible answer.

Follow your passion.

 

It is interesting to observe how someone, who assumes that with his experience as a sailor (with very basic theoretical knowledge), he can apply to be a "designer", someone who even talks about the "delights" of building without plans, because, apparently and in his opinion, experience is enough, at this moment suggests that with theory, without practical experience, one can teach how to design boats.
Others bore us by asking for "facts", "facts", "facts"..., instead of theories or opinions, and now they consider "facts" unnecessary.
Seeing is believing.

 

I will not engage the assistance of a Moderator to request the two of you stop this public display of animosity.
How many threads have been substantially disrupted, derailed, members lost, and immeasurable damage done.
Grow up.
Stop.

 

You are right @BlueBell in a certain sense, but I think that advising the OP to make sure, before hiring any course, that the tutors have the appropriate training is good advice. I myself teach online courses and I know what I am talking about. Everyone wants to do online courses these days as a complement to non-specialized studies, so this field has become a tremendous business. It is a pie that everyone wants to eat. Many "teachers" have come to it who have no experience and, I insist, I think it is important to try to know who is who before hiring a course that is not going to give us anything. The anonymity that the web provides, together with some nice renderings, can give an idea of what a course is like, very different from reality.
When I did my university studies, almost all my teachers were professionals of recognized prestige who, in addition, taught the subject in which they were specialists (theory and practice). Unfortunately, that has been lost, many professors start teaching without knowing what the real world of industry is like, and a university that is not in close contact with real practice cannot train good technicians and is not useful to the society that supports it.
These are my opinions, based on everyday practice, and if anyone honestly and loyally disagrees, I will be happy to discuss it with him. I think that this discussion may be of interest to the OP and will not ruin this thread at all.

 

Indeed.
It really depends on what type of designing and which field?

Since if you wished to design, say Bulk Carriers, then apply for a job at a large company or shipyard doing such. Your current knowledge and skills will be transferable, to a certain point. In your degree, was there or is there a subject that you excel at or enjoy? That could be the catalyst for entry.
Whereas, a small firm that provides designs for small boats, say less than 24m, these companies tend to be small and require knowledge based employees from the outset - and you may be limited to just being employed as a mechanical designer.

Then there is a large range of companies between these two extremes, where you may well be able to join and learn on the job. But...It really depends what interests you and where do you feel you want to go.