Question about hiring a N.A.

I think PAR has covered the basics, in the sense that a NA will review all you have and of course more. More because the NA is the experienced engineer in designs like that you are wishing to build and knows what issues need to be looked at, not just those presented. This is half the battle, not just any NA, but a NA with experience in multihulls and Class/Flag authorities. This implies a commercial or at least a pleasure boat NA that has a good depth of experience in such designs, rather than a one trick pony.

The price, is best for you to discuss with the NA the scope of work. This is the key. The scope of work defines the amount of time and hence cost the NA will be devoting to the work. This then leads ito the insurance aspect. Since if you ask a NA to do, lets say review one drawing only, the cost shall be low but also, when attempting to get insurance etc, the surveyor will note, just one drawing has been reviewed/approved by a qualified NA; this wont go down well nor install confidence. (Qualified in the sense, in your country, a PE and a full member of SNAME or other at least). Whereas if the scope required the NA to review everything and approve each and every drawing, whether generated by you or them, this shall be review favourably by the insurance company. However, the cost is significantly higher.

This is where the voice of inexperience is showing through. What has a shape CAD or otherwise got to do with “design” and getting an approval, or using a “well known” software to create the shape??..nothing! It is just a shape, that is all.

 

Ot

Lucky for you. In Italy an engineer with any level of experience will earn at most about 20% of that...
So perhaps you should look for an Italian NA, if you want to save some money.

 

The money he saves, he could visit you and discuss the plans in person

Sadly qualified Engineers/NA's are not well paid the world over

 

Engineers/NA professions have never paid. The funny fact is they are conceiving, engineering and building boats, and they do not earn enough to have something above a 20 feet dinghy.

In fact, if you wanted to earn some money as "salary man" you had to go in the sales department of a company as did most of my colleagues. But it seems that with the actual hardship, even this formerly lucrative sector is vanishing.

We are in a world where personal work do not pay; it pays better to make sweat the others for you. A good example is Nike, another is Apple.

 

Diversity is the key, not necessarily the professional choices. When not designing, consultation can come to play, maybe project over site or bidding for builders you've some experience with. Of course, then there's insurance and damage assessment opportunities, not to mention the physical aspects such as building, repairing and restoration. Lastly, expertise can be sold by way of seminars and paid speaking engagements. So, I've found you're best bet, isn't to work like a slave at one set of tasks, but to offer and expose yourself the possibility of other opportunities, particularly in difficult economic times. Lastly, protect your future with contracts and grants, so that you have some work guaranteed, several years down the road.