Want to design yachts? The future designer

Discussion in 'Education' started by sele, Aug 4, 2011.

  1. sele
    Joined: Jul 2011
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    sele High School Student

    I'm a fourteen year old high school student and there's 3 years for me to finish school and I want to design boats but there's a problem: I want to use my creativity and mechanical and engineering skills at the same time so what should I have to do ,there is two different choices:
    -I can go to collage and become a naval architecture or a mechanical engineer and then I will have my master on yacht design
    Or
    -I can go to a collage and I become a yacht designer.

    Your opinion is really important for me , please give me advise.
     
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  2. Eric Sponberg
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    Eric Sponberg Senior Member

    Go to college for naval architecture, and in your elective courses, take art courses. Absolutely!

    For further information, you can read the article on my website, "So you want to be a boat designer...?"

    Good luck!

    Eric
     
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  3. sele
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    sele High School Student

    Thank you very much for that web site because there's almost all the answers I was looking for.
    "...And you are not there to learn boat design per se, you are there to learn naval architecture and other engineering studies. You should want to be an engineer first, and a boat designer second. Once you know the principles of naval architecture and the fundamentals of engineering, the boat design specialty will fall right into place. But if you go to a school that specializes in just boat design, you will always be behind the 8-ball because you will lack the basic knowledge and understanding of engineering principles, physics, dynamics, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, and all the other important stuff that comes to play in boat design..."
    This paragraph from the website is the answer and in fact I was thinking like this.

    And I have a really important question :in the web site there were schools and there was MIT too.So is MIT a right choice for naval architecture and is it a good base for a yacht design future?
     
  4. Leo Lazauskas
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    Leo Lazauskas Senior Member

    1. Study mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Draw, doodle, and sketch whenever you have idle moments.

    2. Most of the jobs that people of your age will be working in aren't yet in existence. Many materials that will used in future yachts haven't yet been invented,

    3. The 4 core subjects will give you the necessary grounding in whatever exciting fields arise over the next few years.

    4. Along the way, remember to fall in love, make friends, and have fun! :)

    Best of luck!
    Leo.
     
  5. Eric Sponberg
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    Eric Sponberg Senior Member

    MIT was a better choice for an undergraduate degree in naval architecture back when I was going through college (1967-71). They still have the Pratt school of naval architecture and marine engineering, but it is devoted more to research in hydrodynamics and fluid mechanics. Here is a link: http://oe.mit.edu/. They have a graduate program in ship construction.

    You should consider Webb Institute of Naval Architecture on Long Island. It and the University of Michigan are the two premier colleges, in my opinion, that are devoted to bachelor degrees in naval architecture and marine enigneering in this country. I say this because literally ALL of my colleagues are either from UofM or they are Webbies. Webb is a very exclusive school, AND it is tuition free! Can't beat that. Webb is also more closely aligned with the science of recreational craft, more so than Michigan.

    Don't forget the Military Academies--you can get a naval architecture degree at the Navy Academy at Annapolis, MD, and at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. Both have very good sailing programs. You do have a military obligation at the end of college, but hey, the college is free while you are there.

    Those are some options.

    Eric
     
  6. Alik
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    Alik Senior Member

    Eric, if TS is in Turkey he probably has no chance to get to USNA :) These is strong Naval Architecture department in Istambul; the best choice in this case. Then, can take some training on boatyard or master degree in small craft at Southampton, or both.
     
  7. Eric Sponberg
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    Eric Sponberg Senior Member

    Roger that! I should have paid more attention. Both suggestions would be a good choice.
     
  8. sele
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    sele High School Student

    I live in Turkey and I don't have a military obligation because I' m a girl.

    And in my country there's a university called ITU which has a naval architecture program, but I also want to learn about the other university opportunities in other countries and I need a lot of informations about those schools.

    Mr. Sponberg: I'm really interested in that website and your opinions about yacht design :because they are the answers and I need to ask a question to understand a subject:it says here that you are a naval architect so can you give me some information about your job , your collage and experiences . That will be very helpful for my future education.
     
  9. Eric Sponberg
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    Eric Sponberg Senior Member

    Sele,

    You can read a bit more about my career on my "About Us" page on my website: http://sponbergyachtdesign.com/Aboutus.htm. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 1971 with a degree in naval architecture. I hold a Professional Engineer's license in this country, and a Chartered Engineer's license in the United Kingdom. I lived in England for 3 years in 1974-1977. My wife and I sailed our 27' sailboat, Duprass, a Bianca 27, from England to California. I consider this sailing trip my "masters degree" in yacht design. I have also been a Technical Editor at Cruising World Magazine, and I was Chief Engineer at Tillotson-Pearson, builders of Freedom Yachts and the J-Boats (J-24, etc.) So have professional design, sailing, writing, and manufacturing experience under my belt. I have owned and run Sponberg Yacht Design since 1978, incorporated in 1984.

    My college degree prepared me excellently for the engineering world. My advice always to younger people such as yourself is that in the field of yacht design, an engineering degree gives you so much more physical and mathematical background and understanding to handle the demands of design. Naval architects are degreed engineers--boat designers are not engineers. Go to an engineering college and specialize in naval architecture. The two universities in England, University of Southampton and Southampton Institute have very good international reputations. They have a lot of alumni around the world. I am less familiar with the universities in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Scandinavia, but I would bet that they are all quite good. It depends on what language you want to study in.

    I am sure others reading this might chime in with their experiences and advice. I hope mine helps. Good luck on your continuing research.

    Eric
     
  10. Alik
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    Alik Senior Member

    sele, as You are girl better option would be to study marine design (often taught as part of 'transport design' in universities) and get into boat/yacht field. Naval architecture would be too heavy engineering course for You, and probably girl does not need to study welding and seakeeping.
     
  11. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

    I know a number of women who are engineers including my wife, who would very strong disagree with Alik. Several have been in charge of portions of automobile factories, working on the plant floor.

    Women are quite capable of "heavy engineering course". One of the best welding engineers I know is a women. Not all women of course, but also not all men.
     
  12. sele
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    sele High School Student

    I think I want to be an engineer and designer that's why I can go to a naval architecture collage and then I can specialize on yacht design because I want to be an engineer.

    Mr. Sponberg your advice is really helpful for me because I am sure now:If I want to design better I have to know the physical base as an engineer so thank you very much for giving me those important informations that will be very helpful for my education.But I need more information and that's why I want to be in contact with you and Sponberg yacht design because I think you can give me very important advices .
     
  13. Alik
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    Alik Senior Member

    My ex-wife and ex-mother-in-law were both naval architects :cool: And my mother is highly skilled civil engineer, and grandmother was teaching engineering drawing :)

    I am not saying that women are not capable as engineers; I am just saying they might prefer type of activity more related to art. Sometimes I see our interior designer climbing into FRP hull at boatyard and I really feel she is well not suited for that noisy and dirty environment; but at least she does not go there so often as our naval architects. Naval architect is not just an office job for 'drawing lines'; it is dirty job with many hours spent in workshop/yard and sometimes on sea trials in rough/hot/humid conditions.
     
  14. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

    Depends on the particular woman .... or man.
     

  15. Alik
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    Alik Senior Member

    Agree. Let's just take care of women, we need them healthy and beautiful.
     
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