While I agree that a background in engineering is a must to design yachts,
the PE requirement is completely stupid.
A PE license does not show that you are able to design boats. In addition to
a good engineering base, a yacht designer must qualify in two other fields:
extensive experience at sea and experience in boat building.
I have seen monstruosities designed by PE's while most beautiful and
efficient boats were designed by people without a PE.
The licensing requirement would have very negative effects on yacht design,
on new designs availabilty and price, on boats prices and on boating in
general.
Most of the people who design boats today, while very able, do not have a
PE. They may be mechanical engineers, architects or as in my case, have
degrees in chemistry and physics. Some may just be autodidacts and there is
nothing wrong with that.
The requirements of today's designs make the selection automatic: you will
not get a job as a yacht designer if you can not do your basic calculations.
The reason for that licensing requirement was the move of many US ship
building activities to other parts of the world. Large ship naval architects
were looking for work and discovered yacht design. A licensing requirement
would have them "supervise" the work of real yacht designers but the PE's
would charge for their stamp of approval thereby increasing the costs of
designing new boats and almost certainly killing creativity. They just want
their cut . . .
I have no immediate concerns because I don't design large yachts but
tomorrow, the requirement may extend to the type of boat I design, less than
65'.

I became a member of the SNAME at a time when membership required two senior
fellows a sponsors. That was a sufficient guarantee of expertise: work a few
years for another designer and then for a yacht manufacturer and they'll
decide waht you are worth.
An exam during which I would have to calculate the efficiency of a steam
engine will not prove that I am able to design a yacht.
No school or diploma will ever give you all what is needed to become a good
yacht designer. To take a beating in a mean storm and hands on boat building
experience are absolutely necessary but not taught in schools.
If one day I need the help of a PE, I will ask for it. I worked with an
excellent one at James Krogen. I don't think that I would get a commission
to design a larger yacht without setting up such a collaboration but let's
not make it a blanket requirement. It would kill our profession.


--
Jacques
http://www.bateau.com

"Brian D" wrote in message
news:9Agfb.670589$Ho3.141187@sccrnsc03...
Here in Oregon, they differentiate between 'architect' (no PE required)
and
'engineer'. Boat design still falls under 'architect'. The State guys
get
all pinch-faced and whiney when you ask them about it...you can tell
there's
pressure to get licensing onto boat design. Knowing Oregon, they'll put a
Grey Davis TAX on it too.

Brian


"Michael Porter" wrote in message
...
"Brian D" wrote:


I'd rank the Landing School (if you can afford a year off) and
Westlawn
higher. Westlawn (now run by Dave Gerr) is now associated with the
American
Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and was previously associated with the
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) ...two huge greats in
the
boat industry.
snip I agree

Two states now require the naval architecture PE. Others may follow.

Actually, almost all states do -- now that there is a PE exam, naval
arch falls under the def of engineering, which is quite broad in most
states. Maine has just passed a law exempting work on boats under
200', RI (and maybe one other state) explicitly exempts naval arch,


I would not want to be starting out now without an engineering degree.

Cheers,

Michael Porter

Michael Porter Naval Architect / Boatbuilder
mporter at mp-marine dot com
www.mp-marine.com