Naval Architect Overview

Are you a big fan of Julius Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Would you be interested in building a structure as big as the empire state building of New York and setting it afloat on the high seas? Do you have the capacity to dream big? If the answers to these questions is an emphatic yes, then you have the makings of a Naval Architect.

A naval architect is a professional engineer who is responsible for the design, construction and repair of ships, boats and offshore structures.

These include:
Merchant ships - Oil/Gas Tankers, Cargo Ships, Cruise Liners, etc
Passenger/Vehicle Ferries
Warships - Frigates, Destroyers, Aircraft Carriers, Amphibious Ships, etc
Submarines and underwater vehicles
Offshore Drilling Platforms and Semi Submersibles
High Speed Craft - Hovercraft, Multi-Hull Ships, Hydrofoil Craft, etc
Workboats - Fishing Vessels, Tugs, Pilot Vessels, Rescue Craft etc
Yachts, Power Boats and other recreational craft

As a naval architect, you will design vessels and offshore structures that are stable, seaworthy and have the economic performance for a comfortable travel in all conditions. You will build complex mathematical and physical models to test and prove that the design is satisfactory.

Apart from the architectural aspects of ship form and layout, as a naval architect, you will also have to ensure that the design meets the technical and safety standards laid down by the various governing agencies.

You will then convert these drawings and detailed specifications into real structures. As a naval architect, you will be responsible for the management of planning, production and the complex operation of fitting equipment. You will strive to make savings with new techniques and equipment and better training for the work force.

Organising the supply of materials and components as well as inspection and testing are also part of your job as a naval architect you. Ships and offshore vessels are kept in service for decades and so maintenance repair and upgradation becomes part and parcel of every naval architect. Emergency repair work will often require you to come up with ingenuous ideas and improvise on the spot.

In additions to the above duties, as a naval architect, you will coordinate activities with your clients, other professionals and government officials. You will also be required to assist in the budgeting process.

Most of your time would be spent on the computer using architecture and engineering software. But as a naval architect, you will also have to work on the dry docks (docks where the ships are berthed and the water is drained out) as well as off shore. Modern engineering on this scale is essentially a team activity conducted by engineers from various disciplines. However, as a naval architect you will integrate all these activities to produce a product, which is fit for the purpose.

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