Nautical Engineering: Schooling, Boats & Amphibious Craft

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the field of nautical engineering, including its educational pathways, related disciplines, and the complexities involved in boat design and marine engineering. Participants explore the distinctions between nautical, marine, and naval architecture, as well as the necessary skills and knowledge areas for those interested in this field.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the nature of nautical engineering and its educational requirements, suggesting that advanced calculus is important for understanding the motion of the ocean and hull design.
  • Another participant proposes that the correct term may be 'marine engineering' rather than 'nautical engineering', and mentions the relevance of mechanical and possibly aeronautical engineering due to similarities in fluid dynamics.
  • It is noted that marine engineering and naval architecture are closely related fields, with limited educational offerings available.
  • Some participants emphasize that the coursework would likely overlap with mechanical and aeronautical engineering, particularly in fluids and structures.
  • There is a light-hearted comment about "messing about with boats," which contrasts with the serious engineering challenges faced in designing vessels that can withstand extreme conditions.
  • Concerns are raised about the engineering quality of historically significant ships that were deemed "unsinkable," highlighting the complexities of marine design.
  • One participant suggests that a mechanical or aerospace engineering degree with a focus on fluid mechanics and related fields would be sufficient for entering the nautical engineering domain.
  • A reminder is made about the importance of chemistry, particularly regarding issues like galvanic corrosion in marine environments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the terminology and educational pathways related to nautical engineering, with no clear consensus on the preferred terms or the best educational approach. The discussion remains open-ended regarding the complexities of marine engineering and the historical context of ship design.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved distinctions between nautical, marine, and naval architecture, and the discussion reflects a range of assumptions about the necessary educational background and skills for this field.

TheRyan
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I hope this is the right forum for this topic, I thought it would be because boat design would involve engines which are related to mechanical engineering. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here is a nautical engineer? I haven't found much about the major other than that it's offered at very few colleges (compared to other majors) and that it's mostly related to boats and possibly amphibious craft.

Another question is what kind of schooling would this involve? I'm guessing a lot of advanced calculus to figure out with the motion of the ocean and how it relates to hull shape, speed, and ability of the boat to stay upright. I've read some of MIT's Open Course Ware on the topic, and a lot of it just seemed to be about the physics of buoyancy. What else is there to this branch of engineering?
 
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I'm not sure about this, but I think that the field is actually 'marine' engineering rather than 'nautical'. In any event, mechanical would be a 'for sure', and perhaps aeronautical, since a lot of the fluid dynamics are similar. That's just my best guess, though; I'm not involved in any of those things.
 
Danger has a good point. You need to look at Marine Engineering or Naval Architecture. I haven't seen very many schools offering that major either. I believe MIT does have a department. Definitely check with other large schools.

It's going to have the same classes as an ME or AE. A lot of fluids and structures I would imagine.
 
Thanks for the ideas, I have seen it mentioned as nautical/marine engineering or naval architecture: the fact that they are so similar and one name can't be chosen out of the three makes it a little confusing.
 
To tell the truth, I generally just refer to it as 'messing about with boats'. :biggrin:
 
Ha, messing around with boats. Unfortunately the engineering quality of one certain "unsinkable" ship wasn't as good as the designers originally thought. Now for a ship to really be "unsinkable" it must be able to withstand not only huge waves and weather changes but also icebergs. That is a tough task.
 
TheRyan said:
the engineering quality of one certain "unsinkable" ship wasn't as good as the designers originally thought. Now for a ship to really be "unsinkable" it must be able to withstand not only huge waves and weather changes but also icebergs.

Make that two ships. The Lusitania was also considered 'unsinkable'... so you should add torpedoes to the huge waves and icebergs.
 
You might want to search this boat forum, many people have asked similar questions there.

Boatdesign:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10
 
uh yea basically a mechanical or aero engineering degree will do as long as you have some sort of concentration in fluid mechanics/dynamics, acoustics, programming, etc. They're really all the same thing (mechanical/aero/marine). And yes, you do need to know a bit of math.
 
  • #10
Don't forget chemistry... galvanic corrosion.
 

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