Welcome to Yacht Design School, Eastport, Maine, U.S.A.
Yacht Design School Brochure

Books

Frequently Asked Questions

Why We Run Yacht Design School

Bibliography

Employment Opportunities

Chief Instructor, Director, Curriculum Developer

Administrator, Emeritus

Instructor Emeritus & Consultant

CAD Course & Early Main Curriculum Instructor

Student News

Yacht Design School is primarily a distance learning institution, though we have had a few students in residence here.  Please read the material in the Brochure first and then browse the lesson contents pages for the curricula. This will suggest questions which you may find the answers to in our frequently asked questions. You may enroll and buy educational software using the buttons below. All books recommended for the school both in print and out of print can now be ordered through us if you wish. 

"The education, and career, that you don't have to go into debt for." - Tom MacNaughton

"Genius is learned behavior" - Tom MacNaughton

"I want to say to you that the decisions to change my work from building to designing ánd the choice of following the Yacht Design School for this, are the best decisions I have made ever!" - Evert Jan Boot, The Netherlands

Degree Program in Naval Architecture with a Specialty in Yacht & Small Craft Design
Lessions 1 - 11  Should be ordered in sequence & not more than 2 ahead of the lesson you are working on at a given time.    
Course Outline    
1. Introduction to Yacht Design $188
2a. Preliminary Design - Type, Size, Profile & Accommodations $375
2b. Preliminary Design - Ratios, Coefficients, Feasibility, & Midsection Development $375
3a. Understanding Round Bottom Lines Drawings & Lofting $375

3b. Understanding Chine Hull Lines Drawings, Lofting & Surface Expansion $375
4a. Theory & Practice of Developing Excellence in Hull Lines - Longitudinal Fairing $375
4b. Theory & Practice of Developing Excellence in Hull Lines - Section Shape Considerations, Fairing, and  Hull Resistance Reduction $375
4c. Theory & Practice of Developing Excellence in Hull Lines - Appendage Development and Fairing & Final Considerations in Developing Lines $375
5. Model Making as a Design Aid $375
6a. Flotation $375
6b. Stability $375
7. Artistry & Proportion in Design $375
8. Plank on Frame Wood Construction $375
9. Sheathed Strip & Cold Molded Construction $375
10. Steel & Aluminum Construction $375
11. Fiberglass Construction $375
Advanced Lessons - Please do not order these until all previous lessons have been satisfactorily completed    
12. Basic Principles of Material and Structural Analysis, Testing, & Scantlings Rule Development "A"  Order 12 & 13 together. $375
13. Basic Principles of Material and Structural Analysis, Testing, & Scantlings Rule Development "B" $375
14. Rig Design $375
15. Resistance & Powering $375
16. Accommodations Design Principles $375
17. Systems, Equipment Specifications, & Sources $375
18. Reserved for Future Use    
19. Business Management Part 1: The Small Design Office & Basic Investment Principles $375
20. Business Management Part 2: Larger, More Complex Firms and Advanced Business Techniques $563
  Ordering Software for Use with Our Curricula
  These packages are most often ordered bundled with the CAD Course as shown below.  However if you are not taking the CAD Course you can also buy these packages and bundles of Rhino and plug-ins below here.  All these are education license pricing for our students. Important: We can sell direct to you if your address is in the United States, or Canada.  If you are in other countries, email us on software and we will send you the appropriate order form for your area:
Rhino Version 7.0 CAD Package, Educational License, $195
Flamingo nXt, Photorealistic Rendering Plug-In, Educational License, $195
  Bongo, Animation Software Plug-in, Educational License, $195
 
  Additional Elective Courses, Other Useful Schools, & Internships
Computer Assisted Design Course. This brief curriculum is now the most common entry point for most students to their studies with us before tackling the Yacht Design School main curriculum in yacht and small craft naval architecture.  It is not a formal prerequisite.  It is intended to teach the use of the Rhino CAD package in yacht and small craft naval architecture as thoroughly as possible.  This extraordinary design tool is the standard for yacht design firms world wide and is being rapidly adopted by all of us who teach yacht design as well.  Taking this course first and then doing the entire main curriculum using on screen design rather than using any manual drafting is now the workable choice and much less expensive than trying to find manual drafting equipment which is not made anymore.  You will use our PayPal based shopping cart system to order this course.  Complete Tuition $1,209.  Most student will buy one of our bundles of the course and the Rhino software.  If it is not a financial hardship this is a good time choose a bundle including the very useful plug-ins for advanced rendering and even animation at student prices.

Important Note on International Orders:  All "Computer Assisted Design Course" orders go through us.  If you live in the United States, or Canada, you can also use the "bundle buttons" or separate buttons to order the software through us.  If you are outside our authorized software selling area, email or call us for the appropriate reseller in your area.

CAD Course bundled with Rhino Version 7.0 educational license.  If the lowest possible cost is needed, this is the minimum cost CAD Course and Software bundle:  $1,404

CAD Course only.  For those who already have either the Rhino educational or Rhino commercial software license:  $1,209

Khan Academy - Contrary to the belief of many aspiring students the math involved in yacht and small craft naval architecture is not complex.  Most people will probably need more help in learning to be careful with their calculations and check their work, than actually needing much math instruction.  Of course we are always here to teach anything you didn't get in school at no addtional charge and our "Basic Math Primer" can be emailed to you free.  However for those who want to learn math from the simplest of addition problems up through quite advanced subjects, we recommend the Khan Academy www.khanacademy.org  This fully endowed online institution is absolutely free and amazingly good at teaching from the simplest concept to the most advanced.  Though they started with math they are well on their way to providing a complete university education without charging you a cent.  Though we teach in much more depth than they do we sure wish we could build an endowment like that so we could teach for free.
Internships & Entry Level Drafting Positions – It may be that when Covid 19 is under control we will be in a position to encourage students to study as residential students here in Eastport.  This is not the case as yet.  When this option is available students can participate in Internship programs where they do unpaid work in the office designed to broaden their experience.  Advanced students can, depending upon our work load, sometimes get paying work as entry level draftsmen.
  The Woodenboat School - This school teaches everything from sailing, and cruising courses, to survey, repair and construction, you can even learn to cast your own bronze hardware.  This is a great family experience and a wonderful way to spend summer vacations.  Virtually everything you would learn at this school would enhance the knowledge you need to be a truly great designer.  We highly recommend this school in addition to our curriculum.