1. Boat Design Internship at Pearson Composites Eleanor Lawson ‘09 Spring 2009

2. My Office: Pearson Composites, LLC 373 Market Street, Warren, RI

3. Pearson Composites, LLC Designs and produces: –True North powerboats 34’, 38’, 47’ –Alerion Express sailboats 20’, 28’, 33’, 38’ Produces: –Navy 44 racing sailboats for the US Naval Academy

4. The Production Floor This is where most of the assembly-line action happens. Dozens of skilled electricians, plumbers, painters, and craftsmen collaborate here.

5. Alerion Express Alerion Express sailboats are day-sailors meant for pleasure cruising. Their goal is to embody the aesthetic of a classic yacht while handling well, cutting smoothly and quickly through the water, and remaining manageable for just one or two people.

6. Alerion Express sailboats in production

7. Navy 44 The Navy 44 is a stripped-down racing machine with no frills.

8. Building a True North 38 1. Design boat 2. Make positive model (plug) 3. Make molds of various parts 4. Make parts from molds 5. Assemble 6. Add plumbing, wiring, etc. 7. Paint, refine, decorate

9. Plug and Mold A 3-D computer model of the boat is sent to 3-D robots, which carve the shape out of styrofoam, called a plug. The plug is used to make negative molds of the various boat parts.

10. Exterior Parts The exterior parts of the boat are worked on individually and then assembled.

11. Systems Next comes the installation of the various systems, such as electrical, freshwater, grey water (waste), salt water, and diesel (engine), GPS, and radar.

12. Interior Parts The interior parts are made by experienced craftsmen in the carpentry shop. Each piece (such as a shelving unit, door, grab rail, or floorboard) is individually made, sanded, and varnished before installation.

13. Assembly All the pieces start to come together…

14. Finishing Every detail must be checked.

15. Launch! Then finally,

16. The finished product really is impressive.

17. Engineering Department My desk My boss, Patrick McLoughlan, Head of Engineering

18. My Work One of my first tasks was to learn the computer program AutoCAD. This was both an important addition to my personal skill set and a necessity for completing useful projects for the company. It took about two weeks to feel comfortable enough to take on tasks using the program.

19. Once I learned AutoCAD, I began my first major project: documenting the fresh water plumbing system on the True North 38. This involved going down to the boats in the production line with a pencil and tape measure to document every component of the system (during which I learned all about plumbing), and then drawing it all into CAD. I had to look up many of the fittings and components online to fill in details and dimensions. Mine is now the most current documentation of the system and will be used as a guide for installation in future boats.

20. TN 38 Fresh Water System

21. The galley (kitchen) and dinette (table) areas of the True North 38 recently changed and the drawings needed to be updated. My next task was to return to the production floor for more measurements and edit the existing drawings accordingly. The efficient use of space in marine living areas is amazing. The table drops down and the seats pull out to become a bed, and every spare inch is turned into a drawer, locker, or shelf.

22. Updated Dinette and Galley

23. I had the chance to work on the Alerion 20 documenting the Liner Laminate. This is the piece that makes up the cockpit - the part you sit on - and is molded separately from the hull. It is then essentially glued into the bottom of the boat to provide seats and a floor or sole.

24. AE 20 Liner Laminate

25. My last major project was documenting the new V- Berth (bedroom) setup in the True North 38. I spent time in the carpentry shop learning about the production and assembly of the specific drawer and locker units, and then did detailed drawings of them in AutoCAD.

26. TN 38 Drawer Units

27. Internship Experience I enjoyed my internship and learned a lot about everything from the basics of boat design and production to the specifics of fresh water plumbing systems. While some parts of boatbuilding are specific to the marine industry, many principles of spatial efficiency, clean aesthetics, and multi- use areas can be applied to building design as well. I gained an appreciation for all of the little pieces that need to come together to make even a small boat (or building). In learning and practicing AutoCAD I acquired an invaluable skill for use in my architecture classes at CC and for future use in a career. Additionally, I got a taste for working 9 to 5 in the professional world and the ups and downs of life in a cubicle.

28. Contact www.pearsoncomposites.com Patrick McLoughlin, Engineering Manager – Product Development pmcloughlin@pearsoncomposites.com Pearson Composites, LLC 373 Market Street Warren, RI 02885 401.628.2203