The building of any boat begins with a conceptual idea or design. Whether it’s a maxi yacht or a fishing vessel, every boat needs a design based on good ideas, manufacturing standards and appropriate technology.

As a designer, you will use your computer-aided design (CAD) skills to produce drawings and plans of the hull, deck and interior that can be followed by the construction team.

During the design stage, you will anticipate how every aspect of the boat will look and operate. Vision angles, walkways, head clearances and hand controls are checked to ensure human interaction is optimised. You will also assess water flow across hull surfaces and predict the exact centre of buoyancy and gravity - factors critical to the boat’s ultimate performance.

As a boat’s designer, you will ensure that the final product reflects the desires of its intended owners, as well being compliant with all safety regulations.