 | From Ocean Navigator #131 July/August 2003 |
The Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology in Stamford, Conn., which has been educating small-craft designers since 1930, is now operated by the American Boat & Yacht Council – under the new directorship of one of its more celebrated alumni, the designer and boating author Dave Gerr. The transfer of ownership from the National Marine Manufacturers Association is being described as a better fit for the school.
“There is great synergy between ABYC and Westlawn,” Gerr said. “It’s a logical step, especially because ABYC has been expanding aggressively into education recently. I see that eventually there will be no distinction between Westlawn and ABYC.” Gerr, the author of numerous books and magazine articles, including the popular The Nature of Boats (International Marine), will be giving up a large portion of his New York-based design firm, Gerr Marine, to direct the school and overhaul the curriculum.
Westlawn, a correspondence school that awards a diploma in yacht and small-craft design, has an estimated 630 students. The school will be moved from Stamford to ABYC headquarters in Edgewater, Md., later this year.
