8
American Boat & Yacht Council •
the
Reference Point
• Summer 2013
During Module 3 of Westlawn, I worked for a short time for
Tom Fexas Yacht Designs. Working for them meant long hours
and even weekends to meet a time line, but I was determined,
no matter what, in order to increase my knowledge. Tom Fexas
had passed away, however, and the company eventually closed.
So where to next? Well, I took three steps backwards and got
into small boats for the home builder. “Yuk,” some of you
may be thinking. Well, honestly, it’s a great place to really
get your feet on the ground and to learn not only to design
but marketing and anything else related to running a design
office. It’s a very quick way to see your boats getting built and
launched. Any problems or anything that can be improved on
is very easy to do and note for any other designs. Also, it’s
a great way to get noticed. However, you really need to be
determined going this way and if it requires you to take three
steps backwards in order to move forward, then so be it.
Over the past few years, our designs began to be appreciated
in areas other than for the home builder, in other words, for
the commercial field, where we undertook a few contracts.
Also, being an associate of RINA (Royal Institution of Naval
Architects), I really pushed to gain a higher membership level,
resulting in now being a MRINA, which does help. [Westlawn’s
Yacht & Boat Design Program is accredited by RINA.]
To make a long story short, it took me ten years to graduate
from Westlawn (graduating with honors, Cum Laude). I’d
finished almost all the courses, but I sat on the final design
thesis for six years, having no time to set aside and do the
work. In the end, I was able to use two of my existing designs
for my final thesis and achieved what I’d set out to do.
I’ve just now joined the team at ABA in Brisbane, after having
worked closely with the company for the past few years,
supporting their in house design and drafting capability
and have made the move to Brisbane where I’ll take on a
lead designer role within the business. ABA’s vision not only
includes designing large commercial vessels for worldwide
contracts, but also now getting into military craft as well.
So—ten years after I started Westlawn and shut down our
boatbuilding company—I’ve traded my dirty, fiberglass-
stained shirt and trousers for a clean pin strip suit. You can’t
get better than that!
As for Bowdidge Marine Designs, it will still operate and
continue as usual, but we’re even more determined to make it
grow bigger and stronger.
IF IT REQUIRES YOU TO TAKE THREE STEPS
BACKWARDS IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD,
THEN SO BE IT.
Mark Bowdidge designed Pro Tournament 21
