Contact: Caroline Chetelat at ABYC
(410) 990-4460,
x22
cchetelat@abycinc.org

Westlawn Holds Second Successful “Mystic
Meet”
Distance-learning institute’s faculty and students interact
in person
August 21, 2007,
Annapolis, MD: The Westlawn
Institute of Marine Technology held its second “Mystic Meet” July 28-29, 2007
in Mystic, Connecticut. Westlawn, the world’s only accredited
distance-learning institution teaching boat design and related subjects, hosts
this annual event to allow students and teachers the opportunity to interact
face-to-face at the Westlawn home office situated on the campus of the historic
Mystic Seaport Museum. Attending were 58 students, faculty and staff from
the United States and abroad, an increase of over 80% from the
previous year. Based on the positive feedback from the past two years,
Westlawn plans on making this an annual event.

Library Director, Paul O’Pecko, describes the vast
library.
There were many
activities, including a get-acquainted coffee get-together and guided tours of
the G.W. Blunt White Library and the Daniel S. Gregory Ships Plans Library, in
the Collections Research Center. The G.W. Blunt White Library is a specialized
library with a collection of 70,000 volumes and periodicals, and 1,000,000
manuscript pieces and other holdings dedicated to maritime history. The Ships
Plans library houses approximately 100,000 naval architectural drawings of boats,
yachts and other watercraft.

Gerr discusses drawings with students at the Ship’s
Plans library.
The group was treated to
a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Museum’s extensive Boat Hall and Engine
Collection, which includes a vast array of boats, engines, and gear not on
public display. After a busy morning, students joined their instructors for a
lunch and then a presentation at the Westlawn office by Jack Hornor,
a Westlawn graduate, long-time marine surveyor and boat designer. Jack’s talk
was followed by one-on-one critiques and review of student drawings, followed
by a question and answer period where students were invited to try to stump the
faculty.
Westlawn’s Director, Dave
Gerr, said, “This year’s Mystic Meet was a great success! We thoroughly enjoy
being able to meet in person with our students. For those students who were
not able to attend, we hope to see them here at Mystic next year. And for
those that can make it, Westlawn will be in Miami this October with a booth
at IBEX, where students can stop by to meet Westlawn Director Dave Gerr and
Westlawn Instructor Stu Waring.”
Click
here for more photos from the
second annual “Mystic Meet.
Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and
the Sea – is the nation’s leading maritime museum presenting the American
experience from a maritime perspective. Located along the banks of the historic
Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, the Museum houses extensive collections
representing the material culture of maritime America and offers educational
programs from preschool to post-graduate. For more information, call (888)
973-2767 or visit www.mysticseaport.org.
Founded in 1930, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is
the only nationally accredited and state-certified distance-learning school of
small-craft design in the United States. As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, the mission of
the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is threefold:
■ To provide our students with the skills and knowledge
required to build a rewarding career in the profession of yacht and small-craft
naval architecture.
■ To support continued growth of the
recreational and small-craft marine community through the development of
well-trained, safety-oriented, boat designers developing better products for
the benefit of the boating public.
■ To provide continuing education to marine-industry
professionals.
To learn more about
Westlawn, please call (860) 572-7900 or visit the Westlawn website at: www.westlawn.edu.