By Spencer Rankin ’27
I wake up with a jolt to see our car stopping at security gates. At about 10 at night, it’s dark and rainy out. An armed guard meets us, asking us for our ID’s and to open our bags. It’s actually happening now, I realize. I’m about to join the oil tanker I’ll be interning on for the next fifty days.
Home sweet home.
I’ve spent the last three hours in a port agent’s car driving north of Seattle to a BP refinery and port. Sitting across from me is the ship’s first assistant engineer, my direct supervisor for the next two months. Yikes. Trying my best to make conversation, I immediately stereotype him as someone who must love to hunt because he’s from Maine. Luckily, he does. I decided to leave the conversation at that and end up dozing off.
Finished scanning our IDs, the guard comes back to search our bags. He looks at mine and asks me to remove the jacket that’s folded on top. “I’m not actually allowed to touch your stuff,” he explains. So much for American security.
A new car arrives to drive us down the one-lane pier to the ship. “No phones out here,” the 1st mutters to me. They’re deemed an explosion risk around the transfer of fuel, occurring at 7,000 m3 / hour.
We climb the gangway to the ship and John shows me to my room. Home sweet home. Having just completed a 17-hour travel day, I’m tired enough to fall dead asleep. Yet, I can’t. My room is lightly vibrating, and I’m not exactly sure where in the ship, let alone the world, I am. “What have I gotten myself into?” I wonder. All I know is I’m in for an adventure.
I quickly settle in. I’m an engine cadet, which means I spend my days in the engine room learning by working alongside the ship’s engineers. All of them went to college for four years and spent 360 days working as cadets (like me) to do this. They know their stuff, and it shows. I, on the other hand, am a bit like a pet baboon. Nice to have around, perhaps, but not particularly useful.
The 3-story tall low-speed diesel engine.
My first day of work I have the unforgettable experience of helping clean excrement off the toilet eductor – the component that makes our toilets flush like on an airplane, used because it’s water efficient. I gladly move on to more enjoyable activities, like servicing pumps and greasing motor gears. It’s humbling to realize just how little I know. Halfway into my stint an MAN technician comes aboard and we open a crankcase inspection door. It’s my first time seeing inside a working low speed diesel engine. These things are huge, three stories tall, and a marvel of engineering. It occurs to me that if not for this opportunity, I would have begun designing ships without really understanding how they work. How can someone possibly design an engine without ever seeing its insides?
Our ship loads refined petroleum in northern Washington, just a few miles south of the border, and brings it down to San Francisco and LA. 600 feet long, we can carry up to 340,000 barrels of oil, which at $2.50 a gallon equates to around $35M of cargo. For that responsibility, the ship’s crew is on charter for $100,000 a day. Most crew are on 75-day rotations – 75 days of work followed by 75 days of vacation. Some have shorter rotations. This is an industry that’s serious about getting the job done.
The ship can carry 340,000 barrels of oil at a time.
The days go by at sea, each one mostly like the last. You work, you eat, and you sleep, and that’s about it. About ten days in I lose track of what day of the week it is. It makes no difference, anyways. Having quickly finished the two books I packed and resort to reading the Financial Times. My conversation starters are becoming less interesting by the day.
You can spend months out here without ever interacting with half of the ship’s 20-odd crew. The deck, engine, and steward departments have minimal working interactions, which just leaves mealtimes to socialize amongst each other. When you are eating, the licensed officers and unlicensed crew have different mess halls. You end up learning everyone’s job title – 2nd mate, pumpman, captain, bosun, etc. – but often not their name. It’s weird.
The food is edible. Beyond that, you can’t expect much. Rice and fries have become a staple in my diet, for they are reliably all right. Vegetables are sparsely consumed. I occasionally dream of the day I can visit a café and splurge on a macchiato with a madeleine again. The coffee will be warm and textured with a punch of acidity, and the madeleine sweet with crisp edges and a lemon aroma. Realizing just how outrageous my fantasies are, I decide to keep these thoughts to myself.
I’m definitely not destined for a life out here. It’s exhausting. You are temporarily removed from modern society and all the benefits that come with it. But am I glad I’m doing this? Absolutely. It’s not every day you get the chance to experience working on a 600 foot oil tanker.
Link to my blog: https://medium.com/@spencer.rankin.00
An impressive view of the 600ft oil tanker.
Alumni Spotlight: Ben Fisher ’11 | The Art of Shipbuilding
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, the last thing I expected was to become a naval architect. But after seeing a Titanic documentary when I was four, I knew I was going to do something ship related. That initial encounter with Titanic sparked a love for ships (particularly with dramatic stories), as well as an obsession with drawing. So much so that by the time Middle School came to an end I struggled to identify any appealing career options, since as far as I knew “draw boats” wasn’t a real job.
But by Divine Appointment the high school art teacher at my small, rural school in the mountains of Pennsylvania knew Professor Gallagher’s family. So, he introduced me to Webb and the career of Naval Architecture.
A great irony of my time at Webb, though, was the slow decline of the time I spent really drawing boats beyond notebook doodles. That trend continued as I began my career at SAFE Boats International (near Seattle) and as my wife and I began raising our family.
By early 2020, in the midst of COVID, we decided it was time to move back to the east coast in order to be closer to family and away from the dreary Seattle winters. I took a position with Combatant Craft Division, and we began developing our homestead in the country outside of Suffolk, VA with our five children. Through much of that time my drawing paper and pencils languished on the shelf.
It was only in late 2022, when the kids began sleeping better, that the inspiration to start drawing again struck me. I saw an old drawing from high school and wanted to try it again. That experience reignited my love of drawing, and I launched my art studio in June 2023.
As I have started sharing my artwork, one of the surprising results has been the joy I have found in honoring and celebrating the broad maritime history and heritage we love as naval architects, but also the very personal achievements we experience in our careers. The commissions I’ve had the privilege to draw (so far) have celebrated either a career or specific, meaningful project. And it is such an honor to contribute to that celebration through my artwork.
The excitement I’ve found has inspired the idea for a drawing that will celebrate the heritage of American naval architecture broadly. The idea is an image of William Webb’s Young America and William Francis Gibb’s United States crossing paths. The two very patriotically named ships were launched nearly 100 years apart, and both were the product of two incredibly significant naval architects in American maritime history. I am excited about this drawing because of how meaningful I think it will be to people with connections to naval architecture and who take pride in our maritime heritage.
And so, as I am given the privilege of celebrating the achievements of my peers and our shared maritime history and heritage, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make “draw boats” a real job after all.
If you’d like to follow my art journey, you can find my work in my online gallery at BenFisherArt.com.
I also post regularly on social media- I’m on LinkedIn: BenjaminDFisher, Facebook: BenFisherArt and Instagram: Naval_Art.chitect
Webb Welcomes Natalie Koetsier as Assistant Director of Admissions
Hailing from Chicago, IL., Natalie Koetsier is an extraverted writer and Michigan native. Graduating from Loyola University Chicago with a BA in English creative writing and minor in advertising, Natalie values effective storytelling, clear communication, innovative thinking, and to never stop learning.
Previously, Natalie has held experiences as a copy editor for an award-winning newspaper and as a resident assistant. Most recently, Natalie worked on a social media team and as a sports writer covering the Detroit Lions, where her articles were the magazine’s top 3 most-viewed articles for the month of November.
Natalie is ecstatic to join Webb’s admissions team and connect prospective Webbies to this exceptional school. She has been around boats her whole life, and some of her favorite family memories are on the family boat in Spring Lake, MI. Natalie is also the proud big sister of Mitchell Koetsier, who is a part of the Webb Institute class of ‘28.
For 10 years, Natalie was a competitive gymnast who won the all-around and the balance beam national title. She still has some gymnastics tricks up her sleeve so do not challenge her to a dance off. For fun, she likes to go on walks, where she can admire water views and/or architecture.
‘Ship as a City’ Project Releases Latest Educational Resources
The ‘Ship as a City’ project, a joint effort between Webb Institute and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) with support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has now released a suite of educational products designed to enhance maritime education across the board.
This project aimed to create educational material to strengthen the resources available to promote the understanding of documentary standards, standards development, and standardization for personnel entering and currently working in the U.S. maritime industry.
Standards and requirements are critical to every stage of a marine vehicle’s lifecycle from design and construction to operations. These educational materials will provide the long-term benefit of building foundational knowledge of this aspect of the industry, which will serve graduates whether they become marine vehicle operators, designers, port engineers, shipyard managers, or regulators.
The educational materials produced are intended to serve:
- Graduate and Undergraduate-level maritime technical programs (both marine engineering and naval architecture) and capstone projects
- Undergraduate-level maritime license programs (both Deck and Engine Licenses)
- Non-degree technical programs for both licensed and unlicensed mariners
The educational materials produced focus on the following subject areas:
- Standards and the Maritime Industry: What standards are used in marine vehicle design, construction, and operations, and why and how are standards developed in the maritime industry?
- The U.S. Commercial Maritime Industry: Commercial marine vehicle specifications, national and international maritime regulations, and the classification and compliance verification process.
- The U.S. Government Shipbuilding Industry: Government combatant and non-combatant ship and small craft specifications and standards, national and international requirements, and classification variations for Government assets.
- Applying a Standardization Process to Innovation: Applying standards to innovation and new technology.
All materials produced in this project are available to the public free of charge at – https://www.webb.edu/ship-as-a-city-standards-in-the-maritime-industry/.
Editable PowerPoint files will be made available to educators on request.
Questions on this project and the final report should be directed to:
Matthew R. Werner, Webb Institute – ude.bbew@renrewm
Richard Delpizzo, ABS – gro.elgae@ozzipleDR
A Great School Depends on a Great Faculty
By Matthew R. Werner ’95, PG’97
Dean and ABS Chair of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
Most of us are aware of the significant effort that Webb expends to select an incoming class of 28 students. Multiple interviews, on-campus assessments, class attendance, and overnight visits build upon the standard college applications, test scores, transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation. Webb’s substantial investment in time and resources in this endeavor reflects the importance of finding students that can positively contribute to our small, tightknit community, while succeeding academically, and growing personally and professionally.
If one out of 28 and one out of 100 is important to the Webb experience, what can we say of one out of 10? Given the small size of Webb’s faculty, the importance of each individual professor in the pursuit of Webb’s mission is significant, much like it is with the carefully selected Webb students. Faculty members serve as the motivating force behind the development of Webb students, through teaching, advising, mentoring, and modeling. Webb’s demanding, high-contact academic program is a challenge for faculty members and students alike, much is demanded from both sides of the lecture podium and laboratory benches. The job of a faculty member at Webb is very demanding and very rewarding at the same time.
Beyond the course syllabi, Webb faculty members help students secure internships and post-graduation jobs through connecting students with their industry networks. Professors’ personal recommendations help students secure competitive scholarships and spots in prestigious graduate schools. Faculty members serve as a resource as students develop their plans for their future beyond Webb. Many faculty members continue to provide support and mentoring to recent graduates as they start their careers.
We often say at Webb that students have nowhere to hide, well the same can be said of faculty members. Webb faculty members’ availability to their students is unprecedented. Posted office hours are not a thing at Webb because if a faculty office is occupied, the door is open to students seeking guidance or support. Daily, I witness students engaging professors beyond the faculty offices, in the lecture rooms after a class ends, in the common spaces of the Couch Academic Center and Stevenson Taylor Hall, and even in the lunch line. Not to mention regularly responding to student emails that arrive in one’s inbox at all manner of times throughout the day and night, weekends and holidays included.
Bruce Rosenblatt, Chair of the Board (left), and Mark Martecchini, President of Webb Institute (right), celebrate Professor Michael Martin as the third Mandell and Lester Rosenblatt Professor of Marine and Electrical Engineering.
In addition to their direct student-facing activities, Webb faculty members manage the operation of the academic enterprise by serving as laboratory and shop directors, and as members of faculty and shared governance committees. Webb’s professors lead Webb’s accreditation activities, conduct research, serve on committees of the board of trustees, and interact with industry while continuing to develop professionally as educators and within their areas of expertise. They create and revise course materials and assignments while continually refining, modifying, and revising courses and the overall curriculum.
Ultimately, a faculty member’s success at Webb comes down to passion. A passion for Webb Institute and its mission. A passion for a culture of high standards and high expectations. A passion for the value of education. A passion for honor, integrity, and personal responsibility. A passion for student development and success. I am thankful everyday that I get to work with a team with the passion and energy that maintains Webb’s place as a model of excellence in engineering education. It is clear to me that a great school depends on a great faculty.
Building the Webb community; Progress and Future
In October 2020, the Webb Board of Trustees resolved that Webb’s commitment to excellence extends to a commitment to a diverse and inclusive campus community, and several Strategic Initiatives were begun to reinforce this vision. Now, over four years later, it is time to reflect on progress made and challenges encountered. We have traveled well down this road, but our journey is not complete.
Progress on Strategic Initiatives:
Recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups at Webb
- The admissions process now takes input from a wider group – students, faculty, and administration – for a holistic view of prospective candidates, with awareness training for potential bias.
- Our generous donors have substantially grown endowments that help alleviate room & board costs for those with financial need. Combined with foundation and government support and minimal student loans, over $300,000 has been made available annually, enabling students with need to attend Webb. This program has benefited up to 25% of our students and is a powerful recruiting tool for prospective students.
- The applicant pool has grown 32% since 2020 and diversity metrics have increased even more, with the number of first-generation-college applicants doubling. Our newly hired Assistant Director of Admissions will build on outreach initiatives trialed under this program to further broaden our applicant pool.
- Webb now has two on-call staff providing 24/7 support to students, helping them cope with academic and life pressures, contributing to improved retention and graduation rates.
A campus and community culture of equity and inclusion
- We have focused on initiatives that support dialog, collaboration, and trust on campus, starting with orientation week sessions, building through community participation events and activities, with support by student leadership who set annual goals on improving problem areas. Outside speakers from industry and academia have shared their views on these topics.
- Regular surveys measure a range of cultural issues, with interventions provided where appropriate. Student clubs – WoW (Women of Webb), CoGas (Coalition of Gays and Such), MEOW (Minority Establishment of Webb) – provide the opportunity for open communication channels for underrepresented communities.
- The ACT (Assistance and Care Team) now takes a more active, real-time role in engaging with community issues as they arise.
- The Webb Alumni Association initiated workshops at SNAME focusing on raising awareness of diversity challenges in the maritime industry. Webb’s 25% female population remains ahead of the industry at large. Change is taking place, but slowly.
The academic program, culture, and faculty/staff diversity
- The Humanities curriculum now includes a wider range of topics: alternative sources, cultural comparisons, viewpoint bias, logical fallacies, and ethics as seen through current events. A new course was introduced to enhance critical thinking and analysis skills.
- The faculty have kicked off a thorough curriculum review to ensure our curriculum provides the knowledge and skills necessary for our graduates to succeed in their careers and become valued members of a diverse society. After further internal development it will be reviewed with industry partners and students before implementation begins.
- Faculty orientation, mentorship, and professional development are part and parcel of delivering the best educational product to our students and in making Webb an inviting workplace. Initiatives in this area are ongoing and fully budgeted. Annual training on Title IX topics reinforces the importance of respect for each person on campus.
- Marketing of faculty and staff positions now reaches a wider audience, but we have a challenge with faculty recruiting. It has been difficult to attract a wide group of qualified candidates to teach in our predominant specialty-knowledge areas.
Communications and the Board
- The Board continually seeks to develop Trustee candidates who represent a diversity of views and backgrounds to further its important work of supporting Webb’s mission. The Board is significantly more diverse today; for example, women now constitute 25% of the Board.
- A designated committee, with student representation, reports on diversity and cultural awareness topics at every Board meeting. The full Board participated in a workshop on these topics most recently in May 2024.
Looking Forward: Webb Values
Our progress on these initiatives has laid the foundation for building on our achievements and addressing new challenges. The Board now broadens its objectives to integrate all values of the Webb community, including those highlighted in earlier initiatives, in an updated resolution.
Webb provides more than an engineering education. The Webb experience seeks to instill the all-important values of Excellence, Community, and Opportunity – values that will guide our students and graduates throughout their career and enable them to contribute to a better society. Working together, the Board, administration, faculty, and students identified how these values translate to behaviors and actions in our community. We invite the wider Webb community to comment on the results of our collaboration.
With best regards,
Mark Martecchini ’79, P’09, President
Webbies Triumph at Block Island and Newport-Bermuda Race
Webbies Zachary Doerr ’24 and John Feleciano ’25 have solidified their status as exceptional sailors with back-to-back victories in prestigious races, sailing NEKA Sailing’s Groupe 5.
In May, the duo braved the high seas and emerged victorious in the ORC Double-Handed Division at the 2024 Block Island Race. They skillfully navigated 186 nautical miles of light, shifty winds, overcoming strategic challenges and numerous lead changes to secure a welldeserved win at 4 AM.
Continuing their winning streak, Doerr and Feleciano recently achieved a historic victory in the Newport Bermuda Race, securing first place in their class and an impressive second in the Double-Handed Division. They crossed the finish line, completing the grueling 636-mile racecourse at Saint David’s Lighthouse after 3 days, 13 hours, 33 minutes, and 8 seconds.
Despite being the youngest crew in the entire race, the pair demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, missing the top spot by a mere four minutes. Reflecting on the experience, they described it as “the hardest thing we’ve ever done.”
Their success follows one of the missions of NEKA, or the North East Keelboat Alliance: to promote shorthanded offshore sailing to college students who without the program would not have access to this sport. NEKA provides opportunities to Webb students and other college students alike, giving a framework to learn the skills required to succeed at offshore sailing.
Offshore sailing is highly technical, requiring not just sailing skills, but also electrical, computer, engine, and structural knowledge. In addition, the sport promotes leadership, organization, and teamwork, helping to form well-rounded individuals. The Webb community is immensely proud of John’s and Zach’s remarkable achievements. Their consecutive wins are a testament to their dedication and talent, and to the spirit of Webb Institute. Congratulations to these outstanding sailors!
Webb Exchange | One Student’s Journey
I’m Lisandro Nicoletti, a Brazilian studying at the University of Southampton, UK. I chose to do a semester abroad so as to experience the excitement of my first day at university for a second time, and I chose to do this at Webb Intitule in order to become a part of its well-known alumni community.
As an exchange student, my journey has been full of new experiences. If I had to pick a favourite day at Webb, it would probably be when we hosted the Engineers Cup. We spent the whole day on the water sailing with other marine-engineering-related colleges and universities. And following the sailing, I organized a traditional Brazilian barbecue at the yacht club for everyone.
Lisandro with members of the Class of 2024 at a fellow classmate’s hockey game.
Beyond campus, Webb Institute sponsored me to attend many events, including the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, and Broadway shows organized by Webb’s Culture Club.
Looking back, I got to experience many things for the first time, from carving through the slopes of Vermont during the annual ski trip, to seeing an eclipse from a classmate’s hometown, and even scuba diving in the Dominican Republic during spring break. More recently, we as a class had the opportunity to go watch a classmate’s hockey game.
As the semester came to an end, I found myself looking back at all the lifelong memories and friendships, and all the invaluable professional experience I gained over my time at Webb. I can proudly say that in just one semester I gained the title of a “Webbie” – thank you Class of 2024.
Webb Institute Celebrates Historic First National Championship | Daniel Escudero ’25 Clinches College Singlehanded Sailing Title
Webb Institute is proud to announce a historic first in our school’s history. Daniel Escudero ’25 has secured the national title at the 2024 ICSA Open Singlehanded National Championships, earning Webb its first-ever national championship. Competing against elite sailors from universities with legacy sailing programs, including Harvard, Yale, and Brown, Daniel emerged as the men’s champion, securing the Glen S. Foster Trophy on November 10 in St. Petersburg, FL.
Daniel Escudero ’25 wins the Glen S. Foster Trophy – pictured with fellow sailors and competitors, Guthrie Braun ’26 (Brown) and Mathias Reimer ’27 (Yale).
The two-day competition hosted the top 18 sailors out of the 103 in the nation that raced in qualifying stages. Beginning with light, shifty winds on day one on Tampa Bay, the conditions tested each competitor’s adaptability and skill, as they navigated through eight races. Despite the challenging environment, Daniel ended the first day in second place, closely trailing Brown University’s Martins Atilla by only seven points.
On day two, as the breeze and sea state picked up, Daniel surged to the top of the leaderboard, using a strong third-place finish early in the day to gain momentum. With three races left in the series, he extended his lead and ultimately clinched the championship title.
Webb Institute President Mark Martecchini expressed great pride in Daniel’s accomplishment, noting,
Daniel, who balances a rigorous course load in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, has demonstrated remarkable tenacity both in the classroom and on the water.
Reflecting on his achievement, Daniel shared,
The 2024 College Sailing Open and Women’s Singlehanded National Championships saw Sophia Montgomery ’25 of Harvard University win the Women’s title, with competitors in both fleets facing a mix of variable and demanding conditions. Daniel’s triumph also follows his earlier success this year when he captured the ILCA 7 North American Championship, highlighting his standing as one of the most skilled sailors in the collegiate circuit.
Glen S. Foster Trophy – Men’s Championship Final Standings:
- Daniel Escudero ’25, Webb Institute
- Guthrie Braun ’26, Brown University
- Mathias Reimer ’27, Yale University
Photo Credit: Lexi Pline / College Sailing
Moving Forward
By Alyssa Caliguri | Director of Admissions and Student Affairs
As I step into this new role as the Director of Admissions and Student Affairs I am excited to see what is in store for Webb Institute. While I’m not new to Webb being the former Associate Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, this role is a new opportunity for me to bring my strengths into this role. This new position for me is not just a career advancement but an opportunity to help shape the future of Webb Institute for years to come. The former Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, Lauren Carballo set up Webb to be extremely successful during her tenure. My only hope is to continue to build upon the great foundation she laid out for the past 8 years during her time at Webb.
Getting to welcome a new class of 28 students to campus after we had the privilege to watch the seniors walk across the stage months prior is always an exciting time. Having the opportunity to see the perspective students turn into admitted students is always an incredible experience. From those shy interviews to getting them knowledgeable on everything Webb during Orientation Week, they truly start to become a family in such a short amount of time within their class. They really are an impressive group and very accomplished prior to Webb. With Webb’s top-notch education there is no doubt in my mind they will become the very best next generation of great leaders in the Maritime Industry. I cannot wait to see all that the Class of 2028 accomplishes during their collegiate career inside and out of the classroom.
Alyssa presenting during Webb’s Incoming Student Orientation.
As we look towards the Fall we will look to hire an Assistant Director of Admissions to grow our admissions department and continue to spread the word out about Webb being one of our top goals. Another goal of mine is to also grow our Student Affairs side of the department. Admissions and Student Affairs go hand in hand in my opinion. You often will see other institutions have an Admissions Department which gets students in and hands them off to the Student Affairs Departments but the unique thing about Webb is that you get to see them through during their whole collegiate career from before they are even admitted. My passion is about enhancing the student experience from the very first time they step onto Webb’s campus to take a tour to four years later when they walk across that stage as a Webb graduate. Webb has such a strong curriculum and outstanding faculty to teach them, I hope on my departments end we can help guide them holistically to be the best leader outside of the classroom as well. I hope to continue the strong collaboration among all faculty and staff to continue to improve Webb’s student experience.
As Higher Education continues to evolve day by day my hope is that by focusing on relationship-building, collaboration, staying knowledgeable with the ever so changing industry, strategic planning, and innovation, our department can achieve new heights of success when it comes to student experiences at Webb Institute.