PORTSMOUTH, Va. (February 25, 2021) – On Monday, February 22, several students from the ODU American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) chapter were able to visit and learn about Fairlead, an east coast marine vessel repair facility.
The visit, set up by Digital Shipbuilding, consisted of a presentation, tour of their 650 Chautauqua facility where they do electrical panel outfitting, and fabrication and machining, followed by a tour of their newly acquired Wavy Street location, which is dedicated to military work and service for commercial vessels.
The ODU students were all mechanical engineering majors, so they were able to hear and see first-hand how mechanical engineers and electrical engineers work together at Fairlead to ensure a working product that meets all the military standards such as shock and vibration testing.
“This was my first tour of a shipyard, so I found the entire experience to be very enlightening. The breakdown of how the company goes about acquiring and fulfilling contracts was my favorite. Making promises of expectations you have not yet met; it really brings the pressure to find a way to meet the goals,” said Neil St. Clair, a Mechanical Engineering Technology undergraduate student. “I believe tours like this are very important, and one of my goals is to go on many tours like this in order to gain as much exposure as possible. I have not yet decided on graduate school and am currently looking for a job at a local shipyard once I graduate.”