Class of 2015
How I got into engineering
It was a Christmas gift in 2011 that sparked my interest in engineering: a 1994 stand-up jetski. My father bought it for me so we could rebuild it together. That day, we disassembled the 52 part, two stroke engine. The next day, we ran voltage tests, examined the electrical box, cleaned and checked the functionality of each engine part. We finally isolated the problem – the carburetor’s diaphragm pump was cracked. Over the next week, I replaced the valves, seals, springs, diaphrams, and jets of the carburetor. I tested it, and it ran! That afternoon, I raced my dad, whipped around the canal, and jumped boats’ wakes on a jetski that I put back together that week. Instantly, I was hooked on engineering!
Boat Projects
Shortly after the jetski purchase, my family bought an old, relatively beat up 1990 44 foot Tollycraft. My dad picked this boat specifically because of all the tinkering work the boat required. After seeing my interest after working on the jetski, he knew it would be a great idea to continue to foster my engineering hobby.
Headliner
The boat came with some relatively ratty headliner with spots everywhere. As an initial project, we figured we should replace it asap. We ordered all the fabric online, bought an air compressor and staple gun, and got to work. While we waited for the fabric to arrive, we began making wood LED light holders, and began wiring all of the lights to a single switch. When this was completed the fabric arrived. After days of physically demanding work (we had to stretch the fabric very tight), the project was complete, and looked great.
Changing oil
I changed the oil on both the boat's 370 horsepower 2004 Yanmar diesel engines. Of course, like any boat project, this meant I had to do the prerequisite work - I bought a new oil change pump off Craigslist and installed it.
Jetski Projects
Bilge Pump
After nearly sinking the jetski because the bilge pump failed, I decided to put a new bilge pump in the ski. I had to wire the pump to a new toggle switch and then the battery, run the bilge pump tube out the ski, and secure the bilge pump in the ski.
Ebox
After realizing that there seemed to be an electrical problem with the ski, I took off the electrical box (ebox). When I took it off, i instantly saw the frayed wires. Salt water + electricity don't go well together! I cleaned the rest of the box, replaced the wire, and put it back in the ski. Ran like a champ the next day.
Rebuild Carburetor
After about a year of running the ski, I decided it would be time to rebuild the carburetor. I went online, and purchased the rebuild kit for my specific buckshot carburetor. I took the carb off, removed the various pieces and rebuilt it using the kit. Everything was soaked in Saltaway, rinsed and then installed. Purred like a kitten after that!
Freediving
Gopro mount
We had just bought a gopro camera, but none of the mounts worked when we were freediving. The head mount kept falling off, the wrist mount was too shaky. There are specific masks that come with the mount on top, but we were not about to spend $100+ on that mask. Perplexed with a problem, my dad and I were searching for an answer. I found an old mask in the garage that had an indent in the frame and a hard top. We put a screw in the mount and used fiberglass mesh and glue to secure the screw. The mount has allowed us to capture great footage.
Freediving Sled
Once again, I was perplexed by a problem. When searching for a new dive spot, one usually tows the diver behind the boat by a rope. After trying this on the last trip, I got bad rope burn and could not see anything because of all the white water at the surface. When we got home, I went online and started searching for how other people tow their divers. I saw commerical dive sleds but thoght i could easily build one. I made a run to our local Home Depot, and bought some wood and PVC pipe. I cut the PVC tubes and used a heat gun to bend the ends into a flat mounting point. I then screwed the flat part of the PVC into a wood base. After testing it out and tweaking the handles, it worked perfectly. It gives the diver the ability to easily dive downward to avoid the white wash on the surface. It also returns to the surface (most of the time) when the diver lets go.
What specific type of engineering?
This past year in school, I took AP Environmental Science. I had a really interesting teacher who made the material really stick with me. Although I am not an environmental nut who rides their bike everywhere, I am environmentally cautious, which really made the topic stick with me. After mastering the material in class and receiving a 96% in the class, the teacher called me aside at the end of the year, and began asking me if I was interested in pursuing any environmental science classes in college. I told him that I was really enthusiastic about Engineering and was planning on studying Mechanical Engineering. He then explained more about what environmental engineering was, and the topic thrilled me. It is engineering in a sustainable way - the way of the future. Unlike many other jobs, I will be truly making a difference in the world not just today, but for all generations to come. it might also allow me to pursue my passions for the ocean and engineering at the same time!
