In this thesis multiple controllers are developed which command a small boat with twin tied outboard motors to hold a desired position. In the process of developing a controller to hold a position, controllers were first developed which follow a desired heading or path over ground with the motors outputting constant thrust. These heading and path following controllers were tuned and tested in a numerical simulation, then validated on the R/V Lee and Ocean Power vessels through sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean. After successful path following trials were performed, station keeping algorithms were developed and tuned in the numerical simulation, now with heading and thrust of the vessel both being variables to be controlled. After tuning in the numerical simulation, the Ocean power vessel was outfitted with systems for controlling throttle and steering with sea trials conducted in the Atlantic Ocean for station keeping. / by Aaron D. Fisher. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This work seeks to explore the nature of a wooden boat and how a boat's design and construction can influence the building of a house. It is a search for a structure that bears a memory of a boat and celebrates the craft and care of which boats are built. The house is located on the north side of a secluded reservoir in the Northwest Georgia mountains. It is raised up on and supported by a structure that is reminiscent of the way a keel of a boat supports and connects the boat together. This structure extends out from the house to a small shelter for a boat over the water. On the interior, heavy frames support and give shape to the thin shell of the house. Their repetition encourages a view of the boat and its shelter. The house itself is thought of as a vessel, a place that provides a sense of holding, of protecting and keeping safe, and of strength. / Master of Architecture