Melody Chane-Haï joined the Conoship team back in March and has been lighting up the office ever since. While pursuing a masters focused on naval engineering and ship operations, given by Central Nantes and by the Navy School in France, Melody has been doing her graduation internship at our office in Groningen.
Her study introduced many new perspectives and interesting discussions during her internship, curious to learn about her experience, we interviewed her! Read below on what her experience was like.
Q1
Where are you from, what are you studying, why did you choose the Netherlands?
Q2
How did you learn about Conoship and why did you choose it for your internship?
“I found out about Conoship International by looking for a company that is developing sustainable solutions for the maritime industry. That’s when Conoship showed up as a reference for integrating wind propulsion into modern vessel designs and for exploring new approaches to face the environmental challenges. It was the kind of environment where I wanted to do my internship.”
Q3
What is your project about?
“I am designing a modern sailing cargo ship that is primarily propelled by wind. The idea is to take inspiration from ancient sailing vessels, like tea clippers, and integrating some of their characteristics that made these vessels very efficient under sail. The goal is to investigate whether these design features can improve the hydrodynamic performance of modern sailing cargo vessel.”
Q4
What did you learn that was the most unexpected?
“What surprised me the most was understanding how a wind-propelled ship behaves in the water. Before this project, I didn’t realise how complex the interactions were between the wind force and the hydrodynamic forces generated by the hull. Actually, I did not even know that the hull was generating any forces. It gave me a much better understanding of the challenges involved in designing these vessels and why wind-propelled cargo ships are still rare today.”
Q5
Describe your experience in Conoship using 3 words.
Challenging. Enlightening. Friendly.
Q6
What is the biggest takeaway you have from your experience with us?
“Do not be afraid to say ‘I don’t understand’, because when you don’t know, well, you just don’t know and that’s okay. At the beginning, I was afraid of asking too many questions, but I soon realised that people are here to help you learn. Asking questions is one of the best ways to grow and learn.”
Q7
What were some of the hardships you faced during your internship and how did you manage to overcome them?
“Understanding the results coming from the CFD software. They weren’t always straightforward and understanding what they meant required a lot of analysis. At one point, I think I got almost everyone on the 5th floor joining the discussion, we became a nice club of confused people, but those conversations were really helpful. Thanks to that, we found the right interpretation. Marie was especially helpful during the process, and it really helped me overcome the challenge.”
Q8
In one word, describe the atmosphere and working environment of the Conoship office.
“Positive”
Q9
What were some of your overall results?
“My research showed that integrating features like a keel or a V-shaped section improves the hydro performance of the vessel, but if you want to hear more, feel free to reach out to me!”
Q10
Words of wisdom to any following interns or students looking to entering Conoship?
“Even though I was ‘just an intern’, I was always treated as an equal, everyone was easy-going, happy to answer my questions, and willing to include me in any conversations. It really felt like a big family sharing a passion for boats!
If someone is really nervous about entering the professional world, I would recommend Conoship. It is a very supportive environment that teaches you the ropes and gives you the tools you need to succeed.”
Q11
With your internship completed, what do you hope to accomplish next in your career?
“Even though I truly enjoy working on wind propelled cargo ships, I’d also like to work on projects that are closer to being realised, it’s not that I don’t believe, on the contrary, I do. However, these projects take time and require many years of research before it can become a reality. I think it’s rewarding to see the result that comes from our work, so I’d like to experience projects were I can see the final product and work on projects that are going to change the maritime industry, at least that’s what I hope.”
We are forever grateful for our interns as they teach us new perspectives, give us energy and hope that the maritime industry has a bright future! Melody’s presence in the office will be missed and her eagerness to learn and to explore will be forever valued.
If you are a student who is also interested in possibly pursuing your project with us, feel free to reach out!
