Page 28: of Marine News Magazine (September 2026)

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Obituary

Guido Perla

Guido Perla

Remembering a

Vessel Design Legend or more than ? ve decades, Guido Perla stood among Northwest in 1977, drawn by the booming commercial the most respected naval architects in the world. As ? shing industry. At Joseph Martinac Shipbuilding, he ful- founder and president of Guido Perla & Associates ? lled a longtime ambition to design tuna seiners, which

F (GPA), he helped rede? ne commercial ship design he admired for their elegance and ef? ciency. He described through innovation, practical engineering, and an unwavering them simply as “sleek, good looking boats”—the kind of commitment to his clients. His in? uence can be seen in off- vessels he had always wanted to create.

shore support vessels, ? shing vessels, research ships, ferries, and The de? ning moment of his career came on December specialized government vessels operating around the globe. 28, 1979, when shipbuilder Peter Schmidt asked a simple

Yet those who knew Guido understood that his greatest question: “Do you want to be in business?” Guido an- legacy extended far beyond the ships themselves. He be- swered yes, and Guido Perla & Associates was born.

lieved engineering was ultimately about people—the rela- Years later, Guido never forgot that opportunity.

tionships forged with clients, the opportunities created for “I owe the credit to the beginning of GPA to Peter Schmidt.” young engineers, and the satisfaction of turning bold ideas That ? rst contract launched what would become one into working vessels. of the world’s premier independent naval architecture and

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Guido developed a fas- marine engineering ? rms.

cination with ships while growing up along the Caribbean From its earliest days, GPA distinguished itself by combin- coast. His dream of becoming a naval architect led him to ing conceptual design with detailed production engineering. the United States in 1971 to study naval architecture and Guido believed that investing in engineering paid dividends marine engineering at the University of Michigan. It was a throughout construction. He frequently observed that every leap of faith that would shape the rest of his life. hour spent thinking through the engineering process saved

Throughout his career, Guido often credited his father multiple hours during production, because “the engineering with instilling the philosophy that guided both his engi- is the thinking.” That philosophy helped shipyards build ves- neering and his life: sels faster, more ef? ciently, and with fewer costly surprises.

“It is better to be wrong than to be average.” Guido also became an early champion of computer-aid-

To Guido, innovation required courage. He believed ed shipbuilding. In the early 1980s, he introduced CAD/ progress came from thoughtful risk-taking rather than CAM-based production methods and numerical-control complacency. As he explained in a 2003 interview, people steel-cutting programs to many small and medium-sized learn by “making a move and taking risks,” not by standing American shipyards, making advanced manufacturing tech- still. That mindset became a de? ning characteristic of every niques available to builders that previously lacked access vessel and every business decision throughout his career. to such technology. He considered this one of his proud-

After beginning his career at Jacksonville Shipyards and est professional achievements because it strengthened the later designing offshore supply vessels and shrimp boats competitiveness of independent U.S. shipyards, which he in Texas, Guido moved his young family to the Paci? c believed formed the backbone of American shipbuilding.

28 | MN September 2026