Course List
BAYFRONT CENTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
BOAT SHOP PROJECTS
Over the past 14 years we have built 89 boats with over 14,000 youth, predominantly from the Erie area but including all of Pennsylvania and parts of New York. Our projects range from 15 foot canoes to our 29 foot Erie Boat, the historic turn of the century fishing boat that was in use when Erie was the freshwater fishing capital of the world. Boat building at BMC is Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) based. The curriculum is aligned with Pennsylvania Department of Education standards incorporating math, algebra, fractions, geometry and technology skills into the lessons. Traditional academics are enhanced by a host of soft skills including teamwork, reasoning, critical thinking, effective communication and problem solving. Fees are project dependent; please contact us for more information.
SHIPWRECK SCIENCE
The Shipwreck Science Program will introduce the concepts, hands-on practice, equipment and excitement of scientific underwater exploration to participants including school students, Erie residents, and tourists. We will get underway with twenty participants on the USCG inspected motor vessel Canadian Sailor for a three-hour voyage of discovery and adventure.
After departing the dock near Dobbins Landing, participants will learn about a variety of topics while en route to shipwrecks located in Lake Erie near Presque Isle State Park. Maritime educators from BMC and the professional boat crew will present information designed to engage, educate, and captivate, covering subjects including:
- Presque Isle Bay and Peninsula History
- Gull Point Sand Succession
- Point Source Pollution
- Magnetic Compass
- Principles of Navigation
- GPS
- Chart Plotting
- Underwater Archeology
- Rules of the Road
- Light Houses (we will pass three!)
- Local Shipbuilding
- Local Commercial Fishing
- Erie’s Industrial Waterfront
The Side Scan Sonar equipment will be deployed as we approach the wreck sites just off of Presque Isle State park, in about 30’ of water. Several passes will be made over the wreck as participants watch the Side Scan Sonar screen and learn how to see and interpret the targets observed. The Canadian Sailor will then anchor and the Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) will be deployed. Participants will see live video from the ROV operating on the lake bottom and will be able to observe and identify objects detected previously by the Side Scan Sonar.
Classroom support materials, aligned with Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards and Anchors and differentiated for age groups and abilities accompany the adventure. These will help prepare students for the excursion and maximize the cross curricular educational content.
NAVIGATION SCIENCE
BMC offers courses in beginning, intermediate and advanced chart plotting and navigation. Topics include:
- Introduction to the Nautical Chart
- Latitude and Longitude
- Introduction to Plotting Tools
- Speed, Time, Distance (its algebra, shhhhhh, don’t tell the kids)
- Magnetic Compass; TVMDC - converting true directions to compass directions
- Aids to Navigation; Buoys, Lights, etc.
- Set and Drift; speed and direction of the Current
- Course to Steer
SAIL TRAINING
Students can learn to sail aboard one of BMC’s many sailing vessels. Sail training programs build sailing and navigation skills while measurably improving teamwork and self confidence. Logical thinking, algebra and geometry are all vital in navigation and students will get a lesson in the physics of sailing while underway. Program lengths vary based upon student needs. BMC is also a US Sailing Certified Keelboat Sailing School. Our 15 hour sailing course is designed to build sailing skills and prepare students to take the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Exam BMC sailing instructors hold a US Coast Guard Masters License.
bc(MS)² -- MARITIME SIMULATOR TRAINING
Students learn to pilot a vessel while navigating with RADAR, Electronic Chart and Display Information Systems (ECDIS), and Automatic RADAR Plotting AID (ARPA) using BMC's Buffalo Computer Graphics 3D Maritime Training Simulator. Students get underway in all kinds of weather and current conditions, day or night, on vessels including an 80’ ketch, a 180’ commercial fishing vessel a 900’ container ship and eleven others, without getting wet, cold or seasick! We can train in San Francisco waters, New York City Harbor, or the Lake Erie Quadrangle. This equipment will allow us to offer a USCG RADAR Endorsement Certification Course.
ERIE ADAPTIVE SAILING EXPERIENCE (EASE)
Disabled and able bodied persons alike can enjoy the freedom and thrill of sailing. Our Access Dinghies are designed to provide a stable and safe environment for everyone up to the paraplegic level to take full control of their own vessel and learn to sail, or just have a fun recreational adventure on the water!
ENVIRONMENTAL REDISCOVERIES
Venture out onto beautiful Presque Isle Bay aboard BMC’ sailing vessel Momentum or Taco the Town for a day of science and fun. Students are introduced to sailing as they make their way to a sampling site aboard a traditionally rigged sloop or racing catamaran. They will collect bottom samples with a dredge and record the area’s water quality with the onboard hydro-lab. Back on shore in the lab students examine their samples using microscopes, searching for the various macroinvertebrates that are the bio-indicators of the health of the eco-system. There is a nominal per-student fee.
SCHOOL GROUP FIELD TRIPS
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD MASTERS LICENSE COURSE
PENNSYLVANIA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION BASIC BOATING COURSE
US SAILING KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION COURSE
WOODCARVING CLASSES
MARINE DIESEL ENGINE MAINTENANCE
If you feel that you or your group could benefit from any of our programs please do not hesitate to Contact Us