Unlimited Radar Observer Course
In 2008 the Bayfront Maritime Center purchased a Buffalo Computer Graphics state of the art 3D Maritime Training Simulator with grant funds.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, hands-on STEM as well as career opportunity awareness.
Since then thousands of students, both youth and adult maritime professionals, have learned to operate sophisticated electronic navigation equipment including ECDIS, Electronic Chart and Information Systems, Radar, and ARPA, Automatic Radar Plotting Aid.
Students operating the BMC's simulator. From left: Ship controls, ships bridge view, ECDIS, and Radar.
ECDIS is a computer-based navigation information system that complies with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and can be used as an alternative to paper nautical charts. A marine radar with ARPA capability can create tracks using radar contacts. The system can calculate the tracked object's course, speed and closest point of approach (CPA), thereby knowing if there is a danger of collision with the other ship or landmass.
Middle School Students operating the simulator.
Using ReTool Erie grant funds, BMC purchased three United States Coast Guard Approved courses from World Wide Marine Training: Radar Observer Unlimited, Radar Observer Unlimited Recertification, and ARPA. Rich Eisenberg, BMC Director, just attended the Radar Observer Unlimited Course at World Wide Marine Training and is applying to the USCG National Maritime Center for approval to offer these courses to professional mariners here in Erie on our waterfront campus. These courses are not offered anywhere on the lower Great Lakes, and are required certifications for certain categories of mariners.
We are currently seeking funds to add two more Radar student stations to our simulator. This will make the training courses self-sustaining, more cost effective, and create an additional funding stream for BMC. Additional student stations will also allow us to bring this STEM based curriculum to more students and recreational boaters.