EASE – Bayfront Maritime Center

EASE Sails with Shriners

Rich — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 15:19:46 +0000

Participants from Shriners Hospitals for Children enjoyed a day on the bay with staff and volunteers from the Bayfront Maritime Center’s EASE program. Parents, families and caregivers all enjoyed watching the sailors from the EASE pontoon boat.The Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience provides barrier-free sailing for community members with physical and mental disabilities. Sailing helps build confidence and self-esteem!

https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/40844714/people-with-disabilities-enjoy-adaptive-sailing-experience

EASE Program Wins National Award

admin — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:05:10 +0000

Congratulations to the Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience!

We are very pleased to announce that EASE, the Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience at the Bayfront Maritime Center is the recipient of the Robie Pierce Adaptive Sailing Program of the Year Award from US SAILING!

Read the US Sailing article here.

We are very grateful for the dedicated support of over 40 volunteers and program partners including Lakeshore Towing and the Autism Society-Northwestern Pennsylvania for their support of EASE!

EASE Directors Bren and Kathy Lindell

EASE volunteers Elizabeth Beckman, Mike Hirsch, Carol Hirsch, Bren Lindell, Kathy Lindell, Elizabeth Detisch and Bill Detisch accepting the Robie Pierce Adaptive Sailing Award of the Year.

Summer Programs Begin at BMC

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 18:28:18 +0000

Check out our summer newsletter and get all the latest news from the Bayfront Alternative Education Program, Project SAIL after school program, EASE, Bayfront Summer Credit Recovery Program, Schooner Porcupine and the Cardboard Boat Regatta.

http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=e1280799d9df918f51a087ac4&id=43014010f6

Rich Eisenberg, BMC Executive Director, Dennis Williams, BAEP Supervisor and Pat Herr of the Erie Community Foundation congratulate our newest graduate, Azlie.

EASE Begins 14th SEASON of Adaptive Sailing

Rich — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 19:30:16 +0000

EASE began its 14th season of adaptive sailing on Friday June 20th! BMC started adaptive sailing in 2000, and the EASE program became established in 2001. This is the first and still the only adaptive sailing program in Pennsylvania. It serves the entire tri-state region. THANK YOU to the more than 20 dedicated EASE volunteers who organize, schedule, staff, and sail all day with the sailors, while parents, grandparents,siblings, and caregivers share in their experience while aboard the escort vessel, EASE-Y SPIRIT.

One of BMC’s EASE Hansa dinghies sailing on the best natural harbor in the entire Great Lakes, Presque Isle Bay.

Veteran racing sailor and EASE volunteer, Russ Thompson, underway with a happy young sailor.

All loaded up and ready to sail.

Having a lot of fun out on the water.

A beautiful sailing day in Erie, Pennsylvania

EASE began with fundraising help from the Junior League of Erie to purchase two Access Dinghies. Steadily growing since 2000, EASE now has 5 dinghies, which re-branded to Hansa Dinghy. The 6th vessel is paid for and on its way thanks in part to grants from the Autism Society-Northwest Pennsylvania and other generous donations. This will enable program expansion to include more sailors.

Family members and siblings participate in EASE aboard EASE-Y SPIRIT, the new safety – escort vessel. with Mike Eisert at the helm.

This season EASE has a new escort and safety vessel, EASE-Y SPIRIT.

Thanks to the generous donations from community members who understand the value of BMC’s hands-on programming, BMC purchased a new 24′ pontoon boat this spring. It has over-sized pontoons for additional buoyancy and stability and has all of the other requirements which enabled it to pass the strict United States Coast Guard standards to be an inspected USCG passenger vessel. EASE-Y SPIRIT gets underway in the EASE program, as well as carrying students and scientists in BMC’s environmental and research programs.

USCG inspected passenger vessel #1168495, EASE-Y SPIRIT.

EASE-Y SPIRIT and BMC’s waterfront campus.

The 150 HP 4 stroke Honda outboard engine is clean, efficient, and quiet, while providing all the power needed to safely carry passengers, tow BMC’s side-scan sonar, and haul our students and scientific collection nets and equipment.

Since 1998

BMC’s mission is: to design and implement hands-on, maritime themed, educational, vocational and recreational activities for the community in a universally accessible waterfront facility.

2014 EASE Picnic

Rich — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 14:48:16 +0000

The 2014 EASE Picnic.
THANK YOU to all of the volunteers, sailors, parents, and program partners who made this the best summer ever!

BMC Sailing Again With Shriners Hospitals Kids!

Rich — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:27:53 +0000

THANK YOU to all of the BMC volunteers and community partners who help make this programming possible!

An EASE Hansa Dinghy sailing in Erie Pennsylvania.

BMC’s first two Hansa Dinghys were purchased in 2000 with the help of the Junior League of Erie. The boats were originally called Access Dinghys and re-branded to Hansa in 2013. BMC hosted the Access Dinghy National Championship regatta in 2004. EASE sails with 5 Hansa Dinghys.

Kayaking is part of the EASE program, and Shriners Kids paddled on Saturday.

EASE Program Begins Its 15th Season

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:23:41 +0000

The Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience, EASE, began in 2000. Today is the start of the 15th season. The BMC adaptive fleet has grown to five Access Dinghys,and includes a Liberty, a cat-rigged Breeze, and three 303’s. EASE is organized and run by a dedicated and accomplished crew of 20 volunteers lead by Kathy and Bren Lindell. The Bayfront Maritime Center hosted the Access Dinghy National Championships in 2004. EASE is the only adaptive sailing program in Pennsylvania. A HUGE THANK YOU to Eric Guerrein and Lakeshore Towing Services, Inc., who allow us to run EASE from the Wolverine Park Marina.

A Look into the EASE Program

admin — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 17:24:48 +0000

Spring is here, and the Erie Adaptive Sailing Experience (EASE) will soon be underway. Here’s a look into the EASE program, the only adaptive sailing program in Pennsylvania.

New Bayfront Maritime Center Programs to Help Veterans, Promote Rowing

Rich — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 18:19:09 +0000

Thank you to the Erie Insurance Giving Network for supporting BMC’s important new program, Veterans at EASE, designed to help United States Veterans.

New Covers for the EASE Access Dinghies

Rich — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 15:20:35 +0000

Over the weekend Bren and Mike picked up the new EASE Access Dinghy covers. They are fantastic! Thanks to the friends and family of the late Donald L. Smith, for the memorial contributions sent to BMC. Don was an avid sailor and a boat builder, so his daughter thought that it would be fitting that the funds be used for our adaptive sailing program, EASE. Due to this kind gesture, we were able to purchase new tarps for our Access Sailing Dinghies, which BMC use to teach sailing to children with developmental and physical disabilities.

Two of the new Access Dinghy covers.

These new boat covers will help the volunteers who run EASE during the sailing season to get underway quicker in the morning