Tuesday, January 28, 2025 | 6PM - 8PM
Birch Bark Community Boat Building | Tuesdays at Arthur
Buffalo Maritime Center | 90 Arthur Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
Help us prepare materials of our birch bark canoe build. We'll be thinning and shaping white cedar that will become our canoe's sheathing, that goes between the canoe's ribs and bark. We will also be demonstrating cedar and spruce root splitting. Try out some traditional hand tools and a shave horse. This event is free and open to all ages.
The facility, including our museum and gift shop, will also be open to explore. Parking is available between the shop and the sidewalk, along Arthur Street, and in our enclosed boat yard.
January 25 & 26 | 10AM - 3PM
Half-Model Class
Buffalo Maritime Center | 90 Arthur Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
This two day, Saturday and Sunday class, is a great introduction to woodworking and boatbuilding because participants work with hand tools and with a rudimentary set of actual boat plans. All tools and materials are provided and no prior experience with tools or boat plans is required.
Developed by boatbuilders, half models are actually a design tool. They capture the lovely shape and the “lines of form” of a boat, in scale. Making half models is one of the most satisfying projects that can be undertaken with some basic woodworking tools and next to no shop space. While there are several types of half models, the most common is the “lift” half model that students make in this class. The process requires that flat boards are cut to specific curves provided by the boat builder’s plans and carefully glued up into a solid block. Using a bandsaw, spoke shaves, spoon gouges, block planes and some other hand tools the block is then shaped and smoothed until the beautiful curves of the desired boat can be seen and felt.
The class is $225 for the materials and a seat at the bench. Participants can work independently or bring a friend, and groups are limited to 3 per boat. RSVP Here
Email Chelsea@buffalomaritimecenter.org with any questions.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | 6PM
Boat Shop Tour | Tuesdays at Arthur
Buffalo Maritime Center | 90 Arthur Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
Join us to explore 90 Arthur St. boat shops and foundry. Learn the history of the boats we’re working on! This includes the Armed Sloop USS Trippe, a Rozinante Canoe Yawl, and many more! The tour will be about 40 minutes.
The facility, including our museum and gift shop, will also be open to explore. Parking is available between the shop and the sidewalk, along Arthur Street, and in our enclosed boat yard
Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 11 - April 24, 2025 | 6PM - 10PM
True North Maritime Academy Captain’s Class
Buffalo Maritime Center | 90 Arthur Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
If you’ve been waiting to get your Captain’s License, now is the time! As a part of its ongoing maritime education mission, the Buffalo Maritime Center has just recently partnered with True North Maritime Academy to provide US Coast Guard Approved Captain’s License Courses.
The first class, Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV), will begin on February 11th and it will go through March 25th. The class occurs every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6-10 PM at the Buffalo Maritime Center. This will be followed by the class, Masters Upgrade (MU) 100 Ton from April 1st through April 17th, also on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-10PM. The 4-hour Assistance Towing and Auxiliary Sail Endorsement classes will be held on April 22nd and 24th, respectively.
True North Maritime Academy will be offering these 4 classes as a package at a discount price of $1270.00 for Buffalo Maritime Center Members. True North Maritime will also make a donation to the Buffalo Maritime Center for every student enrolled.
If you are interested, contact Captain Phil Sullivan at (716) 989-7761 to by Friday, January 31st to enroll in the February class and to discuss class and licensing requirements! A $200.00 deposit is required at time of enrollment. Additional information can also be found on the True North Maritime Academy website: truenorthmaritime.org.
Please note! If we do not get enough students to commit by Friday, January 31st, unfortunately, we will have to cancel this session. However, we will be offering the same set of classes starting in October of 2025.