Introducing the MATE Shiphunt: Spanish Galleon ROV Competition Kit

This competition kit is designed for schools, clubs, camps, and anyone who would like to host their own ROV competition.  Students hunt for sunken artifacts and clues to figure out the name and date of the "sunken mystery ship" while building team work skills and showcasing their newly-built ROVs.  
Mission Scenario:

Your ROV company has been hired to complete the following mission tasks:

  1. Transplant endangered corals out of the work site.
  2. Collect sea urchins for scientific research.
  3. Recover a cannon with the build date of the ship stamped on it.
  4. Recover a platter with the ship's home port printed on it
  5. Use the build date and home port to identify the Spanish galleon.
  6. Remove litter from the area to establish an archeological reserve.
This kit includes:
  • A 14-page competition manual with background information on Spanish galleons, a background scenario, mission tasks, ROV design and building specifications, and assessment ideas.  See competition manual table of contents.
  • Notes on how to set up and run an ROV competition, including scoresheets.
  • All of the materials needed to build the mission props.  Building is made simple with easy-to-follow instructions (including photos) and can be done by anyone 10 years of age or older.  (Allow ~2 hours to build; screwdriver required).

Drawing and text adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleon

What are Spanish Galleons?

A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by Spain and Portugal from the 16th to 18th centuries.  The galleon was powered entirely by wind, using sails carried on three or four masts. Galleons were used in both military and trade applications, most famously by the Spanish treasure fleet. The Spanish word Galeón means  "armed merchant ship."  In the 17th and 18th century, major and minor European powers battled for economic and military power in the New World.  In the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, ships sailed the waters with raw products (sugar, gold, silver, tobacco, coffee, cotton, etc.) being sent to Europe or finished and manufactured goods coming in to the New World.  Many of these ships never reached their destinations, being sunk in storms, after battle with enemy nations or pirates, or by simply running aground on unknown reefs.  Only a few of the many ships lost at sea have been found, and new discoveries of shipwrecks are being made every year.  

Example of a competition prop: a coral made from pipe cleaners

Price: $95.00
Order your kit today at https://seamate.myshopify.com/products/spanish-galleon-competition-kit