About

A bingo game for the lakefront.

About the name

“Gulf of Cleveland” is a nickname for the city's stretch of Lake Erie. The lake's official name is Lake Erie. Gulf of Cleveland Shore Bingo is an independent game made by WeldonPC (weldonpc.com). It is not run by, endorsed by or affiliated with the City of Cleveland, any park district, or any state, federal or Canadian agency.

The flags on the card

Each column letter is flown as its flag from the International Code of Signals, the alphabet ships use to spell by flag: S-H-O-R-E on the classic card, L-A-K-E on the 4×4, F-U-N on the 3×3. The logo flies G-O-C.

The squares

Every square is something a person can see from a public path, beach, pier or park on the Cleveland shore at some time of year. None is a promise that it will be there today: that is what makes it a game. Each of the thirty Shore Birds is a species with one field mark, the feature that tells it from look-alikes. Printed cards and the caller's checklist carry the marks; on a phone they are listed under the card.

The two mixes keep to one half of the year: the warm-months mix (April to October) leaves out ice, snow and winter ducks, and the cold-months mix (November to March) leaves out beach days, summer birds and boats that are out of the water for the winter. A deal with no deck chosen uses the mix for today's date.

Play from the shore

• Stay off shore ice. Shelf ice along the Great Lakes can look solid, but it builds out over the water without freezing to the bottom, can hide thin spots and can collapse without warning. The National Park Service says never to step onto it (NPS: shelf ice). Every Winter Shore square is meant to be spotted from solid ground.
• Keep off piers and breakwalls when waves wash over them, and know that rip currents often form next to piers and jetties (National Weather Service: rip current science).
• Check the lake before you go. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland issues the forecasts and beach hazard statements for this shore (weather.gov/cle). Ohio's BeachGuard lists water-quality advisories for public beaches (Ohio BeachGuard).
• When thunder roars, go indoors. If you hear thunder, leave the beach or pier and get inside a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle right away, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out. There is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area, so the storm squares are for watching from far away (National Weather Service: lightning safety; overview).
• Give birds room and avoid stressing them or their habitat (ABA Code of Birding Ethics).
• Keep children within reach near the water, and never play while driving.
• In an emergency, call 911. If someone falls through ice or into the lake, call 911 and do not go out after them.