STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Generally speaking, once the ice is clear, the season for shipping on the Great Lakes can begin.
The SOO Locks on Lake Superior in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. are scheduled to open on Saturday, clearing the way for the ships to sail. And in Sturgeon Bay, the Winter Fleet at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is leaving one boat at a time.
It may look like a huge parking lot on the water, but the shipyard is filled with some very heavy vessels.
“We’ll get anywhere from 12 to 15 of these Great Lakes freighters that will come here and spend the winter in Sturgeon Bay,” said Jon Jarosh, Destination Door County Chief Communications Officer.
Jarosh says many of the ships are 1,000 feet long and will be hauling cargo around the Great Lakes very soon. The vessels arrived a few months ago and are at the shipyard for maintenance and repairs. Typical work might include mechanical upgrades and even a paint job.
“The companies don’t really announce their comings and goings as they used to do in the past. They really see it as a competitive advantage to keep that information close to the vest,” said Sam Perlman, Door County Maritime Museum Deputy Director.
He says people are able to track ship activity online at marinetraffic.com or boatnerd.com. There are also numerous webcams nearby.
“We watch them as they come in, and we eagerly anticipate them heading back out,” Perlman said.
Jarosh agrees.
“It really is a neat reflection of our maritime history here and not only our heritage, but these ships represent the future too,” he said.
The big ships will leave Sturgeon Bay over the next several weeks.
