Your favorite green tugs along Sturgeon Bay’s west waterfront will get a new paint job in the future to go along with their new owner. 

Great Lakes Towing Company based in Cleveland, Ohio finalized its purchase of Sarter Marine Towing Company last week after agreeing to terms just after St. Patrick’s Day. The sale includes the purchase of the tugboat Donald J. Sarter and William C. Selvick, along with all of its supporting machinery and equipment. Under a long-term bareboat charter arrangement, the other five vessels will be chartered to the Great Lakes Towing Company. It adds to the Great Lakes Towing Company’s presence in Sturgeon Bay after they stationed two tugs in the area last fall. President Joe Starck called it a win-win outcome for everyone involved as they assist in operations at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and help with icebreaking missions.

It is also the end of an era for Julie Sarter, the President of Sarter Marine Towing. She and her husband Don purchased the business from the Selvick family in 2019, following Don’s four-decade career as a tugboat captain. A few months later, Don passed away in a boating accident in Lake Superior. Sarter says it was time to sell and was excited to partner with Great Lakes Towing Company. She was thrilled that her crews would be able to keep their jobs. 

The Sturgeon Bay Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee will discuss the lease assignment along the west waterfront from Sarter Marine Towing to Great Lakes Towing Company when they meet Tuesday at 4 p.m.