When you start seeing the winter fleet arrive later this month, you will also see several tug boats hard at work. It has been a busy year for Sarter Marine Towing with the pandemic not slowing them down too much, despite a drop in international ships visiting the area. Captain Steve Ross will spend some of the upcoming weeks getting dry docks set up for the winter fleet’s arrival to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. Whether it is a big laker, like the Arthur Anderson, or last month’s escort of the S.S. Badger, Ross says it is great to work in a community that appreciates its maritime history.

The winter fleet schedule is not finalized yet, but it usually begins in late December and continues into early March in some cases depending on the ship and the work that needs to be done.