If the fall is for the leaves, then you know winter is for the boats in Sturgeon Bay.

Several different vessels will be coming into town for their winter lay-up at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. At least four ships (Edwin H. Gott, Walter J. McCarthy, Indiana Harbor, and Mesabi Miner) are over 1,000 feet long, and five others are over 700 feet long. Workers at Bay Shipbuilding will spend the winter months making sure the vessels are ready to run for another nine months, hauling a variety of different materials.

The Winter Fleet is certainly a major draw for people in Sturgeon Bay. Door County Maritime Museum Deputy Director and Development Manager Sam Perlman says even their employees get excited when the ships come through the bridges.

You can find the list of the ships for this year’s Winter Fleet below. You should keep your eyes on websites and phone apps like BoatNerd and Marine Traffic to stay up-to-date on their location and when they might arrive. 

Note: The picture is from a past year of the Winter Fleet.