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Fleet Week ends with departure of ships

Just as they did during the arrival of the ships, the Broadway, Steel, Morrison and Burnside bridges will be raised for the ships' departure, which could impact the morning commute.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The annual Portland Rose Festival and Navy Fleet Week ended Monday with the departure of the ships.

Just as they did during the arrival of the ships, the Broadway, Steel, Morrison and Burnside bridges will be raised for the ships' departure, which could impact the morning commute. TriMet advises travelers, especially those commuting across the Willamette River, to plan an extra 30-60 minutes for trips during the scheduled departures of ships.

Portlanders were able to tour several of the U.S. and Canada ships over the weekend, and celebrate and thank military service members and veterans.

The fleet began to arrive at the Portland Waterfront on Wednesday afternoon. Three more ships came into Portland on Thursday. The ships were open for tours Friday through Sunday.

Video: Fleet Week ships arrive

The Coast Guard sent three cutter crews and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to participate in the annual event. The U.S. Navy and Royal Canadian Navy both brought two ships. The Ironwood, a former U.S. Coast Guard ship, was also part of Fleet Week.

Here are the ships that participated:

  • The Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast, a 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter homeported in Astoria.
  • The Royal Canadian Navy Regina is a 440-foot Halifax-class frigate.
  • The Coast Guard Cutter Bluebell, a 100-foot Inland Buoy Tender, homeported in Portland, is one of only two remaining 100-foot Buoy Tenders still in Coast Guard service.
  • The Royal Canadian Navy Nanaimo is a 181-foot Kingston-class coastal defense vessel.
  • The former U.S. Coast Guard cutter Ironwood, a 180-foot buoy tender which now serves as the primary training vessel for the Tongue Point Seamanship Academy.
  • The U.S. Navy Scout is a 224-foot Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship.
  • The U.S. Navy Michael Murphy, a 510-foot Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
  • The Coast Guard Cutter Orcas, a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Coos Bay.

In addition to the ships, the Coast Guard Jayhawk aircrew performed a demonstration along the Willamette River just south of the Burnside Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Online: For more information, visit the Portland Rose Festival website

The Rose Festival has been an annual event in Portland since 1907.

Related: Portland police conduct drug sweeps downtown before Fleet Week

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