(7/18/2019) - People are already feeling the heat as the Tall Ship Celebration is under way in Bay City.
The festival is preparing for hundreds of thousands of people who will visit the area this weekend.
As the ready for visitors volunteers and carpenters are working tirelessly in the excessive heat.
They're building stairs so visitors can board the Tall Ships docked in Bay City this weekend. Without these steps it would be difficult for some to get in for an up close look.
"What we have the luxury of is having done this in the past, so we got a lot of the infrastructure already built,” Tall Ship Fleet Manager Randy Shelagowski said.
Depending on how high the Saginaw River gets, these crews might have to add a few extra steps.
"So, that we are level with the top of their ship to get in and there's a couple steps to get down into their vessel," Shelagowski said.
These carpenters didn't just make stairs. They also made two boardwalks because of the high water. They built them for spots that tend to be underwater depending on the wind.
“Because of the elevation of the Great Lakes right now there is some of the walkways that we needed to have access to the ships that were going to be underwater,” Shelagowski said.
A slight breeze doesn't have to be all bad. The crew who sleep aboard the U-S Brig Niagara would love to feel some cold air.
"So, generally the crew if we can will find a place to sleep on deck at the very least,” U.S. Brig Niagara crew member Cecilia Weissert said.
The U.S. Brig Niagara is a museum ship. So, this ship sticks to how the boat sailed 200 years ago except for some fans.
"It's nice to have a fan if it's close to your head just keep the air moving and keeps you from thinking about it," Weissert said.