Correction and update appended

It's that special week that every year delights military boat aficionados and casual fans while making waves for bridge commuters.

Batten down the hatches. Fleet Week is on its way, docking on the downtown Portland waterfront June 8-12.

Nine ships from the U.S. Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard will make their way to Portland for the Rose Festival tradition, pouring their sailors into the city and opening up for free public tours.

According to Rich Jarvis, public relations manager for the Rose Festival, this year's fleet will arrive during evening rush hour Wednesday and Thursday, June 8 and 9. U.S. Coast Guard ships should arrive between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, with U.S. Navy and Royal Canadian Navy vessels coming down the Willamette around the same time Thursday.

The whole fleet will aim to push off before the morning commute Monday, June 13.

Both arrivals and departures will affect bridge traffic on the Broadway, Steel and Burnside bridges. Each lift generally takes 20-25 minutes, more than enough time to sink a prompt commute.

Depending on which bridge you tend to travel over, here are the times you might want to find an alternate route. Keep in mind that public transit over these bridges is subject to delays as well. These times are based on ships' traditional arrivals and departures.

Broadway Bridge: 3-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, early Monday morning.

Steel Bridge: 3-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, early Monday morning.

Burnside Bridge: 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, early Monday morning.

As for the ships themselves, here is what's coming from the U.S. Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, along with a few historic ships floating by for the week.

U.S. Navy ships

-USS Russell, a guided missile destroyer recently returned from a 7-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean. Equipped for anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface operations, the boat carries more than 300 sailors from its home port in San Diego.

-USS Howard, another guided missile destroyer made to emerge victorious from any kind of battle at sea.

-USS Champion, an Avenger-class mine countermeasure ship with a fitting motto: "We accept the challenge." The ship's crew of 80 combs the sea to find and neutralize anchored mines.

Royal Canadian Navy

-HMCS Brandon and HMCS Edmonton, two Kingston-class maritime coastal defense vessels that patrol coastlines and largely perform search and rescue and law enforcement operations.

U.S. Coast Guard

-USCGC Steadfast, the first Coast Guard cutter to receive the golden marijuana leaf, an honor awarded to ships that have seized over 1 million pounds of marijuana. The medium-endurance cutter won't be far from its home in Astoria when visiting Portland for Fleet Week.

-USCGC Swordfish, an 87-foot coastal patrol boat that cruises the waters around the Strait of Juan De Fuca, Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.

-USCGC Fir, which maintains way-marking buoys for commercial ships travelling along the Oregon and Washington coasts. It also carries a cleanup system for oil spills.

-USCGC Bluebell, an inland buoy tender that's quite familiar with Portland. The 100-footer moves up the Columbia, Willamette and Snake rivers to maintain navigation aids in smaller waters than its peers.

Historic ships

-Portland Sternwheeler and Oregon Maritime Museum, a favorite for glimpses into what an old-timey cruise felt like.

-PT 658, a 1945 World War II PT boat.

-A Vietnam-era Game Warden river patrol boat that'll evoke "Apocalypse Now."

Most boats will be open for tours from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with a few exceptions. For a full schedule of tour hours, see the Rose Festival Fleet Week website.

If you plan on taking a tour, you'll need to know a few things. First, you'll be required to show a government-issued photo ID and pass through a security checkpoint like those at the airport. You may also be searched, so bringing as few items along as possible will help expedite your boarding.

Open-toe shoes aren't allowed on the ships, so wear something that covers your whole foot. And don't plan to bring anything that probably shouldn't be on a public tour of a military ship (knives, firearms, tear gas, fireworks, drugs and the like). Strollers and large bags, like backpacks or diaper bags, will also be kept off the boats.

Keep all this in mind as you view the fleet from afar or up close - or just try to get to work - and you should be in for a smooth-sailing Fleet Week.

This post has been updated to reflect the following correction and update: The Portland Sternwheeler and Oregon Maritime Museum, not the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler, will be on display as a historical ship. Also, The U.S. Coast Guard ship USCGC Henry Blake will no longer be visiting Portland for Fleet Week.

--Dillon Pilorget | dpilorget@oregonian.com

503-294-5927 | @dillonpilorget