Boblo Boat Ste Claire is burning

**pocketchange** · July-06-18, 10:52 AM

It is docked near Keans, its currently on fire.

**Smirnoff** · July-06-18, 11:05 AM

Entire boat is burning......it's gone.

**Ray1936** · July-06-18, 11:06 AM

She's gonna burn to the water line. One fire hose on it that ain't doin' squat. Live coverage on the internet. https://bit.ly/2u0saRa

**dtowncitylover** · July-06-18, 11:19 AM

Large portions of neighborhoods every Halloween for over 30 years which once housed hundreds of thousands of families building the American dream. Check.

Oven, symbolizing our once proud and diverse economy. Check.

A boat that carried families to enjoyment and holds a lifetime of memories for many a Baby Boomer and beyond. Check.

Yay Detroit! -_-

**EastsideAl** · July-06-18, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Large portions of neighborhoods every Halloween for over 30 years which once housed hundreds of thousands of families building the American dream. Check.

Oven, symbolizing our once proud and diverse economy. Check.

A boat that carried families to enjoyment and holds a lifetime of memories for many a Baby Boomer and beyond. Check.

Yay Detroit! -_-

The big stove was hit by lightning

Ste. Claire fire reportedly caused by welding mishap.

**the rock** · July-06-18, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The big stove was hit by lightning

Ste. Claire fire reportedly caused by welding mishap.

A welding mishap was the initial cause of the Normandie’s burning in NYC and could very well have led to the demise of the beloved Sainte Claire.
The North American is at the bottom of the Atlantic, the South rotted away in Baltimore, and the S.S. Columbia is in Buffalo awaiting a tow to New York for continued refurbishing. The Put In Bay was scrapped long ago, same for the D and C fleet.
But the memories remain.

**Meddle** · July-06-18, 11:24 AM

Guess they decided it would cost too much to refurbish and got tired of storage fees.

**Johnnny5** · July-06-18, 11:57 AM

Farewell St. Claire! It's unfortunate after all the work that's been put into trying to save it over the last 10 years. I know the restoration was a slow going start and stop process, but at least there was always hope in the possibility that it may sail again.

**ASilvaman** · July-06-18, 12:03 PM

I was under the impression Detroit had a fireboat. Is it not in service or in need of repairs?
Very sad to see this loss, so many memories

**Lowell** · July-06-18, 03:57 PM

From last Saturday...

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**archfan** · July-07-18, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

From last Saturday...

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What a shame. From her appearance in this photo compared to its tow up river, it looks like they had put in a lot of work.

My last time riding the Boblo boats was in 1987 [[I looked it up). Michigan and Notre Dame alumni each took over a boat, and they raced up the Detroit River. I'm a little hazy on who had which boat, and who won, but it was a wonderful late summer night on the river, steaming on a great boat.

**the rock** · July-07-18, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by archfan

What a shame. From her appearance in this photo compared to its tow up river, it looks like they had put in a lot of work.

My last time riding the Boblo boats was in 1987 [[I looked it up). Michigan and Notre Dame alumni each took over a boat, and they raced up the Detroit River. I'm a little hazy on who had which boat, and who won, but it was a wonderful late summer night on the river, steaming on a great boat.

The pilot house was removed from the boat some time
before the fire and I assume it is in storage. Under the circumstances, the pilot house might now be worth a lot of bucks.

**ASilvaman** · July-06-18, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by ASilvaman

I was under the impression Detroit had a fireboat. Is it not in service or in need of repairs?
Very sad to see this loss, so many memories

I stand corrected, the Curtis Randolph just needed more time to arrive and was not staffed at the time. The city is now discussing procuring another rescue ship.
Tragic loss indeed.

**Meddle** · July-06-18, 04:13 PM

As I recall, Engine 16 was almost never staffed by more that a two or three member marine crew. The firefighting crew was a Truck that had to respond, then that crew would board the boat before it left the dock.

**Meddle** · July-06-18, 04:40 PM

From DetNews

**dtowncitylover** · July-06-18, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The big stove was hit by lightning

Ste. Claire fire reportedly caused by welding mishap.

I did not know that. Thank you.

**ABetterDetroit** · July-06-18, 07:45 PM

At least nobody was hurt.

If the next great idea for her was a haunted house for Halloween, this could have been a blessing in disguise. She went up fast it sounds like, good thing there wasn’t a bunch of young people on board with no easy way out in the dark.

**Lowell** · July-07-18, 09:00 AM

Such a pity. It appears they had made much progress in its renovation, so much that was momentarily uncertain that it was a Boblo boat, when I took the above picture since I had not heard about it since with was left docked and moldering on the Rouge by the Dix Street Bridge.

2016 moored in the Rouge
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2015 moored in Nicholson Marina
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**mikefmich** · July-07-18, 12:01 PM

Sadly it's toast. I used to like one of the boats over the other as a kid, but after all these years the memory of which seems lost to me.

**CassTechGrad** · July-08-18, 08:44 AM

I took this picture of the Boblo boat fire from Walpole Island. Sorry to see the old gal go down but she sure went down in style!!!!!!!!!!
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**Jimaz** · July-08-18, 11:18 AM

^ HAHAHA!

There were a few more details mentioned on WWJ. Officials can't yet rule out arson but they believe it was an accident. The owner? said because of its metal frame it might be possible to rebuild. Wishful thinking?

**Burnsie** · July-08-18, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

^ HAHAHA!

There were a few more details mentioned on WWJ. Officials can't yet rule out arson but they believe it was an accident. The owner? said because of its metal frame it might be possible to rebuild. Wishful thinking?

You could make it look brand new if you throw enough cash at it. But what minimum percentage of the structure should be original to still qualify it as "a Boblo boat?" I guess it's in the eye of the beholder.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · July-09-18, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

^ HAHAHA!

There were a few more details mentioned on WWJ. Officials can't yet rule out arson but they believe it was an accident. The owner? said because of its metal frame it might be possible to rebuild. Wishful thinking?

I'd say it's wishful thinking. The owners are setting up a Go Fund Me page, to help with the restoration.

**Sandhouse** · July-09-18, 01:32 PM

"I'd say it's wishful thinking."

I'd say so, too. Not because it's impossible, but because I can't imagine a use for the boat in which it could sustain itself.

That seems to have been the problem ever since the amusement park closed. The boats didn't attract enough attention as stationary relics to pay the cost of restoration. It might be possible to construct modern upper works on the hulk of the Ste. Claire, but you'd have to sell a LOT of tickets to pay for the massive maintenance and operating cost. Remember these things need crews of licensed mariners.

I hope the owners of the other boat in New York have better luck. There just might be enough demand for cruises on the Hudson to sustain it there.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped for at this point is to remove and re-erect the steam engine at the Dossin Museum.

**Richard** · July-09-18, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Sandhouse

"I'd say it's wishful thinking."

I'd say so, too. Not because it's impossible, but because I can't imagine a use for the boat in which it could sustain itself.

That seems to have been the problem ever since the amusement park closed. The boats didn't attract enough attention as stationary relics to pay the cost of restoration. It might be possible to construct modern upper works on the hulk of the Ste. Claire, but you'd have to sell a LOT of tickets to pay for the massive maintenance and operating cost. Remember these things need crews of licensed mariners.

I hope the owners of the other boat in New York have better luck. There just might be enough demand for cruises on the Hudson to sustain it there.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped for at this point is to remove and re-erect the steam engine at the Dossin Museum.

I was reading the survey on the SS United States that was commissioned by a cruise line,they were saying that it would need to be re-powered because steam power and passengers are not allowed anymore?

If that is the case i wonder if it would have also been a requirement for this one.