Some Detroit pride, save from the scrapper!

I was reading an article about a yacht that was for sale. The owner is Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest men on the planet. The ship is a bit modest at 112 meters in length, considering that he also owns another, much bigger one.

Anyway, the amateur historian in me has a first reflex and tries to find out more about that ship. According to wiki this is the 26th largest superyacht in the world. And then I saw what was positioned on numer 47 in that same list.



This is was yacht commisioned by none other than Horrace Dodge, co-founder of Dodge Brothers. It was build in Rouge River. This ship was completed in 1921 and since Horrace died in 1920 he never saw the ship finished. His widow Anna became owner of this ship.

The ship had more than it's fair share of misfortune. Only five years after completion the ship caught fire and sank, but the she was recovered and restored. In 1940 she ran aground causing more damage. During WW2 she was aquire by the US Navy to serve as flagship for Admiral Irving. After the was she was returned to Anna Dodge and retrofitted to civillian status again. In 1967 the shp changed hands and in the following 30 years she changed hands multiple times. The name also changed time and again.

Until 1997, when she was sold for scrap metal value. And this is where the story ends many times. But it didn't....

She was bought by Jeaques Bruynooge, a Belgian national. And he saw potential in the ship. She was towed to Bruges in Belgium where a restoration started. After several dry dock periods, also in the Netherlands, she was finally ready to go to sea again. And now she's an awesome sight to see.


May I present you, the SS Delphine.

http://i39.tinypic.com/169pweg.gif
[[Copyright http://yachts.monacoeye.com)

Of all American build yachts built between 1893 and 1930 she is the only one still powerd by the original quadrupal expension steam engine!!

I doubt you will ever see her again grace the shores of the Detroit river again but at least this major part of maratime and Detroit history is still around.

Here's an article in Detnews from 1997

Official site.
[[If you've got some money burning in your pocket, you can rent her for $1.500.000 a month minimum.....)

It is still considered one of the premier charter yachts in Europe at the moment. The book Dodge Dynasty has a ton of info on the boat. Before Delphine, Dodge had built the Nokomis.

I can recall when the Delphine was tied up opposite Belle Isle.

This ship is for sale
Asking price 38m €

http://www.ssdelphine.com/

there's an old thread in the archives where we've talked about her before, i believe.

If you look at aerial pictures of Lake St.Clair you can still see the dredged area where the ship used to be docked.

The current asking price is $50M!!!

Front page of yesterday's Freep!
http://www.freep.com/article/2012121...text|FRONTPAGE

The Delphine moored behind Rose Terrace.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

If you look at aerial pictures of Lake St.Clair you can still see the dredged area where the ship used to be docked.

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It is called the Delphine Channel. I know a family that lives right near there on the water, and one of the members actually has scuba dived in the channel looking for artifacts. He found a variety of cool items.

You can ride the Delphine here:



http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...-Grosse-Pointe

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TKshreve

It is called the Delphine Channel. I know a family that lives right near there on the water, and one of the members actually has scuba dived in the channel looking for artifacts. He found a variety of cool items.

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Do you recall what they found down there? I knew of a guy who would dive the Detroit river, or maybe it was the lake, and would find full bootleg whiskey bottles with the cork just barely holding cork [[haha).

The Nords sure know their boats.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

You can ride the Delphine here:
http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...-Grosse-Pointe

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So as not to confuse anyone, that link takes you to a family that owned a motor yacht named “Stellaris” – ex-Caroline and ex-Delphine [[first) and was 187 feet long. That yacht was purchased by Horace Dodge in 1918, but was sold in 1922 to Mrs. Joseph B. Schlotman of Grosse Pointe Shores.

You can read about the history of that yacht here.
http://www.gphistorical.org/stonehurst/stonehurst4.html

The yacht for sale and under discussion in this thread is the “Delphine,” but version number two. The new Delphine was completed in 1921 and is 258 feet long – a much larger yacht.