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! -_-

**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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**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.

**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.

**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.

**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, 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.

**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.

**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.

**Bigb23** · July-08-18, 12:52 PM

Wishful thinking?

I've seen many a Navy Ship sold to marginal NATO members for pennies on the dollar.
Just build a new one if you have to. I hate to see them go - I've been on many a cruise in my youth, oh-well, you can't push and pull me back together either at my age - and I'm a classic!!

**mallory** · July-09-18, 08:52 AM

This is really sad. I worked on the boat as a DJ during the summer of '84. Hated the gig but loved being part of the whole Boblo tradition. Contrary to what others might think, we could not get off the boat. There were days that we waited all day on board for the evening return trip. $5 an hour. Just loved those old boats. I hope sister Columbia returns to our waters someday.

**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.