Over 100 years ago, the SS Ste. Claire began taking passengers from Detroit to the Boblo Island amusement park. Now, it’s offering to take passengers on a trip through time.
Starting Thursday, Sept. 3, members of the public will be able to board the historic boat and view a museum laid out like a timeline from the opening of the boat in 1910 to the present day, by decade, said Ron Kattoo, the boat’s owner. The museum also showcases the boat's original steam engine and is set up with photo opportunities.
Kattoo, 58, said the greatest part of his childhood was visiting Boblo Island and said he hopes to bring back good memories for others who grew up going there before the park closed in 1993.
“Hearing people, their stories, and how much they love
the boat and that it reminds them of their childhood and times they spent with their mom and dad or their grandparents or vice versa taking their kids to Boblo — that's what we're trying to do," he said.
The history
Boblo Island was established as an entertainment destination on the Canadian Bois Blanc Island in 1898, and the SS Ste. Claire started taking passengers in 1910.
The Ste. Claire and its sister boat, the Columbia, which first launched in 1902, spent decades taking passengers from the end of Woodward Avenue to the island about 20 miles down the Detroit river, according to Historic Detroit.
The ships were taken out of commission in 1991 prior to the closing of the Boblo Island amusement park, which saw nearly 800,000 visitors annually from its opening in 1898 to when its port officially closed in September 1993, the Detroit Free Press previously reported.
The Ste. Claire and Columbia were granted National Historic Landmark status in 1992, though the Ste. Claire has since lost its landmark status due to damages left by a fire. Both boats are still floating, though their locations and ownership have changed over the years.
The last time the public could board the boat was a two-week period upon its return to Detroit in 2007.
'Labor of love'
When Kattoo bought the SS Ste. Claire in 2007, it was running as a haunted house generating six-figures of income in Toledo, he said. Due to discrepancies in regulations, he was not able to run it as a haunted house in Detroit.
Since then, Kattoo, an intensive care unit doctor for Henry Ford Health, said he has put his own money towards restoring the boat until he can find a way to generate revenue from it.
"Every time we need to do something, whether it's buy steel or buy wood or have steel workers or carpenters come on, we get an estimate ... and I say, 'Hey do I have these funds to do this phase?'" he said. "Whether it's a two week phase or a month phase and if the money is there, I do it."
In July of 2018, the docked boat undergoing renovation caught fire in Detroit's Riverside Marina. The Free Press later reported a welding incident as the cause of the fire.
With the opening of the museum, Kattoo hopes to put every penny of revenue towards the $125,000 to $150,000 it will take to finish renovations.
"I hate to use the cliche 'a labor of love' but that's what it really is," he said. "I loved the boat as a child, I loved Boblo Island as a child and to be able to be a part of this and actually own this and bring it back it and restore those memories for everybody else is very important."
What's next
Once the boat is fully restored with functional bathrooms, grand ballroom, grand foyers with mahogany wood and more, Kattoo hopes to rent the boat out for events like weddings, proms and business parties, as well as host daily public events like 70s dance nights, talent shows, family days and more. He said he wants to make it to a family venue.
The boat will stay docked.
As a steamboat, it would take a lot of work and money to restore the steam engine to regulation standards, Kattoo said. Though the boat lost its historic landmark status, he hopes the status can be restored because he's trying to renovate based on the original blueprints and the hull and engine were not damaged
"The goal is to get her done so she's literally back to her grand splendor," he said. "People don't have to worry that I'm going to significantly alter the cosmetics of the boat. I want her to look exactly as people remember her — a white boat with blue trim. The bathrooms, the bars, even the light fixtures. The only difference is everything will be brand new."
How to visit
The boat is docked in the Detroit River at 150 St. Jean. Parking is located next to the boat.
Museum tours cost $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages 6-17, according to the boat's website. Children under 5 are free. A family discount for two adults and three children is available for $25.
Tours can be booked online through the boat's website www.bobloboatdetroit.com.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Boblo boat on Detroit River reopens to the public as floating museum
