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Boblo boat in need of new home

Plan underway to restore SS Ste. Claire, then open it to public

DETROIT – Long before the SS Ste. Claire was used in the movie "Transformers: Age of Extinction," it was one of two boats which transported generations of metro Detroiters to Boblo Island.

It was built in the early 1900s and since then the ship certainly has seen better days.

Perhaps you remember the food or the music. A group wants to relive the memories by restoring the boat and opening it to the public, but they need help. Right now the boat is docked near a gas supply company in River Rouge. The company wants it moved.

"We desperately need to find a location where we can actually start the building process," said Kevin Mayer, Boblo Boat volunteer coordinator.

That may sound easy enough, but the new place has to be big and near Detroit with a dock at least 200 feet long and 16 feet deep to make it easier for the restoration crew.

It's a piece of Detroit history which hopefully has a happy ending.

More information: BobloBoat.com


About the Author
Kimberly Gill headshot

You can watch Kimberly Gill weekdays anchoring Local 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and streaming live at 10 p.m. on Local 4+. She's an award-winning journalist who finally called Detroit home in 2014. Kim has won Regional Emmy Awards, and was part of the team that won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in 2022.

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