DetroitGreat Lakes BoatsPhoto Du JourWindsor

Ste. Claire

Built in 1910, and along with her sister ship, 1902’s Columbia, the Ste. Claire ferried passengers from Detroit to Boblo Island until Labor Day 1991. The ship has a capacity of 2500(!) passengers. The ship was purchased by new owners in 2006 who are trying to restore the ship and get it back running as a river cruise ship in time for her 100th birthday in 2010. This winter they plan to dry-dock the ship and rework the hull and engines.

More information about that is available here: http://bobloboat.com

Back in the summer of 2005, the Ste. Claire spent a few months docked along Windsor’s waterfront.

2005

She looks nude with her pilot house stripped off…

2007

Docked along the Windsor Waterfront in 2005

Docked in her current temporary home at Tri-Centennial State Park in Detroit. Ironically, she is now tied up only a few hundred feet from where she was built, at the Detroit Dry Dock Co. by famed naval architect Frank E. Kirby, who once had a young engineer apprentice under him named Henry Ford at the Detroit Dry Dock Co.

The Detroit Dry Dock building is visible from Tri-Centennial State Park, the old red brick building is peaking out from just in front of where the Ste. Claire is tied up.

A better view of the old building, along with what was known as “Dry Dock No. 1” in the foreground. Many of the Great Lakes finest passenger ships were either built or finished/outfitted in this dry dock. All of the former Windsor-Detroit ferries came out of here…

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