Boblo Boats

In today's Detroit Free Press news online the front page has a picture of something that brings a flood of memories back to when I was a child. The Detroit Boblo Boat Ste. Claire. She was one of a set of twin sister paddlewheel steam boats that used to ferry hundreds of people a day from stops along the Detroit River to Boblo Island, an amusement park located in the middle of the Detroit River. The only way to get to the park was by boat. Her sister ship is the Columbia. The boats are 97 years old so when I used to ride them they were already over 60 years old but what a majestic ride they gave us. Looking at the pictures brings back vivid memories of riding on these boats, the wind blowing through the decks, the smell of the water and the low chug chug of the steam engines driving the paddles around in the back of the boat. As kids, once we were aboard and away from the dock we would explore the decks and watch over the railings at all the people out on their own boats or the shoreline as we steamed on by. Our parents would relax while the kids would have free reign to go where ever they wanted. There was a souvenir shop on board but not much else. The ride was about 45 minutes to an hour but was rich in memories. I can still hear the sound of the chugging engine and the cool wind as it blew through our hair. The seagulls would form a chain behind waiting for any food that may get tossed overboard. Of course we were happy to accommodate them. My Uncle Pat took us several times and for a while it was his time to spend with us. We only saw him a few times a year but he sure made an impression when he did visit those summer months!
The decks were always freshly painted with a battleship gray paint and the railings and supports were painted white. The upper deck was open to the sky but sometimes it was a little to cool to stay up there. Once at the park we spent the entire day on the rides and playing games. Some of my favorites were the Comet, Antique Cars and The Log ride. We played all day long running around the park without a care in the world. We didn't worry about strangers or injuries or anything that is so prevalent in today's society, we just had a great time. I didn't realize how strong those memories could be until I saw the photograph taken from the deck as she is towed upriver. It's almost as if I was standing right there again on her deck as she sails up the Detroit River.