HOPE FLOATS FOR BOBLO BOAT
Owner wants to restore burnt ferry
The owners of the SS Ste. Claire say they want to continue restoring the famous Boblo ferry — despite the historic vessel being heavily damaged by fire last Friday. Ron Kattoo told WDIV Local 4 in Detroit that he thinks the “wellbuilt” boat survived the blaze — at least, its steel hull and part of the rest of the structure. Co-owner Saqib Nakadar said they have received many messages of support from people with fond memories of the ferry. “We just want everyone to know we will bring it back.”
But restoration won’t be easy with all four decks of the vessel gutted by fire. Originally built in 1910, the body of the SS Ste. Claire was mostly made of wood — which provided ample fuel for the blaze that started around 11:30 a.m. on July 6.
Fire investigators believe the incident was caused by a welding accident.
A lone restoration worker had been using a torch on a beam connected to one of the vessel’s smoke stacks when a spark fell on the deck below and ignited the wood. The worker escaped the boat without injury.
Kattoo said no one should be angry at the worker. “He’s more devastated than anybody. It was a mistake.”
Kattoo and Nakadar estimate damages at $250,000.
To make matters worse, Kattoo said the boat was only insured against sinking or hull damage. “We lost old historical wood, but vessel, the SS Columbia, were both declared part of the U.S. National Historic Landmark Register in 1992.
About eight years older than the SS Ste. Claire, the SS Columbia remains intact and is the subject of ongoing restoration efforts. Ownership of the vessel was handed over to a non-profit historical preservation group, The SS Columbia Project, in 2006.
Since then, the SS Columbia has been towed to docks in Toledo and New York state. It’s currently moored in Buffalo and undergoing winterization. According to the SS Columbia Project, the next move of the plan is to take the ferry to Kingston, New York, for “bow-to-stern, wheelhouse-to-hull” restoration. No date has been set, but once that work is complete, it’s hoped the SS Columbia will be able to travel under her own power to her final display home: New York City.