Decrepit Boblo boat has a new mission for next generations

Melanie D. Scott -

Underneath the chipping paint and decaying wood found in a sitting room for women on the SS Columbia, Lori Feret points out the intricate murals of roses on the ceiling.

"The murals are so beautiful, I don't understand why they covered them with paint," Feret said. "There are so many beautiful areas on this boat."

As a local historian and a board member of the Friends of Belle Isle, Feret has spent years trying to save historical institutions throughout Detroit.

"She's such a piece of history, and I hate to see her in this condition," Feret said of the Columbia.

But the Columbia is undergoing a $10-million face-lift and soon will leave the Detroit River for a new home in New York.

As a result of her love for the boat, Feret has been asking metro Detroiters to share their memories of the Columbia and her sister boat, the Ste. Claire. The two took generations of metro Detroiters to and from Boblo Island.

Feret of Madison Heights has organized several fund-raising cruises on the Detroit River, where people are recorded sharing their memories. The video is then posted on the SS Columbia Project's Web site.

"The Columbia represents a lot of history," said Richard Anderson, president of the New York-based SS Columbia Project. "She had a long good career and never lost a passenger."

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Photo Tony Spina

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