Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale

There is a lot packed into this full-length documentary--enough to be enjoyed by all ages! Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale is an absolutely wonderful movie that takes the viewer on a nostalgic ride back decades when two huge steamboats ferried people of all ages to Boblo Island amusement park. The filmmaker easily captures this summer fun by incorporating series of home movie clips from passengers as well as reminisces of devote local Boblo fans. Not just fun, though, there is real drama and suspense in this movie as you are introduced to the quirky group of people dedicated to reconstructing the Boblo Boats, despite formidable obstacles.

The photography is state of the art and at times breathtaking! And Martha Reeves's narration of the movie was spot on with her melodic and engaging voice. We learn an important history lesson with this movie, too-that there was "another Rosa Parks," a young woman named Sarah Elizabeth Ray, whose Supreme Court ruling set the stage for momentous civil rights legislation. It is no wonder that this documentary has won at least three awards in film festivals!

They missed the boat in this documentary. It would have helped if they gave more detailed dates on some of the history given on the boats. Example when the boat that caught fire there was know clear date when this happened. The documentary never had a clear ending and better explanation of what would be done moving forward. The information about the boat that was brought to New York City was not given. It would have been interesting to learn more about what they are using the New York boat for and then show with a video tour of how the interior of the boat looks. It's best to stay clear of the documentary and row far away from watching.

Honestly, I was very spectacle about seeing this documentary on the Boblo Boats. And now, I am a better person because of it. This film explored so many fond memories of my childhood, and I am very excited to step aboard the SS Ste Claire again.

The Producer and Director of this documentary did an amazing job, and I am looking forward to seeing more films in their future!!

If you haven't gone out and seen this movie yet, you definitely should. You don't even need to be a Detroit native to fully understand and enjoy this film. It is 100 percent worth your time. And there is also a website you can pre-order the DVD from, very cool!!

I wanted to see more historical photos or film on the boats and the island and it's rides and attractions. A timeline would've been nice. The lack of this is supplemented by strange characters, some bickering about the barnacle barges and dealing with their own personal issues. One comment in the film rang true, she wished the money being spent on those boats could be used more appropriately, help out some homes in Detroit. I don't buy the story that Boblo closed due to the owner's accident. It was on its last legs in the early 90s, tensions in the city and all over America lead to it's demise, if a park didn't have money it was going to close.

I remember going to Boblo Island as a kid and riding on the ferry to get there. This was a lovely and nostalgic ride back on the boats that I remember from my childhood.

There is also so much about Detroit history within this documentary that - alone - makes it worth watching. Learning about Sarah Elizabeth Ray was mind-blowing and made me think a little more about what stories are or are not told.

If you want to learn about this history of Boblo Island and the two 'sisters' the Ste. Claire and the Columbia that brought us safely there... I'd recommend watching this movie. You'll get a chance to learn more about Detroit, Boblo, the ferries and the history that defines them.