Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale

This documentary film has the rare magical ability to transport you through time. Many cities had a local amusement park, and Detroit's was special!

To get to Boblo Island, you had to take a ride on an old steam boat. These boats were the highlight of the trip for many people. It was a safe place to be yourself.

This is the only documentary film about that special island. It uses the "voice" of a steamboat to tell the story, narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves. It finds people who remember the island and all it's glory.

What makes this movie so interesting is the depth it goes into the history of what happened to the boats afterwards. It follows the restoration of one for over 7 years and it's incredible journey.

From also touches on the left glorious aspects of History. The boats actually caused a supreme court civil rights case that's all but lost to time.

It's a wonderful film I will send you down a path of nostalgia and fascinating history.

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 want my money back.

It is a Waste of Time.

You go expecting scenes of the past glories; about progress on restoration. Nope, not even.

I did not walk out, only because the person I was with thought it might get better. I got an apology at the end.

What this movie is really about: 1 Owner that has neither the funds nor knowledge for the enormous restoration and costs and 2 amateurs somehow becoming the center of attention (with one of them made manager of the works under whose leadership those works destroyed an historical boat).

That 'Manager' then goes into mental shut down needing safe spaces and cuddles.

The two key figures have emotional problems displayed on screen and in not flattering ways (for the movie goer to witness).

This is just a pitch for money and reminds me of the definition: 'Boat - a hole in the water filled with money'..

The only reason it gets one star is the narrator. Good job!

Please put it in a dry dock and sell it to a professional..

Boblo Boats is not just a historical documentary that recounts the history of the popular boats used to go to and from Boblo Island. It captures the hearts and souls of the people who loved and continue to love both the boat and the island amusement park. The photography is excellent, but it is the telling of the story by the boat itself that truly brings the story alive and changes the film from just a documentary to a film that almost magically pulls the viewer into the story of the boats, the island, and the people who loved them.

Even for those who did not grow up with the park and boats, the film triggers childhood memories of old amusement parks and similar childhood experiences. It is a wonderful and heartwarming film!

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.