THE SHIP

-

THE SHIP -

  • SS Ste. Claire is a steamer located in Detroit, Michigan.

  • Built in 1910, she was one of the last propeller-driven excursion steamers to be operated on the Great Lakes.

  • She was declared a US National Historic Landmark in 1992.

  • In 2018, a devastating fire destroyed the upper decks, leaving only the steel structure.

  • The ship was delisted as a National Historic Landmark and from the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.


  • The Ste. Claire is a propeller-driven excursion steamer with a riveted steel hull and a wooden superstructure strengthened with steel members.

  • The hull is 190 feet (58 m) long, 50 feet (15 m) wide, and 17.3 feet (5.3 m) in molded depth.

  • She is powered by a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine with Scotch boilers.

  • The main deck overhangs the hull, and the open decks above are rounded at the bow, a characteristic of the Bob-Lo fleet.


  • Before the fire that destroyed any original wood that had not been removed, it had a main staircase in the center of the main deck that led to the upper decks.

  • A second stair underneath led down to the crew spaces in the hull.

  • On either side of the main stair were gangplank openings for loading passengers.

  • Forward of the stair was a large open deck space.

  • Aft of the stair, a passageway ran across the vessel, aft of which is the stack casing and a well that opened down into the engine room, where the main engine could be seen by passengers on the main deck.

  • Food service counters were placed at the aft end of the main deck, surrounded by open spaces, and a pair of stairs leading to decks above.

  • Amidships, public restrooms and crews quarters were placed on either side of the ship.


  • The main staircase led upward to the main cabin on the second deck.

  • The cabin was finished in mahogany with a cream-painted beamed ceiling.

  • Aft of the cabin was a dance floor. The main cabin had doors out to open spaces forward and aft.

  • The main stair led upward to another, smaller cabin on the third deck.

  • Doors here led to the open deck and to a "beer garden" located above the dance floor.

  • A final stair on the open deck led to the top deck. Public access to the top deck was limited; the area also included the pilot house and lifeboat storage.