A Boater’s Diary
Editor’s Note: At seventy years young, Lois Wheeler has spent the last 25 years boating with her husband, David. Lois calls her boat a “Moving cottage,” and says of the adventures, “You can take your cottage with you and experience other places…there is a sense of solitude when you’re away, a sense of freedom, and my husband and I can spend all of our time together.” For the last fifteen years Lois has chronicled her travels as a way of sharing her boating experiences with friends. She sent Inland Boater Magazine an account of her August 2005 journey to the “Jazz on the River” concert at Elizabeth Park Marina.
By Lois T. Wheeler
This is our fourth time heading downriver from Kean’s Detroit Yacht Harbor, our home marina, to Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton, Mich., near the south end of the Detroit River. It’s about a 25-mile run - almost the length of the 32-mile Detroit River.
Our destination is the annual “Jazz on the River” Concert presented by V98.7 - Smooth Jazz radio station and led by Alexander Zonjic, jazz flutist and radio D.J. The concert is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. until about 9 p.m. There are always musicians of note, as well as local musicians. And, they are always good!
There are not many available boat slips at Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton. It’s a very small park, about 3 miles around and there are no reservations. So since we are retired and we really want to be there, we head out Thursday afternoon so we can enjoy a relaxing day on Friday.
The day is clear and warm. There are few boats on the river. It is an easy ride down the river, doing only five knots from the marina to just beyond the Belle Isle Bridge. We pass familiar sights along the way — sights like Belle Isle, which is across the river from our marina. Belle Isle is a unique park as the island is in the city. It’s about eight miles around. Due to the bridge to get onto the island, freighters, sailboats and large cruise ships have to traverse the south side that faces Canada.
Belle Isle is home to the Detroit Yacht Club and a beach with a giant water slide. The bridge, which we can easily get under, is officially the McArthur Bridge. It’s always a treat for native Detroiters, who have gone across the bridge, to ride on our boat and go under the same bridge. On the Detroit land side, we see Sinbad’s Restaurant and Marina, a family-owned restaurant for more than 50 years, then the Roostertail, a top notch catering facility, named (it is rumored) for the wonderful splash of water from the boats, seen when the Gold Cup races roar past.
Next to the Roostertail are the stands for the Annual Gold Cup Boat Races. Along here is the building where many officials work the races and the “pits” where the boats are dropped by cranes onto the water. During those exciting times there are also trucks full of operational equipment for the boats and drivers, mechanics, owners and on-lookers. During race week the area is open to visitors (for a fee). Then there is Gregory’s Marina and Gas Dock and boat store. But during the races, this is the place that has the clock, officials, flags and starting signal for the races.
Coming into sight is a small park, then the beautiful and beautifully landscaped Moonogian Mansion, the official home of the mayor of Detroit. While there is a lovely covered boat well, there is no boat (we’ve never seen one there). This block continues with large beautiful homes. Next is the newly renovated Erma Henderson Marina, then the myriad of waterfront apartments and condos.
After passing Belle Isle on our left, and shortly after going under the Belle Isle Bridge, we pick up the pace to cruising speed, about 20 knots. We talk about the coming of the proposed walkway from downtown Detroit to the Belle Isle Bridge. We note the work being done on the new parks and walkway. It is so exciting to see this come to pass. A welcome sight for any boater is the U.S. Coast Guard Building with buoys and boats. Among the businesses and apartments is the Harbor Town complex with its own marina.
Next, with its awesome white cover, is Chene Park, where many outdoor concerts are held each summer. Nearby, a recently erected, very large, handsome UAW Training Center, beautifully landscaped, which we watched develop from the water over a couple years, is a sight to behold. Two grand old buildings house first the Omni Hotel, then the Rattlesnake Club Restaurant. Next to note is the new state park with marina – Tri-Centennial State Park, previously St. Aubin Marina. Now it sports a new lighthouse.
Downtown Detroit looks so good from the river. Especially lovely is the beautiful new front on the Renaissance Center, now owned by General Motors. The center was earlier developed and built by Ford Motor Company. In the vicinity of the “Ren Cen,” as it is affectionately called, we view the Ford Auditorium, Hart Plaza – home to many fine summer festivals, the Veteran’s Memorial Building, Cobo Hall – our convention center, and Joe Louis Arena – home of the Red Wings Hockey Team. From the water the architecturally pleasing Riverfront Apartment/Condos and Marina is majestically poised.
After a bit more industry and businesses, we pass beneath the Ambassador Bridge. There is usually some turbulence in the water here. As we pass the large sign painted on a building for the now non-existent Bob-Lo Boat Dock, we recall the days of yesteryear and the exciting fun of riding the Bob-Lo boat — either on the Columbia, or the Ste. Claire, two three-deck propeller driven excursion steamer cruise boats — to the wondrous amusement park island with all the fun rides, the roller skating, the picnics, cotton candy, and saucer size suckers. My favorite ride was the tilt-a-twirl. I had fun, too, on the bumper cars and in the house of mirrors. Also I recall those romantic midnight rides, that didn’t stop on the island, but had a band and lots of dancing!
But, back to the ride downriver. The industrial area reminds us of what waterfronts have been to people throughout civilization: a source for economic development, an access to the world - water for life.
I always follow the chart, even though this is a ride that is done by heart. We stay starboard, or along the Michigan coastline. However, the same 25-mile stretch of the Canadian coastline is beautiful, with lots of interesting park areas with sculptures, landscaping, play areas and the Windsor Casino.
We pass the Rouge River. I remember the first time I saw the Rouge and how surprised I was at how narrow it is right here. We pass the steel plants and I always reminisce about my father sweating in the foundry in the Ford Rouge Plant. There’s a little park, Bellanger Park, where we used to stop for an ice cream cone when we had a smaller boat. As we cruise past Fighting Island along the Trenton Channel, we pass the cities of River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte and Riverview. We see the smelly Zug Island, then Grassy Island. We see the historic army base, built in 1845, Fort Wayne. This is now home to the Tuskegee Airmen.
It’s always fascinating to see the homes along the river. We pass a park at the foot of Southfield Road. As usual, lots of people are fishing on the pier. We’ve never had bad water in this stretch of the river. We pass under a bridge on the north side of Grosse Ile. It’s a swing bridge, but we’re low enough to pass underneath it. It’s scary though, because it’s very close! My captain always says that if the bridge cuts off his head, then we were too close!
Staying in the Trenton channel we avoid shallow water by following the channel markers. As we approach the other bridge to Grosse Ile, the Grosse Ile Parkway Bridge, also a swing bridge, we see the entrance to the Elizabeth Park Marina. Here the waterway is narrow and not very deep. Someone on a scooter sees us and we are assigned a slip without having to first tie up to the main dock. They come to help us dock. We tie up, hook up to water and electricity, then head to the office to pay the fees.
What a restful Thursday evening and Friday morning and afternoon. We’re joined by guests for the night. We have dinner and talk into the night. A gentleman, a fellow boater, has a telescope and a computer set up on the dock and invites us to see Venus which is so very close for the first time in many years. What an awesome sight!
Saturday morning it’s time to pick a spot and set up our chairs. Soon the crowd starts to gather. Lots of grills, lots of campers, lots of blankets, umbrellas and coolers. There are people of all kinds, colors, ages, and races. One thing we have in common as we bounce or rock or bob our heads or pat our feet – music, jazz.
These two days in the sun with or without a breeze, I sit and sit and sit, listening and watching. ‘Tis a vacation from all the stresses of life. A time to just absorb the music, become part of it, as I watch the water, the boats, the boaters – some swimming, the musicians, the crowd. What pleasure. You can feel the music in your bones, your soul. You can close your eyes and just be one with the music. Some folks shake a leg in front of the stage. It’s just great! So much fine music – Alexander Zonjic, Charles and Gwen Scales. In past years, Peter White, Straight Ahead and so many other wonderful musicians.
The trip back on Monday morning is slow and easy. Reminiscing, playing a tape purchased at the concert, or just listening to V98.7 as we make our way back, quietly refreshed and revived to face the world again.
