The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

The trumpet of steam engines could be heard at varying hours last weekend with several enthusiasts from the Northwest Steam Society in town for their annual steam meet."It was a good meet," Norm Davis, the event coordinator, said on Monday. "The water was good and the weather was great. The older participants and the new ones really seemed to enjoy their time here. The Wine and Cheese Soiree at Tsuga Gallery was a new twist and big hit."

"The only negative is that we seemed to have less dock traffic than in the past," he added.

According to Davis, 75 people registered for the event and 21 boats hit the water, compared to to their previous visit to Cathlamet four years ago when there were only 16 boats. Farthest traveled was the Linda J from Tucson, AZ.

There were plans for all the boats to leave the marina on Friday and greet the Rambler, the only steamboat to travel in by water, but the Rambler, coming from St. Helens, broke down in Rainier and was unable to make the event. On Saturday, the boats paraded up Birnie Slough.

Tom and Alison Apps brought their boat, the Crouton, down from Kelowna, B.C., taking a couple weeks and putting in at different places on their way to Cathlamet. This is their second time here.

Their journey with a steamboat has been much longer than that.

"It all started as a joke with my late father-in-law," Tom Apps said. "I blame it on the alcohol."

The two had been sitting on their property on Alta Lake near Whistler when Tom commented that they didn't have a boat on their dock. The lake was a quiet one, meant for swimming or boating leisurely, according to Tom.

After that there were several boats, and Tom had taken an interest in steam engines.

"For 20 years I worked on a steam engine using my high school metal shop training," Apps said.

Diana Zimmerman

Alison Apps of Kelowna, B.C., adds wood to the fire box to keep the steamboat Crouton running smoothly.

Five years ago he and Alison found the boat, built for an expo in 1986 and lying derelict in a field. He built the boiler, and thus began their adventures in slow boating here and there, going from one event to another after they retired.

Tom is so busy these days, he wonders how he ever had time to go to work.

Another dedicated steamer is Stephanie Hylton, who lives on Lopez Island in the San Juans. She likes to take her boat out frequently with her friends, spending the evening out in a cove or in the San Juan Channel, watching the sunset until someone mentions nature's call. Her friends will bring treats and she will make tea from a feature attached to the boiler.

She had more thoughts on living on a small island on Saturday. Much like living in a small town, a person has to consider everything one says or does.

"An island teaches you that everything is finite," she said.

As for Norm Davis, he hopes they'll be back in a few years, with more whistles and steam engines in tow.