Steam engine society headed to Cathlamet this weekend

The Northwest Steam Society will hold its Annual Steam Meeting August 12-14 at Cathlamet's Elochoman Slough Marina, drawing steam engine enthusiasts and their machines from all over the Pacific Northwest.

The annual meeting, held each August at a different location, will feature 17 steam launches holding activities around the marina and on Puget Island.

It includes a Friday evening social and a banquet on Saturday evening.

Boats will arrive Friday. At noon on Saturday, they'll parade from the marina to Puget Island and cruise up Birnie Slough and then return to the marina.

On Sunday, they'll hold a Bang and Back Race in the waters along the Cathlamet waterfront, starting at 10 a.m. In this race, boats line up and open their throttles at a signal, and at a second signal, they turn and head for the original start/finish line.

Also during the event, skippers may challenge each other to a tug of war, with the contests to be held at the mouth of Elochoman Slough.

Viewing of equipment is open to the general public.

"Our meets are held in as public a place as we can find with suitable docks and steaming waters for small boats with low freeboard," society spokesman Norm Davis told The Eagle this week.

"The docks are open for the public to walk, ask questions of the skippers and take rides as available."

The society will have the entire use of the marina for the meet. There will be exhibits, tables to display and/or swapping of steam items.

"Our registration for this meet is lower than usual, about 50 people," Davis said. "Typically we have 70-90 people. But, things happening on the economy these days have screwed up a lot of things."

Boats are coming from as far away as Tuscon, Ariz., Davis said. There are boats coming from Spokane and Canada. The oldest will be the "Uno," a sailboat that was converted to steam years ago.

The boats feature a variety of steam engines. Some are fueled by wood, others by diesel or Propane.

"Our annual meets are for sharing our hobby with the public," Davis said. "For those that are excited about steaming, applications are available to join. I am one of the many that have joined as the result of a meet."

On the web: http://www.northweststeamsociety.org/Pages/NWSS2011.htm.