MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Sternwheelers are arriving for the 50th Ohio River Sternwheel Festival, with many boats reaching the city over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Boats travel from Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
The E-L Thumper and Jenny B, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, left Friday on a 175-mile, two-and-a-half-day journey to Marietta. The boats have been coming to the festival for 50 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fun. They shut the whole city down. City does an excellent job providing festivities for people to do, things to watch, and then it\u2019s always an awesome fireworks show on a Saturday evening,\u201d said Jeremy Meinert, deckhand.<\/p>\n
Hobby III arrives from Nitro<\/p>\n
The Hobby III also arrived Sunday from Nitro, West Virginia. Captain JD Pauley has been coming to the festival since 1995.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe enjoy the trip. We enjoy the festival. We enjoy the people, but we enjoy the trip up. Takes us about 3 days. We just take our time. We don\u2019t get in a hurry. It\u2019s relaxing until something breaks, but, and it happens,\u201d said JD Pauley, captain, Hobby III.<\/p>\n
Meinert and Pauley share the same reasons for coming.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoy the festival. 50 years. I mean, it\u2019s, It\u2019s grown. It\u2019s the people that run it. You can\u2019t say enough about the volunteers. They\u2019re just fantastic people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pauley said he and his wife treat the trip as their vacation and prepare for it year-round.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell a lot of people it\u2019s 90% work, 10% play. But we play hard on the 10%, but we\u2019re constantly working on them, doing things,\u201d said Pauley.<\/p>\n
Hobby III\u2019s history<\/p>\n
The Hobby III was built by Harry Wilson in Belpre, Ohio. Wilson built the boat between 1977 and 1985, launching it in 1985. It was Wilson\u2019s third boat and pride and joy. Pauley said Wilson celebrates the Sternwheel Festival every year, even after his death.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe actually passed away in the boat. So he\u2019s still here. He\u2019s a prankster. I mean, he liked toys and honestly, he is on the boat. Lights will come on, doors will shut, commodes will flush. He\u2019s here. Harry\u2019s still here,\u201d said Pauley.<\/p>\n
Meinert and Pauley advise people to come to the festival and enjoy the 50th celebration.<\/p>\n