Story
In December 1908, Matti Heikki Haapalainen, together with four other Kajaani employees, decided to establish a limited company to operate steamboat traffic on Lake Oulujärvi. At the same time, he handed over his old ships Salo and Koito to the company, although preparations for the construction of a new ship to replace Koito began at that time. Apparently Haapalainen founded a limited company just to raise capital for a new ship. The “Queen of Oulujärvi”, named Salo II, was built in Kajaani and had time for a test drive in 1911, although it was not finally completed until 1912.
The Salo II route ran every weekday from Kajaani to Vaala and back. As usual, it also stopped along the way at numerous intermediate docks as needed. Crew on board was usually nine people, captain Wilho Pirinen in addition to the cover 3 side of the man, an engineer, two heaters hostess and co-workers. Admittedly, as shipping later waned, the crew had to be reduced, and in the last summer of 1930 the strength included only six men and mistresses. In addition to passengers, cargo was also transported, farm products to Kajaani, especially milk for export to the dairy, and in the other direction, for example, salt, coffee and sugar. Live animals were transported on a stern deck designed to be easy to rinse. Mail was also transported from time to time. The heyday of Lake Oulujärvi passenger ship traffic was seen in the 1920s. As late as 1928, traffic was brisk, but the following year the effect of increasing car traffic began to show. The year 1930 remained Salo II’s last passenger ship. It was put to stand until it was finally sold to Kajaanin Puutavara Oy at the end of 1935.
The new owner transformed the ship into a sparrow and gave it the name Kajaani I. The modifications made to the ship were extensive, virtually all deck structures and cabins had to be dismantled and rebuilt to accommodate the necessary sparring equipment, bow anchors and huge stern winch and Oak Barrels. When toasting, the ship drove about 2.5 miles from the log board while lowering a sturdy steel wire to which oak barrels were attached at certain intervals to prevent the wire from sinking. When the wire ran out, the ship lowered its 500kg anchors to the bottom and began to wind the wire in, while pulling the log board to it. The barrels were removed as the wire was wound. After the ferry was winched back to the stern of the ship, the operation was repeated. Gradually, such a sturdy log ferry was sped to the Kajaaninjoki quarry, from where smaller tugs transported the trees to the factory.
In 1956, the ship was estimated to have many more years to go, and so major alterations were made to it: the helm and other spaces were renewed, the tubes replaced, and the electricity renewed. However, time and circumstances changed, and the summer of 1959 was the last in Kajaani I in professional traffic. In 1962, the company decided to sell it as scrap. However, a private individual employed by the company found the ship to be in good condition and offered the company the same amount for the ship as the scrap dealer had offered. The deals were made and Kajaani I is still sailing on steam in Lake Oulujärvi, almost 50 years later. The “number one” can be driven with both halos and oil. It has become common practice for the first run of the summer to be a “split run”, followed by an oil run. Kajaani I is known to be the last steam toaster in Finland, whose toeing equipment has remained in working order.
