Lake Tahoe News

In November 2019, the Office of Coast Survey (OCS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced the start of a five-year program to “sunset” all raster and paper nautical charts.NOAA has produced electronic navigational charts (ENCs) since 1993. In the 2019 notice, NOAA writes that “ENC sales increased 425% since 2008, while sales of paper charts are now half of 2008 levels.”For NOAA and mariners, a focus on electronic charts and publications promises many advantages. With a singular focus, NOAA can use its resources more efficiently.

NOAA will begin to implement its sunset plan for paper nautical charts this month, starting with the current paper chart 18665 of Lake Tahoe. After August, NOAA’s electronic navigational chart will be the only NOAA nautical chart of the area.This is the first traditional paper chart to be fully supplanted by an electronic chart as part of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey Raster Sunset Plan, which includes a new process to notify mariners of the transition of individual paper charts to electronic charts.

A new 32-foot fireboat, named Marine 24, has been delivered to the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The new craft, custom-built by Lake Assault Boats, has been engineered to respond to a wide range of emergencies including structural and wildland fires, and on-the-water rescue operations. “We are thrilled to have this Lake Assault fireboat serve with the Tahoe Douglas FPD to help protect lives, property and natural resources on one of our nation’s most revered bodies of water,” said Chad DuMars, Lake Assault Boats vice president of operations.

U.S. Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced two recent vessel deliveries: a M2-35 Catamaran Patrol Boat to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Carnelian Bay, Calif., and a M2-38’ 3,000GPM Fire Rescue Catamaran to the Bellingham Fire Department in Bellingham, Wash. The builder has received an additional order to build a M2-38 Catamaran CBRNE Emergency Response and Recovery Vessel for the New Bedford Fire Department in Massachusetts.

The Coast Guard and multiple agencies rescued three people Wednesday evening after they were reported missing on Lake Tahoe. At 9:45 p.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center watchstanders received notification from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe that a 31-year-old female and her two children were missing and were last seen drifting on a raft in Meeks Bay. The Sector San Francisco Command Center issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, National Park Service, Care Flight and California Shock Trauma Air Rescue also responded. A CALSTAR helicopter located the three people by radar directed the rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe to their location.

A major winter storm is forecast for the San Francisco Bay this week. The storm is forecast to impact the entire Bay Area region, Monterey, and Lake Tahoe. Patchy fog, heavy rain, gale force winds (in excess of 34 knots) and increased wave action are expected Wednesday night, 10 December 2014 through Thursday 11 December 2014, with weather abating and showers expected on Friday 12 December 2014.... This MSIB clarifies USCG Captain of the Port expectations and provides recommended actions in preparation for heavy weather conditions forecast for the San Francisco COTP Zone. Industry partners should review the applicable portions of the San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun Bay Harbor Safety Plan, implement heavy-weather plans and shall take due diligence to prepare for potential storm impacts.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and a commercial salvage team successfully removed the Tahoe Queen, a riverboat-style passenger vessel, from a sandbar off Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Tuesday afternoon. Watchstanders at Sector San Francisco received a report Monday at 3:37 p.m. from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe that a passenger vessel, Tahoe Queen, ran aground with 296 passengers aboard. Rescue boatcrews from Station Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe Police, Douglas County Sheriffs…

Hornblower Cruises & Events will introduce an improved Lake-to-Ski package this season, transporting passengers in the morning aboard the fastest boat on the Lake, the Meteor, and in the evening on the 500-passenger Tahoe Queen for an after-ski party. The 60-ft. Meteor, previously used as a thrill-ride in Seattle, was built in 1993 and reaches speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Coast Guard certified for 124 passengers, Hornblower remodeled the vessel to accommodate 90 passengers in addition to bikes, kayaks and other recreational equipment. The Meteor will initiate the Lake Link service, acting as a ferry service across Lake Tahoe and offering land-side packages including ski, golf, hiking, shopping and sightseeing trips. Lake Link tickets start at $25 for a sightseeing tour of the lake.

San Rafael, a 204 x 44 x 16 ft. OSV was recently launched by Eastern Shipbuilding Group. The vessel is being constructed for Naviera Tamaulipas, S.A. de C.V. of Tampico, Mexico, for operations in the Bahia de Campeche fields off Eastern Mexico. Capacities include 110,000 gallons of fuel, 211,000 gallons of drill water/ballast, 7,200 cu. ft. of bulk mud in six tanks, and 3,012 barrels of liquid mud. The propulsion plant consists of a pair of Caterpillar 3516B main engines rated at 2,000 hp each @ 1,600 rpm, complete with Caterpillar Engine Vision Alarm and Monitoring System, coupled to Reintjes WAF-862 gearboxes, with 96 in. diameter, four-blade stainless steel propellers.

Hornblower Cruises & Events will introduce an improved Lake-to-Ski package this season, transporting passengers in the morning aboard the fastest boat on the Lake, the Meteor, and in the evening on the 500-passenger Tahoe Queen for an after-ski party. The 60-foot Meteor, previously used as a thrill-ride in Seattle, was built in 1993 and reaches speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Coast Guard certified for 124 passengers, Hornblower remodeled the vessel to accommodate 90 passengers in addition to bikes, kayaks and other recreational equipment. The Meteor will initiate the Lake Link service, acting as a ferry service across Lake Tahoe and offering land-side packages including ski, golf, hiking, shopping and sightseeing trips. Lake Link tickets start at $25 for a sightseeing tour of the lake.