Sierra Rose sinks at Tahoe Keys Marina dock
The multi-million dollar yacht known as Sierra Rose is two-thirds submerged in water at its dock in Tahoe Keys Marina.
The Sierra Rose submerged in water at its dock in Tahoe Keys Marina. Photo/Anne Knowles
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department received a call at 4:01am Monday that the 85-foot luxury boat was sinking, according to an officer with the SLTPD’s two-person unit marine unit who was at the marina in the afternoon to investigate the cause of the accident. The officer said no one was on board at the time and no one was hurt. No information was yet available on why the boat sank.
Mike B. Stewart of Reno, who is listed as a sales contact for the boat on its web site said he was at the marina working with a crane operator and could not talk when reached by phone. Another sales agent listed, Julio César Martinez of San Francisco, said he could not comment since he was unaware the boat had been damaged. Robert Spinnato, general manager at the marina, did not immediately return calls. A call to Lt. Dave Stevenson with SLTPD also was not immediately returned.
The Sierra Rose is a rental yacht, available for $2,000 a night, $12,000 a week or $40,000 for a month, according to its web site. The description says it sleeps a maximum of six in two staterooms each with king-sized beds and private bathrooms, and a crews’ quarter. But it can hold 100 people for a summer event or 40 people in the winter when it’s too cold to utilize the upper deck. It also comes equipped with its own speed boat, an all-mahogany 20-foot Grand-Craft sport model runabout.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Dont know how a vessel this size sinks while moored at the dock. A faulty bilge? Hit by another craft? Something seems fishy
This boat is cursed! Nothing but problems from the get go.
Sierra Rose? How about Sierra Sub. amirite??
Boats can sink for a number of reasons. If I recall, she’s an older wooden boat. Dry weather can cause hull seams to open or rot can weaken wood allowing leaks. Hoses to seacocks can fail & if the seacock isn’t closed… Bilge pumps can fail. Maintenance can be an issue. The next step is getting a good maritime investigator & marine surveyor to take a look & determine the cause.
X Local, you’re thinking of the Safari Rose, this is the Sierra Rose, the ridiculous house-boat-luxury-yacht thingy that sits at the entrance of the east channel of the keys marina.
Yes you are correct that a number of things could have caused this, but this vessel is less than 15 years old and I’m pretty sure it has some type of metal hull
This boat is custom made if I remember right, if so, how do they come up with the stats of how many people can be on board? Do you have to do sea trials or anything, or was the design based on an already approved design?
So many things can go wrong with a boat’s systems. Metal hull can get electrically charged I think and create small holes in the hull. Also, as mentioned in a comment above, something with the bilge could have went wrong.
“Ridiculous-house-boat-yacht-thingy”!! Aptly put! The litte woman and I cracked up when we read Dude’s comment. First time I saw this thing on the lake I thought “My gawd! What an ugly monstrosity!”. It even had a little helicopter on the top deck in the begining of its first year on the lake.
Sounds like a possible insurance scam to me, but you never know. I’ve been a boat owner for many years myself and things can go wrong in a hurry. It could have been something as simple as a faulty bilge pump or lots of other things.
In regards to the much cooler old wooden boat “Safari Rose”, it hit a big rock on what I belive was its maiden voyage causing the Capt. to beach it on Lighthouse Shores until it could be repaired.
Take care, Old Long Skiis
If you read other articles regarding this incident you will note the quotes that a near by resident heard when the boat was leaving or coming in on Sunday around 9pm
“oh no” was heard from the boat after a long metal tearing noise was heard… Can we say ‘You Rented The Most Expensive Yacht on the Lake cause You are That cool and now you screwed it Up So please dont come back to Tahoe you rich gappers!
Sierra Rose, how about Sierra Sank
Follow the Money!
MtnChick, I did not see that before I commented.
Dang!!
Guess they forgot to put out the fenders when coming in
Would they rent a boat like this not Captained by the owners own crew?
oh no! another senseless boat plug accident! All kidding aside. I have docked my boat up there before and have met the owner and toured this vessel. While it may look odd it is impecably laid out. It even has waterford crystal stemward with “sierra rose” engraving. I don’t know what happened but I do fell bad for Mike. I was up there this weekend and the boat was on the lake in emerald bay and there was a wedding going on. It is rare to see this boat on the lake at all.
Dingy you smell the rat too!
Hard times insurance make lots sense huh?
Do any you remember Canada Eddie ,Upton old sub contractor?
That 38 FOOT Islander sank right the middle the channel,funny thing was ,Lot’s the stuff, stove,expensive gear were missing as the 38 foot blocked the keys entrance.
$$$$ then it was shipped to Dana point as the company moved south where the Big bucks were at one time,still sailing the high seas.
Serves them right. I was born and raised here on the south shore and have never in my life seen a boat of this magnitude. It is ridiculous just a sign of the money here in the basin.
what is your point? oh, wait: ‘born and raised on the south shore’ gives me an incredibly broad world view and justifies my vindictive gibberish. oh, that must be it. just sayin…
Chip
Your a kook! This is tragic under any circumstances. You give people born here a bad rep. We need this kind of money in our community. If you don’t like it-move…
Tragic No one was injured, it is a boat,
an ostentatious boondoggle. It is insured.
boo hoo.
I never liked the boat myself. But the envy some people show here is unkind at best. Oh they’re rich and they have bad taste so they deserve their misfortune.
Makes the locals look mean. In the lowest sense.
Who knows what happened here, maybe we’ll never know unless the owner wants to say, it’s his business.Most of the locals are not mean or envious of the rich, we just don’t walk around all puckered up in case one of their posteriors walks by like some people do.
This thing was a unique idea somebody with alot of money had that wanted or needed to spend it. I’ve seen worse ways to blow big bucks. I’m one that hopes it’s salvageable.
there was alot of granite and tile on this boat. who installed it and what was the weight limit of the vessell? how can it hold all the tile and granite weight, furntature and a jacuzzi, and another small boat, and 100 people? if a contractor installed heavy tile and granite on a boat can they be in trouble for going over weight limit if they did? what did the owner know? i think it may have been over weifght limit and the hull finally gave out.