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AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Emerson Marcus
The Sierra Rose, a luxury yacht, is partially submerged at its Tahoe Keys Marina dock in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. on Monday.
Witnesses at the Tahoe Keys Marina say they heard screeching, the sound of tearing metal, and a passenger yell, "oh, no!" late Sunday night.
By about 3 a.m. Monday, a three-story, $3.2 million yacht so big that it has its own helicopter pad was sunk, one end of it touching the South Lake Tahoe marina bottom at a Titanic-esque tilt.
It's still not clear what sent the Sierra Rose to the lake bed, where it remained Wednesday waiting for a private contractor to remove it in the next few days.
Witness Heather Contreras, who was visiting the marina from Turlock, Calif., told the Tahoe Daily Tribune that more than a dozen people were on the vessel at the time when they heard what sounded like "a loud and prolonged tearing of metal." The boat, which The Daily Tribune reported is 86 feet long, didn't immediately sink; Contreras said some people stayed on it for more than an hour after the apparent mishap.
Nobody was injured, marina general manager Robert Spinnato said. South Lake Tahoe police are investigating, but likely won't know what caused the sinking until the vessel is lifted above water, Lt. David Stevenson told The Daily Tribune.
On Monday, a big-screen TV, leather couches and floating slices of bread were visible inside the partially submerged watercraft, which was billed as the largest noncommercial boat on Lake Tahoe as recently as 2006.
Agents listed on the boat's tourist rental website declined to comment to The Associated Press and msnbc.com about the situation.
A website detailing the three-room, three-bathroom Sierra Rose for potential renters says it's inspired by the streamlined luxury vessels of the 1930s, but with state-of-the-art amenities. Features include granite counters, remote-controlled fireplaces, mahogany floors, a spa and custom crystal and china.
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The boat rented for $2,000 a night, according to a brochure from 2008-09, or $8,000 for four hours.
El Dorado County Environmental Health Manager Barbara Houghton said the sewage and fuel tanks were sealed and hadn't leaked into the lake, but she said inspectors from the county would be on hand to monitor efforts to pull it out of the marina.
While the sunken vessel sat unceremoniously in the water, at least a few homeowners in the area were saying good riddance.
Several complained to the Reno Gazette-Journal that they thought the yacht was too big and blocked views of the alpine lake.
"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen," Tahoe Keys Property Association front desk clerk Ron Parker said, according to the newspaper. "My idea is it was so ugly someone had to sink it."
Others complained to the Gazette-Journal that the yacht's size -- which is what apparently kept it from completely sinking -- blocked views in the area.
The Sierra Rose was sold at auction in 2008 for $3.2 million to an unidentified buyer who outbid more than 40 other potential investors, according to the Gazette-Journal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
"People on 'ludes should not drive." -- Jeff Spicoli
Maybe I am on ludes, but has anyone else noticed these expensive toys becoming accidents more often? Cars, planes, yachts (houseboat), ect. What's the wealthiest's next move? Robbing insurance pools?
Wow, at first glance the photo looks like a houseboat!
"Buyer beware" when this thing ends up on Craigslist.
"FOR SALE : MAKE OFFER
Combination Yacht / Submarine.
Fixer upper (or could be used for reef building)."
;-)
Sailing FAIL!
More photos:
http://www.sierraroseyacht.com/SierraRose_Yacht.pdf
J-DOGGIN
One would have to look at insurance company stats perhaps--no one bothers to report the $25k boat sinking nor most of the endless litany of common car accidents. Instead we read about the the 5th cougar attack in two decades, shark bites, rare things. It's easy to get a warped sense of relative frequency and risk with the news--and most do have WAY off target concerns as a result. 6 times as many ppl die from coconuts hitting them on the head at the beach then from shark attacks, for example, yet no one even thinks of falling nuts.
And the stories feed on themselves, if a few similar incidents make news then others are more likely to be reported soon after. Hence Time Magazines ridiculous "Year of the shark." some yrs back....nothing to do with rates of attacks only media focus.
When the owner puts it up for sale, let's hope that there isn't a 'boatfax' just like there's a carfax
I love it when bad things happen to rich people. Too bad the headline said "no injuries." If there were, and worse, no big loss.
Wonder if this is just an Insurance scam.
Gee Jerry,
That sounds a tad counter productive if not childish. Maybe you should focus on making your own fortune instead of contempt/envy for those whom 'have more'. (in quotes because money is far from the most important attribute one might posses)
3.2 mil eh? tell ya what i will give ya a grand for it as is.............ugly or not, think of what a palace of a home that would make, super cool, the only drawback i see is my in-laws live right down the road in reno.......:)
I hear now it's even got a pool in the basement!
It's was a houseboat, not a yacht.
Now it's a submarine!!
It still looks like the south bound end of a north bound Garbage Scow.
This houseboat, yacht or whatever probably needed extensive repairs. Sink it and the insurance pays for them, happens everyday in Florida.
It is a houseboat. I guess because it is on Lake Tahoe they call it a yacht. Come on. Sounds like a insurance deal to me.
On Tahoe it qualifies as a yacht, perhaps. In Florida we'd call it a party boat. It's not that impressive.
Could be one of the pontoons ruptured. It appears to be that sort of boat.
That's an ugly "yacht" for 3.2mil.... It actually looks more like a house-boat, not a yacht!
Yeah, there are mobile homes that look nicer than that!!
It was the rich version for trailer trash.
I can make a nicer boat installing a mobile home onto a rusted shrimping boat.
"The boat rented for $2,000 a night ... or $8,000 for four hours."
I hope they got their $8,000 dollars worth before it capsized. (Or is that supposed to be $800 for four hours?)
oh, no?????? .............methinks i would have had a wee bit more of a reaction then "Oh, No"..........:)
The passenger that yelled 'oh no' wasn't paying the rental fee. You should have heard what the guy that was paying yelled.
I'm confused was the boat moving, or tied up at the marina? Lots missing from the details.
Oh, no! the passenger yelled after they pulled the plug...
This is what the guy paying the rent said:
"Oh %&#@ me!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm in total %&#@ when my wife finds out about this, I told her I was with the pals and not with Nancy again!"
"%&#@ me!!!!!!!!
Aaaawwwww.....LOL
"oh no" said Mr. Bill
I know what hit it - the insurance policy.....
3.2 MILLION.... Must of been Romney's boat. That same sinking feeling comes every time
he speaks
You have that wrong, it is the amount that the state of the economy is sinking every second under the current POTUS.
OCCUPY, go occupy your place in the unemployment line. That has to be the dumbest response I've read today
Not anymore!!
All someone has to do now is throw a couple sticks of dynamite to finish off this ugly crap worth $3.2 million.
HAHAHAHAHA,
seriously, glad nobody was hurt though, but on that note..............HAHAHAHAHA
One out of every 45 children – some 1.6 million – in the United States is homeless,
according to a report released Tuesday by the National Center on Family
Homelessness. This is an old report but still...yes we have our priorities in order you bet!
And this is on ALL of us.
So because somebody is poor, I can't enjoy my hard earned cash? What's your point?
one out of every 45 parents should have used birth control..pretty simple isn't it..
Every 60 seconds......a minute passes by
I'll second BeesKnees....If I spend $1M a year on my family, what business is it of anyone elses? Beyond that, I think that boat/yacht/eyesore, looks funnier than sh!t!
There's always one.
"which was billed as the largest noncommercial boat on Lake Tahoe"
Oh really?
"The boat rented for $2,000 a night, according to a brochure from 2008-09, or $8,000 for four hours."
Sounds commercial to me.
If you rent a car, does it become a commercial vehicle?
Commercial vessels are those used for shipping and commercial transport.
a houseboat isn't a yacht......it's an aluminum ghetto
I have to agree - this monstrosity does not look like a yacht, but just a double-wide houseboat. Probably was just sitting up on cinder blocks when it fell. Only thing missing is the coat hanger TV antenna.
Stop making fun of this, it was Mitt's party barge and for the VIP's of the 1%. You see only very rich smart people can understand how this effects them!
2nd dumbest comment of the day willy
I have seen that ugly thing on the lake many times. Whoever is saying that that thing is worth 3.2 million is either high or lying.
Somebody got high on bath salts and ate the bottom out of this thing.
Streamlined??? That hulk is as streamlined as a bulldozer.
Inspired by. Never said it was streamlined. I'm inspired by Roy Orbison but I sound more like cat with it's tail caught in a door.
I say Muffy, is the boat sinking or is my viagra inter-acting with this pathetic domestic sparkling wine?
Was the band still playing all the time?
It appears as if the $3.2 million "yacht" has vinyl siding.
Hey, I wonder what will happen if i pull this rubber plug out. Bubba get me another beer and we'll give it a try.
My old employer had a 120' Summerville custom order that looked far better then that tub.
The stern has two jet ski ramps and water slide all for about 1 mil. #.4 is what he's now telling the insurance company.
houseboats are great for family get a ways. The Romney comments are from liberal dingys.
kind of confused. it costs $2K a night or $8K for 4 hours? what kind of math is that? Good riddance though, why do we need something like this? just because you doesn't mean you should.
We don't.
hell ! He'll just buy a bigger boat: