Faced with a cut in funding from the state of California and recognizing a need for waterborne transit on Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Divers Conservancy decided to offer water shuttle service to cover the expenses of its organization.
The “Blue Warrior” with a capacity for 20 people started its waterborne shuttle service on June 1, ferrying passengers from Tahoe City to the East Shore and back.
After a cut in funding in 2009, the group needed a $20,000 loan to maintain its operations, said Capt. Mechele Duhamel, who manages the shuttle. But, with the cost of buoys, fuel, insurance and other expenses, that was quickly eaten up. The group’s solution – provide a water shuttle that would cover its costs, pay back its loan and build a reserve.
“It seems to make sense,” Duhamel says. “The divers use the boat to do cleanup work and we thought we could make money off it.”
The shuttle service will be offered depending on demand, with a minimum of five passengers needed to run. Duhamel says passengers will need to call ahead to make reservations to ensure the shuttle is running, but that the group expects to operate Tuesday to Sunday by July.
“We’ll see how much people want it,” she said.
The shuttle will run starting at the Groove Street Pier in Tahoe City at 9:30 a.m. and make stops in Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach, Incline Village, Hidden Beach and Sand Harbor, with return stops in the afternoon. A complete schedule is available online.
Prices vary depending on the trip from $50 per person for a 3.5-hour tour aboard the boat. Or, if you want a ride to and from parts of the North and East Shores, fees range from $25 to $35 per person. Passengers will be picked up/dropped off by dingy at several locations or at public piers and are welcome to bring picnic baskets and coolers if they want to spend the day on the beach. Duhamel says they’ll even tow your kayak, if you want a ride down the East Shore and to kayak back on your own.
The shuttle’s proceeds will be used to fund the Tahoe Divers Conservancy efforts to eradicate curlyleaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil that’s infested Emerald Bay and parts of South Lake Tahoe. The divers use UV tarps to cover the invasive plants on the lake bottom; depriving them of sunlight kills the plants. All of the work by the Divers Conservancy, including operating the shuttle, is done by volunteers.
As well, the Divers Conservancy has a 10-year lease at Patton Beach in Carnelian Bay to operate the Blue Warrior Café.
For more information on the Divers Conservancy, visit www.alpengroup.org/tahoe-divers-conservancy. For more information on the shuttle or to purchase a ticket, visit www.getontahoe.com. Private charter service also is available.
