PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Drivers traveling through Placerville Monday evening encountered an unusual obstacle on the road: a 50-foot sailing catamaran headed uphill toward its new home on Lake Tahoe.
Photos taken at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, show the Blue Zephyr being hauled overland near the Bedford Avenue intersection. The vessel was being transported by trailer as part of its journey to South Lake Tahoe, where it will operate as a passenger sailing vessel.
The move was anything but routine.
A catamaran of this size requires substantial clearance and careful maneuvering, particularly where U.S. Highway 50 meets Bedford Avenue and traffic transitions between the freeway and Placerville’s surface streets. The trailer and vessel occupy considerably more road space than ordinary traffic, forcing motorists to wait while the transport crew works through intersections and tight turns.
The result Monday afternoon was a crawl.
Two traffic problems collide
The oversized vessel was only part of the problem.
Caltrans already had active work underway along the US-50 corridor between Bedford Avenue in Placerville and Sly Park Road in Pollock Pines.
According to current roadway information, Caltrans had lane restrictions scheduled Monday evening beginning at 6:01 p.m. on both the eastbound and westbound sides of the corridor. The restrictions include pavement and median-barrier work, with lane closures extending between Bedford Avenue and Sly Park Road.
That timing created a particularly difficult situation for drivers.
The Blue Zephyr’s slow movement through the Bedford intersection effectively reduced already-constrained roadway capacity at the same time commuters were encountering construction-related restrictions.
For motorists, the combination was simple: a very large boat moving very slowly through a road corridor already operating with fewer lanes.
From Placerville to Lake Tahoe
The Blue Zephyr is not an ordinary recreational boat.
The catamaran is advertised as a 50-foot sailing vessel operating on Lake Tahoe through Sail Tahoe Blue. Current tourism listings describe two-hour sailing cruises aboard the Blue Zephyr, with departures from the Ski Run Marina area in South Lake Tahoe.
The vessel is expected to become part of Lake Tahoe’s passenger-cruise scene, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the lake under sail rather than aboard a conventional powered tour boat.
Its destination makes Monday’s unusual journey particularly noteworthy for residents of El Dorado County. Before passengers can board the Blue Zephyr on Lake Tahoe, the vessel has to make the difficult transition from highway trailer to lake-ready catamaran.
And that means getting it through the Sierra.
For Placerville motorists, however, the immediate concern was much more practical.
Traffic.
Expect patience in the corridor
The Caltrans restrictions between Bedford Avenue and Sly Park Road are scheduled to continue beyond Monday night, including additional work beginning Tuesday evening. Current listings show restrictions extending into the first days of September.
The Blue Zephyr’s passage is a temporary event, but the construction-related restrictions are not.
Drivers using US-50 through Placerville, Camino and Pollock Pines should therefore expect changing traffic patterns and should allow additional time when traveling through the corridor.
For those caught behind the oversized load Monday evening, there was at least one consolation:
The traffic jam came with a view of something most motorists don’t encounter every day — a Lake Tahoe catamaran climbing through the heart of Placerville on a trailer.
And somewhere up the hill, the Blue Zephyr was one step closer to the lake.
Source note: Current Lake Tahoe cruise listings identify the Blue Zephyr as a 50-foot catamaran operated by Sail Tahoe Blue. Caltrans-related lane information cited above reflects current roadway scheduling available for the Bedford Avenue-Sly Park Road corridor.
