From steamers to hydrofoil, is electric ferry travel on Lake Tahoe the next new frontier?

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In the late 1800s, traveling by boat on Lake Tahoe to get around to the communities around its 72-mile shore was the main way to travel. There we no cars, and using horses and wagons was not the easiest, or quickest, way to get around.

The invention of the car and the development of roads around the lake 1934-35 changed boat travel forever on Lake Tahoe, boats were scuttled and cars became king.

Now entrepreneurs are trying to change that and get boat travel on electric hydrofoil boats more commonplace.

A new company, FlyTahoe, has an electric hydrofoil ferry they'd like to see moving passengers from shore to shore. Thirty people can fit on the "flying boat" that can run almost year-round. Since it doesn't travel directly on the water there are no big waves to contend with during storms and the ride remains calm.

Founder and CEO of FlyTahoe, Ryan Meinzer, plans to bring the Candela P-12 to Tahoe's waters. It was recently launched by Stockholm's public transport company, becoming the first operator of this innovative vessel.

To make its way to Tahoe, Meinzer has a lot of planning ahead of him, along with working with regulatory agencies as it would have to launch and deliver passengers to marinas. He is looking at a north-south route at this time, and people could get to ski resorts on both sides of the lake with a 30-minute ferry ride.

"An electric, hydrofoil ferry could be a good addition to Tahoe’s transportation mix," said Chris Joseph of the League to Save Lake Tahoe. Joseph said they are eager to learn more about FlyTahoe's plan for parking, routes, schedules, and making sure the boats are inspected for aquatic invasive species.

Meinzer is optimistic he can launch the eco-friendly solution to travel by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.

The air-born ferries don't have gears, no oil, no noise, and would reduce sediments from finding their way from roads into the lake. They also don't create a wake, so wave action won't bother other boaters or swimmers.

"We believe we're very aligned with keeping Tahoe blue and saving the lake," said Meinzer. "This is an exciting time."

The entrepreneur is from San Francisco so has spent a lot of time in the Lake Tahoe area.

"This is my favorite place on this planet," said Meinzer.

He said that everyone in Tahoe is eco-friendly and environmentally conscious so he thought it was the place to start his company.

This past summer another electric hydrofoil company, Navier, came to Lake Tahoe to demonstrate its boat, and they also worked with a San Francisco employer to use a ferry for its staff to travel from the City to Larkspur. There is no update at this time if the Navier boats are heading to Lake Tahoe in a rental or other capacity.