AH-WR-0852

Florence M

Passenger Launch · United States · Lost Scuttled in the 1950s after the resort closed · Lake Tahoe

A resort passenger launch scuttled at her mooring in Emerald Bay in the 1950s, now part of California's first underwater heritage trail.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

The passenger launch Florence M once ferried guests of the Emerald Bay Resort around Lake Tahoe's famed cove during the early 20th century. When the resort closed and the state acquired the land in the 1950s, the small motor launch was deliberately scuttled at her mooring along with other resort watercraft. Cold, clear Tahoe water preserved her hull, and in 2018 she became part of the newly opened Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail, the first underwater heritage trail in California.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Gasoline motor
Owners: Emerald Bay Resort

Loss

Date: Scuttled in the 1950s after the resort closed
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
Water: Lake Tahoe
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 10-40
Condition: Preserved by Lake Tahoe's cold, clear water; part of a small watercraft collection at its original mooring location.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Within Emerald Bay State Park; part of the Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail managed by California State Parks

Position

Coordinates: 38.96° N 120.09° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California
Region: Lake Tahoe

General area only: coordinate of Emerald Bay from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the named place along the Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail where this scuttled launch is reported, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)

The exact year built and the precise scuttling date are not established in the sources reviewed.

California State Parks
Trail description, depth range, opening date.
Tahoe Cruises
Naming of the Florence M and other small craft at the resort site, scuttling context.
USGS Geographic Names Information System — Emerald Bay, El Dorado County, California
coordinate of the named place of loss (Emerald Bay)