Man ticketed after yacht backs up traffic on I-205

An oversized yacht from Wisconsin blocked motorists from taking the Southeast Mill Plain exit off northbound Interstate 205 on Thursday afternoon, the Washington State Patrol said.

The delay began around 2:41 p.m. after the driver of the nearly 17-foot-tall and 15-foot-wide boat realized the boat was not going to make it under the right side of the Southeast 10th Street overpass, WSP spokesman Ryan Tanner said. The boat had pilot cars for Oregon but did not have Washington pilot cars for its journey to the Port of Tacoma, he added added.

As of 4:15 p.m., the yacht had been moved to a different location and traffic on the interstate’s four lanes and exit lane was flowing normally, Tanner said. The boat blocked the exit lane for around 80 minutes Thursday afternoon.

“We don’t have this happen too often,” Tanner said. “The problem here was the driver should have stopped in Oregon. There’s no good place to stop without blocking part of the roadway.”

Driver Roger Perrin, 68, of Grandville, Mich., was cited for lacking proper escort cars and operating during prohibited hours. The tickets Perrin received carry fines of $175 apiece, Tanner said.

The load originated from Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Tanner said, noting the boat had been repossessed. It is parked at a restaurant off Interstate 5. It is unclear when Perrin will be able to drive it to his stated destination, Tanner said, noting he would have to do so with the proper escort and during permitted hours.