WELCOME TO THE
CANYON LAKE YACHT CLUB
CANYON LAKE, CALIFORNIA
A Little Bit of Paradise!
Canyon Lake Yacht Club consists of 420 enthusiastic members who love to enjoy the water. In fact, if there is one thing that ties us all together it is our love of the lake. We enjoy many activities that get us out on the water, as well as some awesome land-borne events that we do as a club.
If you love the lake and would like to hang out with others who love to get out on the water, we'd love to have you join us. No boat required! Check out the pages of this website to get to know us a little better, and then join us via our membership page. We'd like to get to know you and help you make lifelong friends who share the same interests. We invite you to be part of the Canyon Lake Yacht Club and enjoy "a little bit of paradise!"
CLYC Deckhand of the Month!
Aye, Aye Mates!!!! Anchors aweigh…All hands-on deck!
When our Commodore, Rob Mora, took over the helm in January, he told us to get our sea legs ready as he began to navigate us in the direction that our prior Commodore saw on the horizon. As we set sail, he battened down the hatches and began to focus on a better way to navigate our deckhands through a website that could not only host activities and other announcements, but also provide additional features that would make it easier to safely sail the following seas [lake] for the upcoming year. Although we were pretty even keeled, we needed to make sure we were squared-riffed and squared away and wanted to have, among other things, our activities highlighted, announce volunteer opportunities, advertise, and sell our merchandise and collect dues in one convenient location.
So mates, do NOT be caught dead in the water over the next year! As we cast off, look for opportunities as to how you can be our Deckhand of the Month! The Canyon Lake Yacht Club will be on the crow’s nest looking for that deck hand that goes the extra mile and guides us towards our destination. We have our map above but are always open to veering new courses too! Feel the talk of the boat and set your destination(s) and let us showcase you….
CLYC July 2024
Deckhand of the Month!
ALL HANDS-ON DECK!!!!!!
We are excited to share the next CLYC Deckhand of the Month!
PAUL HAWKER
This month, we are thrilled to honor Paul Hawker as our Deckhand of the Month.
Originally from Michigan, Paul relocated to California at the age of 30 for a career opportunity with Johnson & Johnson. During his time there, Paul held various senior executive sales positions within the ophthalmic surgical division. In addition to driving sales, he played a pivotal role in training physicians and assistants on the use of state-of-the-art surgical equipment. After a successful 10-year tenure with J&J, Paul decided to embark on a new adventure. He purchased and served as CEO of a large ink printing business, which flourished under his leadership and secured numerous contracts, including with the U.S. government.
After extensive travels and living in both Orange and San Diego Counties, Paul retired and found his forever home in Canyon Lake in 2017. His motto, "loving retirement on the lake," perfectly encapsulates his deep connection to our community.
Paul’s passion for Canyon Lake is evident through his active involvement in the community. For the past three years, he has been responsible for guiding Canyon Lake Guild’s tribute bands on lake tours. His advocacy for additional Pickleball courts at East Port was instrumental in the expansion to six courts, now serving over 600 members, and he remains an avid player.
As one of the Canyon Lake Yacht Club’s (CLYC) biggest supporters, Paul is always among the first to propose new ideas for club activities. He rarely misses an outing, always accompanied by his loyal American black lab, Chewy, who shares his love for boat rides.
In July, Paul was an enthusiastic participant in both the Pirates & Wenches and Red Solo Cup cruises. When Commodore Rob Mora suggested creating a lake map featuring historical facts and landmarks, Paul was quick to volunteer. Alongside other captains, he helped chart the waters and craft the story of Canyon Lake, contributing to a new initiative to offer cruises that educate residents and their friends about our lake and its rich history. These cruises, starting in September, will be led by Paul and his trusty deck mate, Chewy.
The CLYC is incredibly fortunate to have Paul as not only a member but also a driving force behind our club’s innovation. We are deeply grateful for everything Paul contributes to both the club and the larger community.
To show our appreciation, Paul was joined by Commodore Rob Mora, Vice Commodore Dave Carter, Purser Lynette Rodriguez, Cindy Silk-Gonzalez (Events), and Kathy Lekawa (Membership) for a special dinner at the Lodge Restaurant, where they also had the chance to ask Paul our Sailor Six Questions.
Q: How long have you lived in Canyon Lake?
A: Since 2017 (7 years).
Q: How long have you been a member of the CL Yacht Club?
A: 6 years.
Q: If you were stranded on an island, where would want to be?
A: Bora Bora.
Q: What YC event do you look forward to the most?
A: Parade of Lights.
Q: Favorite water activity?
A: Back Bay Swimming.
Q: Does your boat have a name? If not, would you call it?
A: Canyon Cruiser.
Who will be our CLYC August Deckhand of the Month? Rumors have it that sailors tend to be predominantly realistic individuals, so we are looking for our sailor(s) that have contributed to the club by working outdoors and/or applying themselves to a hands-on project. Check out our website and see how this can be YOU!
SEE PAST DECKHANDS OF THE MONTH HERE!
First International Burgee Exchange - Thousand Islands Yacht Club,
Ontario Canada
June 19, 2024 - Cathy and Dan Lekawa are happy to deliver the first international burgee to the CLYC. It is from the Thousand Islands Yacht Club (TIYC) in Ontario, Canada. Thousand Islands is an archipelago of over 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River as it emerges into the Northeast corner of Lake Erie. It is also the home of Thousand Island dressing and contains one of Canada's oldest National Parks!
This burgee comes from a club with a kindred spirit to ours and an interesting story. We extracted this history from their website:
The TIYC came about as the result of a conversation in which one of a small group of boaters at a 1,000 Islands dock said he wished there was a way to get accommodation at various yacht clubs around Lake Ontario. He'd been turned away because he had no yacht club affiliation, or had to pay at others for a one-night stay.
Somebody mentioned the obvious: Why not form a yacht club? This group included no financiers or captains of industry. Among the lot, meeting the annual gas and booze bills and summer dockage was regarded as a feat of financial legerdemain.
The vision of a "yacht club" as exemplified by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club was so far from the realm of possibility among these short arms and deep pockets, it was beyond imagination...but not beyond the kind of ridicule stimulated by an early cocktail hour, boozy barbecue, after-dinner drinks and a full moon shining operation on Mermaid Island.
"We could just call ourselves a yacht club," one dogged dreamer persisted. "That's no good," was the retort. "You've gotta be RECOGNIZED." "How do you get recognized?"
....And so, on it went, and answers became as intangible as a Scotch mist. It was decided to ask the director of the Canadian Yacht Club Association (CYCA), Geoff Wheatley, on Monday (and somebody actually remembered!) Mr. Wheatley provided a quick answer: "Show me 10 members, pay me 10 bucks for each, and I'll register you as a yacht club....but there's one condition.", "What's that?" "I want to be a member too!"
So it was, in the year of 1981, the Thousand Islands Yacht Club was gathered into the bosom of the CYCA, and stamped with legitimacy.
Cathy met a member of the small yacht club earlier in our vacation when we were waiting for a ferry to Nantucket. This member convinced us to stop at Thousand Islands on our way to Niagara Falls from Montreal.
Upon arrival, we could not find anyone around. We knocked and entered the small shed known as their clubhouse. Although there was no one present, there was a counter of assorted candy bars, a jar for paying, a bottle of Southern Comfort next to an old microwave, and a 12 pack of beer on the messy desk. They had 3 burgees in their collection pinned on the wall, one being their own.
We finally bumped into Bill, the “Water Manager." We told him we had hoped to meet the commodore and exchange burgees. He volunteered to see if he could find one amongst the mess of maps and other papers. He couldn't so he took the last known burgee off the wall and said, "it is a little worn, but it is yours." He took ours in exchange. We expressed our appreciation and told him a little about our club.
The TIYC burgee has a story too. The red, white and blue colors, the maple leaf and the white stars on blue background are symbolic of the club's Canadian & American ties, while the six stars represent the six founding members that came up with the idea on the moonlit drinking night.
