A Little Bit of Paradise!
Canyon Lake Yacht Club consists of 300 (and counting) 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 August 2025
Deckhands of the Month!
ALL HANDS-ON DECK!!!!!!
We are excited to share the next CLYC Deckhands of the Month!
Dave Carter
Please join us in congratulating Dave Carter, our newest Deckhand of the Month!
Dave grew up in Long Beach, California, where his love for the ocean and the “flip-flop lifestyle” began early. His favorite spot was Seal Beach, where he spent countless days body surfing with friends, chasing the sun, and enjoying life on the sand rather than on any organized field.
In 1966, Dave joined the U.S. Army, serving three years, most of them in Anchorage, Alaska. He recalls sleeping outdoors in the bitter cold, with temperatures dropping as low as 70°F below zero, a far cry from the warm beaches of Southern California.
After his service, Dave returned home to the sunshine and enrolled at Cal State Long Beach, where he earned a business degree. Soon after, he spent more than three months backpacking through Europe, immersing himself in history and culture, a journey that left a lifelong impression.
A few years later, fate brought him together with Shelley, a fellow Cal State Long Beach student. They met on a sunny September day, were engaged by January, and married that June, beginning a love story that has now spanned more than 50 years.
Dave’s professional journey began as a loan officer at Security Pacific Bank (1972 to 1975). From there, he accepted a position with the City of Westminster as Assistant Finance Director, where he oversaw payroll, administrative operations, and several financial systems. His career path then led him to Science Dynamics in Torrance, California, continuing in finance and business administration.
Wanting to stay closer to Orange County, Dave formed his own corporation, establishing an office in Fountain Valley while living nearby in Lake Forest. During that time, he and Shelley started their family, welcoming a son and daughter.
Family time often meant weekends at Martinez Lake in Yuma, Arizona, where they loved to ski and explore shifting sandbars that appeared out of nowhere. They also spent many memorable days on Lake Havasu and the Parker River, embracing the lake life long before they became Canyon Lake residents.
It was their son Ryan who first introduced them to Canyon Lake. After retiring in 2004, Dave stayed active in the Lake Forest community, serving with the Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce, where he continues to stay involved with weekly visits to Orange County.
When it came time to downsize, Dave and Shelley found their dream home on Clear Water Drive, overlooking the East Bay, a beautiful single-story waterfront gem that fit them perfectly. Once they settled in, Dave naturally gravitated to the water and soon found his place with the Canyon Lake Yacht Club.
He quickly became an active member, eventually serving as Vice Commodore in 2024, a year that saw CLYC’s membership grow to record numbers. Dave continues to play a vital role behind the scenes, whether it’s coordinating insurance for events, assisting with logistics, or volunteering whenever help is needed.
Dave’s motto is simple: once he takes on a task, it gets done. His reliability, steady leadership, and commitment to the club embody the very spirit of what it means to be a Deckhand of the Month.
Beyond the club, Dave enjoys traveling with Shelley, especially on cruises. Their most recent adventures took them to Greece and Croatia, fueling his lifelong passion for Europe and its rich history. Dave also treasures time with his grandson, Riker, with whom he shares an unbreakable bond.
Please join us in celebrating Dave Carter, a man whose calm leadership, community spirit, and quiet determination make him a true asset to the Canyon Lake Yacht Club family. ⚓️
Sailor Six Questions & Answers
Q: How long have you lived in Canyon Lake?
A: 4 years.
Q: How long have you been a member of the CL Yacht Club?
A: 3 years.
Q: If you were stranded on an island, where would want to be?
A: Maui.
Q: What YC event do you look forward to the most?
A: Parade of Lights.
Q: Favorite water activity?
A: Sunset Cruise.
Q: Does your boat have a name? If not, would you call it?
A: No Bad Days II.
Who will be our CLYC September 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.
