By Barb Thomson

Special to the Record

In the spring of 2018, Kent and Leslie Giebelhaus bought a power boat, a 27-foot Skagit.

Although not new boaters, they had retired to the Comox Valley and were unfamiliar with West Coast waters. So when they happened upon the Comox Valley Yacht Club鈥檚 (CVYC) information booth at a marina event that year, Kent remembers the 鈥渋mmediate warm conversation鈥� about the club鈥檚 area cruises, member socials, and educational events.

鈥淚f you sign up now, you can come to tonight鈥檚 TGIF,鈥� they were told. And so they did.

This year the Comox Valley Yacht Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary with Kent Giebelhaus now serving as commodore and Leslie Giebelhaus as secretary.

The CVYC website tags itself as 鈥渢he blue jean yacht club,鈥� to set it apart from the formal and formidable. It鈥檚 an important distinction. A glance at a Reddit site about yacht club membership and you鈥檒l see 鈥渆litist, elitist, elitist old rich folks.鈥� However, the CVYC has grown and maintained an average of 150 boaters that Giebelhaus describes as 鈥渁n amazingly diverse group 鈥� retired folks, some still working, artists, musicians, some are fit, some are very fit, many join as new boaters,鈥� with all kinds and sizes of power and sailboats in the fleet.

Still, even if you can wear blue jeans, is membership worth it? Giebelhaus has a broad easy smile and describes how shared boater knowledge and 鈥渉ands-on-learning鈥� resulted in greater confidence in their boat exploring 鈥減laces we wouldn鈥檛 have got to on our own.鈥�

The CVYC has overcome challenges, losing its clubhouse in the 2010 Comox Edgewater Pub fire. Giebelhaus explains how 鈥渃lub members had early ambitions to raise funds for docks and a new clubhouse,鈥� but over time, property values and foreshore legislation required the CVYC to shift its purposes.

鈥淪o we鈥檝e diverted our focus to supporting our local boating community and a healthy marine environment.鈥�

That includes a stewardship agreement with BC Parks to provide volunteer hosts over the summer months at J谩i7em and Kw鈥檜lh Marine Park.

What does the future look like for the CVYC?

鈥淥ur sister club in Nanoose just celebrated its 50th anniversary 鈥� we have every hope we can do the same in 25 years.鈥� Giebelhaus is clearly proud of the CVYC and closes with 鈥淐ome join our Club! We are a dynamic group of like-minded boaters with a zest for fun and adventures.鈥� Elitist old yachties they鈥檙e not.

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Barb Thomson is a boating enthusiast who writes regular columns for the Comox Valley Record.