What we did -

- with thanks to Steve Stratton, Walter Clarke, Michael Richards, Dave McMurchie and dozens of others that will reveal themselves as you read the stories - these people were the hub of everything - it was the combination of everyone that made it all happen.

Dynasty Sailing formed itself around 1975.  It was more of a movement than a business.  Like a cloud it formed itself out of nowhere, became a thing of beauty, and disappeared from view as the participants went their separate ways.

Walter Clarke pictured below, now passed on, established  Squamish Offshore Sailing where he taught and did charters for over twenty years.



The void in Vancouver after Dynasty was filled by Cooper Enterprises who took the Vancouver sailing scene another gigantic leap in evolution, but this is the Dynasty story and I am digressing.

There were all the part time instructors: Dave Wolfe who had his own Hunter 26 and people like Bill Beaty. The revenue vs operational costs were worked out so everyone got a share of the revenue. Everyone knew what the numbers were.  People taking lessons paid as they went and could drop out at any time.  They also booked sessions with their instructor lesson by lesson so the same instructor would usually stay with the same group of students and Bill was one of those guys that really made sailing fun for people.

There was the "crew".  These were people that used to help out and do stuff like crew on the Halia for charters which got them out on the water sailing for free.

For example, during one Vancouver Sea Festival I got it into my head it would be neat to pick up people off the Beach in the West End and take them on a sailing cruise around English Bay.  I had seen this kind of thing in Hawaii and thought it would really contribute to the Sea Festival which was so filled with people it was difficult to get supplies to the Health Food store we owned .

We had Steve Stratton's "Halia" 48 foot cedar-strip ketch with an awesome galleon stern.  A ship like no other and perfect for charters. It would accommodate 22 people on a day-sail and slept 14.
There was lots of deck space and the only problem with it is that you had to con it from a center cabin.

Anyway, everyone got dressed up as "pirates" and "wenches" and rowed ashore from the Halia.  They stuck a banner on the beach tied between a couple of oars hawking a sail around English Bay for $5.  They rowed the people out to the Halia and when it was full, they hoisted sail, gave everyone a nautical experience, and then rowed them back to the beach. They would do 4 or 5 trips.
The Vancouver Parks Board that controlled the beaches was extremely conservative so we didn't involve them as we knew they wouldn't give us a permit.  Besides, we already had a business license.

(to read on you have to click on the Read More below...please do)