Welcome aboard, I’m Ryan. I’ll be your captain!

I’ve lived in Vancouver nearly my entire life. I grew up in East Van, and I live here today. Ever since I was young I knew I had a problem with impulse control. This led to my problems with various addictions. I had crippling social anxiety, and by my teens I was medicating with drugs and alcohol. Weed calmed my overactive mind and unlocked my artistic creativity, and alcohol gave me extrovert superpowers. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t like most other people. I had a very addictive personality, and I often took things way too far. Whether it was videogames, relationships, or substances, i’d obsess over everything that I enjoyed to the point where nothing else mattered.

I also desperately wanted to fit in, And because of my eclectic mix of interests, I had a unusual mix of circles that I was a part of. I hung out with the Nerds and the cool kids, the outcasts and the drug dealers, but I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. So to avoid feeling my feelings, which I didn’t even really understand, I numbed everything, for decades. It wasn’t until my late 30’s that I realized that I’d been merely existing, and not actually living life. In fact, every single activity in my life was centered around something that was killing me. But i didn’t know how to stop.

I started my recovery journey in my early 40’s, after trying to cut down on my own for years. I still wasn’t sure if I was ready for sobriety, but I knew how dangerous the path I was on was. Even after extensive work, I still struggle, but I’m getting so much better. It’s progress, not perfection. Much like sailing, recovery is a slow process, and something that I will be learning for the rest of my life.

The East Van Yacht Club aims to help heal those in recovery, and myself as well, by connecting people with eachother and nature through honesty, humility, and hospitality. It is the intersection of all of my passions in life, and I want to share it with as many people as I can.

Welcome aboard!