Parade of Lights Clinic teaches boat decorating techniques

At the residence of Rob Mora and Lainie Cooney, 30 individuals congregated for the Canyon Lake Yacht Club’s instructional session on embellishing vessels for the annual Canyon Lake Holiday Parade of Lights to be held Dec. 9.

Rob, serving as the club’s Vice Commodore, orchestrated and conducted the clinic. Rob and his spouse, Lainie, are the ones who enter their popular Gingerbread House parade boat, fondly named “Gum Drop Good.”

In collaboration with Greg Cassidy, the craftsman behind the equally acclaimed “Blue Shark,” Rob shared valuable experiences, encompassing both successful endeavors and lessons learned from unsuccessful attempts.

Rob Mora makes a point during the Parade of Lights Boat Clinic Saturday when he gave suggestions and techniques for decorating and lighting boats for the upcoming parade. Photo by Gina Lee Allen

Chris Papavero, an attendee, expressed gratitude for the wealth of knowledge gained at the clinic, emphasizing how the boat owners’ guidance preemptively averted common pitfalls that might not be immediately evident.

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like during the day,” Greg said at the clinic. “It’s what it looks like at night that’s important.” Greg and wife Karin Cassidy have been winners of top prizes in past boat parades.

A pivotal aspect of the event was conveying the ease with which individuals could transition their golf cart parade adornments into boat parade decorations with some foresight and planning.

Rob elucidated various innovations enabling him to seamlessly transfer his Gingerbread House display from street cart to pontoon boat. Ingeniously, metal tabs were affixed to each, securing the shared structure during the transition, while discreetly retracting when not in use.

“Take your decorated boat out the night before the parade for a trial run,” Chris said at the clinic. “Since the parade starts at East Port, the trial run will determine if your boat will safely go through the tunnel or if you’ll have to motor back to East Port and trailer to Holiday Harbor for the Main Lake portion of the parade. The trial run will also help you see if your display will last for the three-hour parade.”

“New people were able to talk to parade veterans and learn from their successes and failures,” Paul Hawker said. “Everyone came away a little smarter.”

“There were so many good tips,” Gina Lee Allen said. “We’re just wanting to start small and build every year and this was exactly the kind of information we needed. I really appreciate Lainie Cooney’s advice to buy the lights now and not wait until after Thanksgiving because they’ll be gone.”

“If you’re going to be in the parade, make sure you follow the lead boat, and don’t break away during the parade,” Rob said. “If you want to split off to visit your friends, wait until after the end of the parade, and that means after the parade has completed the Main Lake circuit. We do this so everyone can enjoy the parade.”

The Yacht Club is looking for sponsors for this year’s Canyon Lake Holiday Parade of Lights. For more information, contact the club at commodore@canyonlakeyachtclub.com.