John Forbes Cooper

1931-2022

John Forbes Cooper (Forbes), who is often credited with launching BC’s yacht building industry, has died in West Vancouver at age 91. Born in Winnipeg and having moved to Edmonton as a toddler, he grew up with an eye for business opportunities. He hung out with engineers and construction folks, then started a concrete business. By 1966, he’d moved to Vancouver and, after undertaking ventures into automotive and motel businesses, spotted an auction notice for the faltering Canadian arm of US yacht builder Columbia Boats. He opted to make an offer—without any knowledge of boat building. His bid was the lowest, but the US parent company accepted it after Forbes contacted them and persuaded them of his business acumen. Forbes learned about fibreglass boat building at the library and entered the boat business as Cooper Yachts in 1970.

Forbes became known as a man who connected with people and his crew liked working for him. His affability along with his business savvy carried him far. He partnered with architect Don Martin (of Martin 242 and 29 fame) and, under licence, built a line of Catalina 22s and 27s at his yard in Port Coquitlam. The Catalina 27, also constructed in California, became one of the most successful keelboats ever. He began building yachts under his own name, also teamed up with naval architect Stan Huntingford and produced a number of boats of different designs and sizes, including the Cooper 508, which Cruising World’s Dan Spurr called the “Super Cooper” in a 1983 review. His boats ranged in size from 22 to 68 feet. Other yachts, notably the Maple Leaf and Sea Bird motorsailers, and Banner sailboats of various sizes also left Cooper’s yards. He launched the Prowler line of powerboats. He also fabricated aluminum masts, and when the recession hit in the early 1980s and slowed boat sales, Forbes initiated a charter boat company.

When he contemplated retirement, he rejected an offer from Jim Pattison but took another offer later in 1990. The buyer was unsuccessful, and the yard soon closed.

Forbes found retirement boring, so he restarted custom boatbuilding under FC Custom Yachts, constructing various yachts as large as 115 feet. He repurposed the mold of the Monkdesigned Tolly 43 which was reborn as the Westcoast 46. After selling the company to Ron Rayburn, he cruised BC waters with his wife Helen who died in 2018.

Forbes is remembered by his second wife, Joan, children, grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. In addition, many of the boats he constructed are still afloat and his name continues to survive in Granville Island’s Cooper Boating.

—Marianne Scott