Dear readers,
Sometimes it can be so simple. I literally stumbled across my topic for this YACHT week during the production of YACHT issue 1/25. My colleague Nils Leiterholt sparked my imagination with his headline for the report "A day at the boat chandlery". "The Happiness Makers" is the auspicious and extremely fitting title of the story that emerged when he was allowed to spend a day looking over the shoulders of the Toplicht team in their fascinatingly well-stocked boat shop.
Now many of you will probably agree with me: Boat chandlers are a similar curiosity to DIY stores. You can stroll through the aisles for hours - preferably on a rainy winter's day - and happily pack your shopping trolley full, even though there is nothing more on the shopping list than, for example, cable ties or waterproof repair tape for the sail. Just the little things.
But all of a sudden it appears, the desire to optimise the boat in order to make the most of your own desire for freedom on the water. A shackle here, a cleat there, new gennaker sheets would also be nice, and the hand bearing compass is on offer. Perfect!
And the best thing about the shopping trip: it lifts your spirits in the usually boatless winter and lets you dream of the new season. "Mental sailing", so to speak. We can cast off, shoot up the new mooring lines in our minds, stow the factory-fresh fenders in the forecastle and sail off into the sunset.
No online shopping can compete with this. The virtual world, as practical as it may be in many respects, is soulless in direct comparison. No chatting with like-minded people in the shop, no coffee at the counter with the knowledgeable salesperson who can tell me exactly whether an eight-millimetre anchor chain or the ten-millimetre version is the right choice.
If, like me, you enjoy cooking, you may know the feeling. Ideas for a meal with friends come to you in the supermarket as you leisurely push your shopping trolley through the aisles and queue at the counters. Yes, online shopping may be more time-saving and possibly cheaper. The feeling is different, "being inspired" by the product range only works with real goods in front of you.
This makes it all the more important to support the few boat chandlers that still operate their own shops. These shops are part of the cultural heritage that is sailing and boating. So, "Support your local boat chandler"!
And, while we're on the subject of English, here's another saying that I came across recently that made me smile and fits the topic perfectly:
You can't buy happiness
but you can buy a sailboat
and that's pretty close
And if there is already a sailing boat, then the saying can of course be wonderfully transformed:
You can't buy happiness
But you can buy a YACHT magazine
and that's pretty close
With our passionate team of editors, we also ensure that your passion for sailing can be found on the sofa, providing you with advice and support on all kinds of technical topics and letting you rave about the latest boats on the market. Even in the cold winter, when the first trip of the season is still a long way off.
With this in mind. Always a hand's breadth of water under the keel and have fun shopping!
Martin Hager
YACHT Editor-in-Chief
PS: You can find all the information about our Black Week offers here:
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The week in pictures
Recommended reading from the editorial team
Vendée Globe
The race in the live tracker
The live tracker of the Vendée Globe 2024/25: This tracking shows the race of the tenth edition of the round-the-world regatta - with Boris Herrmann!
Malizia 4
First the damage to the foil, now the mainsail has torn
First the damage to the foil, then broken hull reinforcements, and now a tear in the mainsail. Two new videos show how Team Malizia is repairing and further developing the IMOCA ahead of the Route du Rhum.
Silting up of the Elbe
Small ports are fighting for every metre of water depth
The Lower Elbe is silting up, time windows are shrinking and ports are becoming difficult to reach. With flat-bottomed boats and homemade dredgers, sailors are fighting to preserve their fishing grounds.
Propulsion
Max Bianchi variable-pitch propeller, which adjusts its pitch whilst the aircraft is in flight
A variable-pitch propeller that automatically adjusts its pitch whilst in flight: this is what Max Prop’s Max Bianchi model is designed to achieve in powered flight and motor-sailing.
Interview
What is it like to work on board the ‘Thor Heyerdahl’?
The ‘Thor Heyerdahl’ has been sailing the world’s oceans for more than 40 years. YACHT editor Fabian Boerger explains why this historic vessel remains relevant.
Hurricanes 2026
Dramatic rescue off the coast of California – El Niño shapes the storm season
A lifeguard rescues a sailor from a partially flooded yacht off the coast of California. Why the 2026 hurricane season is turning out so differently between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Blue-water yachts
These five are heading to the ends of the earth
Five blue-water yachts, five designs: the Boréal 56, Kraken 58, Pure 49, Stem 50 and Breehorn 55 demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses on a long-distance voyage.
Record low water level in Lake Zurich
Sailing yacht flown by helicopter to its winter storage facility
Water levels in Lake Zurich are below the previous record low. Because his sailing yacht was stuck in the shallow water and in danger of capsizing, a 65-year-old owner had his boat airlifted out by helicopter. The operation cost around 2,000 francs and highlights just how much the exceptionally low water level is now affecting navigation.
Series of thefts continues
Thieves make off with two 300 PS outboard motors from Wieltsee
Thieves have struck again at Wieltsee: they have stolen two boats and removed heavy outboard motors. This is already the fourth such incident in three months.
Second-hand boat of the week
Arietta 31 – the dawn of an era
A narrow waist, mahogany hull and elegant overhangs: the Arietta 31, designed by Olle Enderlein, prioritises balanced lines and seaworthiness over maximum living space. As a forerunner of later Scandinavian cruising yachts, it is now an interesting classic for sailors seeking a traditional, compact cruising yacht.
Breehorn 55 review
Is it the ideal home at sea?
A pilothouse, teak fittings and an unusually accessible service tunnel: this is how the Breehorn 55 works below deck, and these compromises remain.
Newsletter: YACHT-Woche
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