• The week in pictures
• Recommended reading from the editorial team

Dear readers,

Almost 15 years ago I bought a 20 dinghy cruiser from 1970. Solid mahogany, in need of refurbishment, but sailable. The aim was actually to try it out for a season to see if it was the right boat for the Elbe and my family, and then either sell it again or continue to run it. Unfortunately, the Jolli took on so much water under sail when the loads from the forestay and backstay pulled the planks apart that the first trip ended quite quickly in the harbour and with pumps. The decision was then whether to sell or go for a total refit.

I decided in favour of the second option. Which meant a winter of stripping the paintwork, skirting, covering with fibreglass, renewing the fittings and so on. But it didn't stop there. The cabin superstructure was very angular, with the angular windows of the 70s, framed by aluminium profiles. This type of superstructure was called a "telephone box". I thought that was ugly. I created new window shapes, the large windscreen gave way to two portholes, the coaming became lower. I worked with carbon fibre in both visible and hidden areas, changed the fitting arrangement and operation, ordered laminate sails and tried to bring the boat into the modern age as best I could.

One winter, I was sitting opposite a designer at a reception. I proudly told him all the things I had done and how great the boat would look now. My counterpart was flabbergasted: "You can't do that, a boat like that is also a piece of contemporary history, the designer originally had something in mind, you can't just change it!"

What does that mean? "It's my boat, I can do what I want with it," I replied. "If I light it for the Easter bonfire, that's my business too." After all, I'm not a member of an association for the preservation of maritime treasures. I have nothing against sailors wanting to keep their boats in their original condition, on the contrary. They are genuine contemporary witnesses and their endeavours are to be highly commended. But when you buy an old boat, are you also committing yourself to something like monument preservation?

A few years ago, we here at YACHT gave a scrap-ready Dehlya 25 a completely new interior and a modern rig. Initially, there were similar comments to the effect that you couldn't do that. But when the boat was at various boat shows, I never met anyone who didn't love what they saw.

We are currently running another series in which the aim is to give an old yacht a more modern look. Without huge conversions like the Dehlya back then, but rather with visual changes. And once again there is a controversial discussion on YouTube or Facebook. "A high-quality look becomes a yoghurt pot look. You don't necessarily have to like it," they say. But also: "I really like it. We also have an 'older' ship and will also brighten up the salon."

As we all know, taste is a very debatable subject. Just as some people like a yacht in its original condition and others don't, the same applies to modifications to the boat. I'm just surprised at the vehemence with which some discussions are conducted. In my case with the designer, but also in public channels.

What business is it of anyone else what I do with my boat? Nothing, that's my opinion. Things worth preserving find their way into museums or are looked after by enthusiasts. If not, it often ends up in the rubbish, even though it has a certain history attached to it. My dinghy cruiser, on the other hand, is still around, but no longer with me because I sold it.

But if I hadn't repaired it and left it in its original condition, it is doubtful whether I would have found a buyer. It's better that this boat and many others are still being sailed, adapted to contemporary tastes, rather than ordering a new one from the shipyard. I don't even want to go into the idea of sustainability here.

Lars Bolle,

Editor-in-chief watersports digital

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