More than 20 years of the Sailing Forum: A guest in the digital clubhouse
YACHT-Redaktion
· 14.10.2025
Anyone searching the Internet for information about sailing will sooner or later come across the website Sailing-Forum.com. For twenty years now, sailors have been discussing all kinds of issues there - from winterising the diesel engine to planning their trips and buying a used boat.
Stefan Beeger plays a central role in this. Together with a small team, he operates the platform and keeps it running independently of the large technology groups. Instead of fashionable design, he deliberately favours clear structures and reliable functionality. He talks about tried-and-tested concepts, heated discussions - and why digital encounters can lead to real sailing friendships.
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Forum boss Stefan Beeger in dialogue
Mr Beeger, in the early years of the internet, online forums were booming. With the rise of social networks, many of them disappeared. Why was the sailing forum still able to survive?
I think this is because we set it up as a moderated forum right from the start. People know: We pay attention to standards and respectful behaviour here. It's different on Facebook, Discord or Reddit - there's no firmly established culture there. That's exactly why we still exist today.
When you visit the forum, the layout still looks out of date. Is that intentional?
We deliberately remain anchored in the old to a certain extent. Today, many users are used to content being presented dynamically via algorithms. A forum, on the other hand, is clearly organised, like a tree with categories and sub-forums - and that's exactly what we want to retain and maintain.
How do you "maintain" a forum?
For example, topics are categorised appropriately. I make sure that users are not irritated when something seems to disappear. The aim is for the forum to function like a directory: If you have a question about the engine, for example, you will find all the relevant posts bundled together in the "Engine and drive" section. The aim is to make content more easily accessible. This means you don't have to use the search function for a long time, but can simply browse through the sections. There are also special sub-forums such as the "Open Boat Projects". These enjoy a certain degree of independence, have their own community and members can manage and move their topics themselves.
Have you thought about this structure?
That was an evolutionary process. The basic structure was created almost 21 years ago by the founder of the forum. He came from the yacht charter scene and didn't know too much about sailing, but he knew all the more about forums. We have built on this and continuously developed the platform.
If we realise that certain topics are in demand or we want to stimulate discussions, we open a new sub-forum. Conversely, we close areas again or move them if they are hardly used. There is no fixed strategy. The forum grows and changes with its users.
How would you describe the classic user?
I would say the average age of the users is well over 40, many are 60, 70 years old, some are even approaching 90. All in all, it's more likely to be older sailors. For them, it's perhaps not so important that the forum looks super modern. That also has a lot to do with the sport of sailing. We basically reflect what you see in the harbours.
What do you mean?
For many people, sailing is only an option in the second half of life. I bought my own boat, a Contest 33, straight after graduating. Because I realised that as soon as I had a house, family and children, there was hardly any money left. But I'm one of the exceptions. Most people don't choose this route and only get involved later - when time and financial resources allow.
Who decides what is discussed?
The topics are determined by the users. They start new discussions when they feel the need - or pick up on an older topic and bring it to the top. We don't get involved ourselves, there is no editorial intervention.
What is being discussed?
I think everyone will find something here. We have very different groups with very specialised interests. For example, there is a separate sub-forum for inflatable catamaran sailors - an absolute niche in sailing. But there is an enormous amount of flexibility here. One user from the Ukraine builds such boats on a larger scale and has published fascinating expedition reports - even before the war, when he travelled through Siberia on his catamaran. These are great stories.
We also have a very broad base. There is the "charter group", who are travelling without their own boat. Here, it's more about practical questions: which lifejacket is best or which handheld radio? Then we have the owners, who focus on technical questions, often in great detail, and time and again, absolute professionals also contribute their expertise.
So the forum is open to everyone?
Yes, this openness was characteristic right from the start. One of the first admins was the author Stephan Boden (Digger Hamburg, Einhundsegeln). He used the forum at the time to distribute his self-produced sailing videos. This quickly developed into a fundamental openness towards smaller commercial activities. To this day, there is a separate area for advertising - completely free of charge. The only decisive factor is that the contributions have substance. This creates a give and take from which everyone benefits.
Some particularly committed users offer motor courses or other training courses, for example - often on a part-time basis or out of sheer passion. This mix is what makes the forum strong to this day: professionals and amateurs come together, share their knowledge and form a lively community.
Allow us a look behind the scenes: How professionally is the Sailing Forum organised?
It's a somewhat unusual structure: officially, we have a professional operator in Boot24 - an online boat market platform that now belongs to an American company that operates similar portals worldwide. Boot24 stepped in when our founder fell ill and had to pull out. That was many years ago. Since then, they have given us a completely free hand and covered the server costs.
What does "we" mean?
At the moment we are three people with admin rights. One comes from the electronics area, another is a veteran who is no longer actively involved but stands ready as a reserve in case something happens. There are also around seven moderators who make sure that the discussions don't get out of hand.
And how are you organised among yourselves?
Everything happens without a fixed rota, entirely according to a personal sense of responsibility. Whoever has the time and inclination at the time can drop in and help out if necessary.
How lively is the discussion in the sailing forum?
We have around 10,000 posts a month, that's about 300 a day. Half of them are probably of a more social nature, just a bit of chatting. That's exactly how it should be - that's how it was intended from the start. It's not just about the technical side, but also about the human side.
Doesn't that wear out quickly?
Of course, there are also lively discussions. Depending on the topic, we sometimes agree more quickly, sometimes less. It's just important to us that the tone remains such that we can meet for a beer afterwards - without insults or bad humour. Overall, it works very well, and things are going really well at the moment. But there are also phases, for example in winter, when people get irritated more quickly.
Is the mood of users so seasonal?
Yes, it is. You notice when some people haven't had the wind around their noses for a while. Then it gets bitchier and rougher - and then we intervene more often.
How do you do that specifically?
We usually contact troublemakers by private message first. Or we speak to them directly and ask them to take a step back and keep an eye on the peace of the forum. If that doesn't work, we have a small warning system with points that makes it clear when a line has been crossed. In most cases, this is completely sufficient and is also understood. Only if someone is not understanding at all do we have to say a friendly goodbye to them at some point. If there is something forbidden among the entries, we also delete them.
How often does this happen?
That happens very rarely - once a week. That's not very often.
Which topics are particularly popular?
Well, there are of course topics that come up again and again depending on the season. For example, the correct handling of toilet wastewater is a perennial issue. In Holland, you are no longer allowed to discharge directly - so the question arises: retrofit a tank or switch to a dry loo? Another big topic is antifouling, and of course it's often about the areas you want to visit on holiday.
After more than 20 years in the sailing forum, don't you end up going round in circles?
There are always participants who call for more use to be made of the search function instead of opening new topics. In my opinion, there are so many new topics every year that it makes sense to repeat them. If you look back over the last 21 years, you can clearly see how much the topics have changed. Many earlier products no longer exist or are hopelessly outdated. It is therefore completely normal for certain questions to be asked again and again. However, I don't have the feeling that we are going round in circles as a result.
How has the forum changed in recent years?
Of course, we always have to keep an eye on changes to the regulations. We are in a relatively comfortable position as far as the so-called "Stoererhaftung" is concerned (the joint responsibility of platform operators for illegal content of users - editor's note). At the moment, we are informed when something is up. This is necessary because we can't read or see every post immediately - especially when it comes to prohibited material, be it unconstitutional or pornographic. Such content is not always immediately obvious. But as soon as we receive a tip-off, we have to react. That's what the "Stoererhaftung" law stipulates - and we can live with that.
Would you say that the way people talk to each other online has changed in recent years?
Yes, it is. Online, things have become a little more distanced overall. Many people are now more cautious and reveal less about themselves than they used to. That's understandable, but it's also a shame. With a little more openness, the whole thing would be more colourful and warm. Since corona, the real-life community in particular has fallen asleep a bit. People used to meet up more actively - I would like to revitalise that.
Real-life community - what do you mean by that?
One of our unique selling points is certainly the personal proximity and familiarity with each other. There are various regulars' tables, for example in Hamburg, Berlin or on the Lower Rhine, some of which run throughout the year. There are also regular meetings in the Bay of Lübeck or on the Ijsselmeer. There used to even be regular meetings in Kappeln - I would like to revive that.
Let's come to you: How did you come to the Sailing Forum?
That was back in 2007, when I was still a normal user. I had just started a new job in Norway, but didn't speak the language very well yet. At the same time, there was always a lot of idle time at work, for example when I had to wait for a computer to spit out results. During this time, I surfed the internet a lot - and that's how I got involved in the forum. I then became a moderator in 2010 and shortly afterwards helped with a major software update. Since then, I've held the role of administrator.
What is your personal motivation to stay involved?
It's just nice to maintain a community like this and to see that it works. That's a great motivator for me. Sailing is also a rewarding subject - as are other special interest areas such as tractors or hunting. When you can bring a group of like-minded people together, it's always something special.
Finally, let's take a look into the future: will the Forum still exist in ten years' time - and will it still look the same as it does now?
I very much hope that the forum will still exist then. Of course it will continue to develop. A new software update is due next winter, and we have also changed a bit over the last few years. But of course it will always be a bit slippery - that's simply part of the concept.
Sailing Forum: The most important figures at a glance
The Sailing forum has existed since 30 September 2004 and, according to Stefan Beeger, the platform has developed continuously over the last two decades:
- Over 51,000 registered users since its foundation
- More than 92,000 topics opened
- Around 2.7 million posts discussed
- Approximately 9,300 active users in the last 12 months
- Around 250 new users every month
- Around 10,000 new posts per month
Overall, the sailing forum has established itself as one of the central virtual meeting places for the sailing community - with a clear focus on the exchange of knowledge.
The most popular topics in the sailing forum
Equipment
Topics such as diesel pest, osmosis and the right material for standing and running rigging are perennial favourites. This also includes discussions about mooring lines and card sets.
Exciting boats
This is where users discuss their favourite boats and possible successors. The focus is on the advantages and disadvantages as well as the build and sail quality of selected boats.
Maritime emergencies
Discussions on accident reports attract many contributions. As a rule, the exchange takes place in an appropriate and respectful tone, says Stefan Beeger.
Testimonials
Owners regularly report on their experiences, be it with refit projects, new boats or sailing areas. The discussions often reach three- to four-digit contribution numbers.
Troubleshooting
When problems arise, the community is asked for advice. Tips from fellow sufferers or specialised experts are welcome here.
Antifouling
The right underwater coating is a constant source of discussion. Uncertainties quickly arise, especially when regulations and ordinances change - and these are shared.
3D printing
In this area, not only ideas for self-printed parts are exchanged, but also the appropriate print data is shared.
Weather images
People like to post snapshots - be it of the sunrise, an evening in the cockpit or the next craft project. There are plenty of motifs, as well as comments.
The driving force behind the sailing forum
Stefan Beeger studied mechanical engineering and lives and works in Hamburg. He discovered the sailing forum as a simple user in 2007. Three years later, he took on one of the moderator roles and eventually became an administrator. In this role, he is responsible for the content. Together with a team of moderators who lead discussions and intervene in the event of misbehaviour, he ensures that the platform runs smoothly. Boot24 is responsible for the technical side, server and software.
