Dear readers,
Is it just me, or is it the comparatively good weather and the fact that the trees haven't turned colour yet? I'm just not in the mood for the end of the season this year.
There usually comes a time in autumn when you no longer have to go boating every weekend. The cool and damp weather gets on your nerves and you secretly look forward to the moment when the boat is in the wind and rain-protected hall. At the same time, the list of winter jobs is growing - and yes, I'm a tinkerer and handyman, so I enjoy the screwing, sanding, polishing and painting in winter storage almost as much as the summer on the water.
But this year is different. I'm trying to delay the crane date as much as possible. While more and more boxes remain empty at the jetty or are occupied by yachts without a main boom or rig - they look like they've been plucked - I'm still happily hauling provisions for the weekend to the boat, while others are hauling the sails and the leftover supplies from the summer trip off the boat.
The mast rack in the harbour is filling up as the harbour master brings one yacht after another ashore. At the same time, there is more life on the jetties and boats than on many a beautiful summer weekend. Instead of the usual question about the destination, the focus is now on the crane date. "When are you leaving the water? Have you already winterised everything? It's our turn on Monday." - "At the end of October? That late? Was everything full before then?"
For a moment, I'm tempted to just say yes to have my peace of mind. But if I'm honest: I'm not done with the season yet. There are still the anchorages for which the wind direction is not yet right, so many sunsets and the marvellous starry sky, which can be better enjoyed with the earlier onset of darkness. The thought of mothballing the boat now just feels wrong. A bit like saying goodbye to a good friend prematurely.
Autumn on the water has its own magic - the clear air, the calm harbours, the intense colours. Maybe that's what's keeping me here this year. Or maybe it's simply the realisation that every day on the water is a gift that you should savour while you can.
Hauke Schmidt
YACHT editor
Recommended reading from the editorial team
New podcast episode
Port manoeuvres without a crash - how to dock successfully
Who isn't familiar with the nervousness as the harbour manoeuvre draws ever closer? Ole Pietschke from Pantaenius talks about this in the 62nd episode of our sailing podcast
Swan 51
Noble cruiser of the highest quality in the test
At 17 metres in length, she may be the smallest model from the Nautor shipyard, but with her luxurious fittings and excellent performance, she is something to rave about
Ghost ships
"Marlborough" - 20 skeletons on board
A Scottish three-master disappears without a trace in 1890 - and allegedly reappears in 1913: drifting off Punta Arenas, with tattered sails and 20 skeletons on board. The story went around the world, but even the details at the time sound suspicious. Was the "Marlborough" really a ghost ship - or just a perfectly narrated myth based on thin sources?
North Sea
BSH - Trials in the dark
At the end of March, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency conducts night-time tests off Heligoland with the specialised ship "Atair".
DGzRS
The first pictures of the new rescue boat
Shipyard diary of the sea rescuers: News on the construction progress of the prototype of the new boat class for the DGzRS. The SRB 90 is designed to be faster, lighter, more efficient and safer.
Esse 890
The Swiss answer to the crossover trend
Esseboats in Switzerland is building a new model. The Esse 890 takes on the sporty brand genes, but is very versatile with three variants for multiple uses.
Record attempt
Broken rudder off Madagascar - Guirec Soudée sails on
Shock for Guirec Soudée during the circumnavigation from east to west: a piece of the starboard rudder broke off in a collision on "Macsf".
Young, determined, offshore
Carla Hénon-Steck is on her way to the Mini Transat 2027
Carla Hénon-Steck (18) has just graduated from high school - and is planning the Mini Transat 2027 instead of a year abroad: crossing the Atlantic alone in a Mini 6.50.
Bundesliga
The league in upheaval, season starts in April
The German Sailing League will be 13 years old on 7 April. After good and difficult times, the championship series of the German clubs is in a state of upheaval.
Dream berth
Flakfortet is looking for a new owner - and ideas
An artificial fortress island just eight kilometres from Copenhagen - with its own marina and berths directly beneath the fort: Flakfortet is up for sale. The sea fort is set to change hands for 74.75 million Danish kroner (around 10 million euros) after almost 25 years in Swedish hands. However, monument protection, public accessibility and the question of future use make the deal complex. What buyers can expect - and how things could continue on site.
Newsletter: YACHT-Woche
Der Yacht Newsletter fasst die wichtigsten Themen der Woche zusammen, alle Top-Themen kompakt und direkt in deiner Mail-Box. Einfach anmelden:
