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!

• The right bearing - 7 bearing compasses in a comparison test

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:

• Black: Week: YACHT Premium annual subscription 25% cheaper

Click on it to see through:

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!

• Click here for all previous "YACHT Week" columns