Cleats, cleats and more cleats. They are all similar, but no two are the same. They differ in material, size or shape. In front of, next to, above and below them are sales boards for other products as far as the eye can see. The plain wooden walls are wallpapered with a wide variety of boat accessories. The whole thing doesn't look chaotic. On the contrary. Everything visibly has its place, and the products in their presentation form look valuable. One or two contemporaries will describe this type of shop design as old-fashioned. Others will find it endearing, even worth preserving.
In addition, there is that mix of odours in the air that many sailors are familiar with: various types of wood exude their scent, as do the hemp or plastic ropes, all the lines, yarns and straps as well as the metal fittings, the boat paints, resins, oils and varnishes. In short, it smells wonderfully like a boat shop.
The home of Toplicht
We are standing in the salesroom of the Hamburg-based company Toplicht in the Altona district. Almost ten years ago, they moved into a new wooden building here, customised to their needs. A long sales counter and the cash register stand at one end of the shop. Directly opposite, a small passageway has been left to the warehouse. There is also a counter there. Customers standing in front of it can catch a glimpse of long rows of shelves. They are stocked with everything a boat owner might urgently need or even desperately want. The wish-fulfiller is Michael Thönnessen. He co-founded the Altona-Oevelgönne museum harbour in 1976. Even back then, the now 75-year-old was already procuring what the classic boat scene needed in terms of equipment and boat accessories. This developed into a business. Today, more than 30 employees are part of the company's core crew, whose customers include private individuals as well as companies such as shipyards and public authorities.
What makes Toplicht special? "Certainly our service as well as our diverse range. When in doubt, we go looking for rare items that someone wants and utilise our large network. Or we have certain items customised," explains Gesa Thönnessen. The Managing Director studied International Management. She then worked, coordinated the company's new building in the meantime and spent some time abroad. She then joined the management team at Toplicht in 2017 and has been at the helm since 2022.
"We are a family business. If one of our employees can't find somewhere else to take their children because daycare is cancelled, for example, they simply bring them with them," says Thönnessen, who is a mother herself. "That's how I do it too," she adds, pointing to a corner of her office with a smile. There are yellow toy excavators there.
The special service for customers
The salesroom is where Cees Bel works. Born in the Netherlands, he has been working at Toplicht for over 20 years. "I always try to find the best possible solution for our customers," explains the 49-year-old. Even when ordering via the online shop, they make sure that the products ordered match. "If in doubt, we call the customers, as a return is an annoying extra expense for both sides," says Bel. For example, it occasionally happens that someone orders colours and paints that don't match. "In such cases, we follow up." No one has ever complained about a phone call. Customers are often surprised because they are not familiar with this kind of service from other mail order companies. In the end, however, most of them were open-minded and grateful to have been saved from making a mistake.
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On this Monday morning, shipping cartons are also piled up on a table in the warehouse that are neither neutral nor labelled with the Toplicht company logo. You can see packaging from other consignors as well as wine shops and DIY stores. The reason: Toplicht offers its neighbours the opportunity to take cardboard boxes to the boat chandler instead of throwing them away, so that they can be reused.
Therefore, it may happen that the latest accessories for the boat are delivered in a Bergfreunde or Winzer box.
"This has prompted one or two customers to call to say that they hadn't ordered a deckchair for the garden," says Gesa Thönnessen. But such misunderstandings can be quickly cleared up. On the one hand, recycling discarded packaging entails a certain amount of extra work for the company. "On the other hand, we conserve resources and sometimes also save costs," says Thönnessen. Cees Bel sums it up: "It's a win-win situation: we give old cardboard boxes a second life and local residents get rid of them."
The boat chandler, "like a manufactory"
A strip curtain made of transparent plastic has been installed between two of the high shelves in the warehouse, which are filled to the ceiling. When you walk through it, a slightly nutty odour fills your nose. This is where the high-quality wooden blocks are stored, which Toplicht primarily supplies to fans of exclusive classics. Bel picks up one of the blocks and can barely conceal his own enthusiasm: "This one comes from a very special company. Even the father of the current producer supplied us with his blocks, they work very traditionally, like a manufactory," he enthuses. This comes at a price: one block costs over 400 euros.
"We have deliberately separated this part of the warehouse and installed a humidifier in particular. This is to prevent the wood stored here from cracking," explains Bel. The air in the other rooms is naturally very dry, which could damage the wood.
Bel, who has been with the company for over 20 years, is by no means the longest-serving member. Gunter Kersten, who mainly works in sales, has been part of the team since 1986. This is remarkable, as Managing Director Gesa Tönnessen was only born in 1987.
The boat chandler's door is open to anyone and everyone
"We are truly family-orientated. When our suppliers come to us from abroad, it's normal for them to stay at our home. That's how I got to know it, and it's still practised today," says Thönnessen. Conversely, it is also common for her to stay with suppliers' families when they visit. "I like this relaxed attitude in our industry," she says.
Toplicht is supplied by a total of around 250 equipment manufacturers. "Most of them are long-standing partners, including many SMEs and family businesses," says Thönnessen. She reports that one supplier forged a new material especially for a Toplicht customer. "He just said: give me eight weeks, then I can produce the block," she says.
Company founder Michael Thönnessen is also still active in the company. Especially when it comes to passing on his expertise or when his network is needed. "I've fulfilled quite a few special requests over the years, which is why I mainly support our purchasing department," he says. It is a fulfilling job, especially when the customer's desired item can finally be delivered after a long search. "My younger colleagues often ask me for advice. I then usually have one or two ideas about which suppliers they should try to find a rare item," explains the senior.
A special project
As an enthusiastic volunteer and former Optitrainer, Thönnessen also has a special project that he is working on: as only electric-powered support boats will be authorised as training and safety vessels on the Outer Alster - Hamburg's inner-city sailing area - in future, they are currently sounding out which models are best suited for use with this alternative type of propulsion. For once, they have even brought in expertise from outside.
Otherwise, the boat chandlery is very well organised internally: In Jochen Gnass, for example, they have a rigging and rigging expert in their ranks, as well as several boat builders. Even the catalogue, with its unmistakable format and design and brown cover, is produced in-house, apart from the printing. The last edition comprised almost 500 pages.
"That's a lot of work, of course," says Gesa Thönnessen. But there is time for this in November and December, as the volume of orders is generally not as high in autumn as in other months. Catalogue production would be unthinkable in spring, for example, which is the most stressful time in the shop and in shipping. "At the start of the season, even our office staff help out in the warehouse to process all the orders," says Thönnessen. And Cees Bel adds: "The warehouse then resembles an anthill, there are people everywhere."
New year, new rules
From the new year, there will be stricter rules for the sale of biocide-containing antifoulings. This is also a new challenge for Toplicht. However, Bel says: "This will be less of a problem in the shop, where we inform customers about the use of the products and the associated risks anyway. In the online shop, however, it's a different story."
"Soon, every customer who wants to order a can of biocide-containing antifouling will have to call us so that the mandatory delivery discussion can take place over the phone," explains the boss. Some employees have already been trained. Nevertheless, Gesa Thönnessen takes a sporting approach to challenges like these. She says: "I enjoy putting the company in a good position - and making it fit for the future.
