The dream of owning your own boat - a dream that many people have. For some, it remains an image in their head: warm summer evenings, gentle lapping, a glass of wine on deck. For others, it becomes a reality. Often you don't need a new boat or a shiny luxury vessel. There are plenty of second-hand boats - and they carry stories and memories.
From houseboat to great freedom
For "Hellgetogo", as Björn is known online, it all started with a story like this. His connection to the water did not begin at a shipyard or in a sailing club, but through a friend: former German professional cyclist Rick Zabel. He bought the houseboat from Fynn Kliemann and Olli Schulz.
In 2018, the pair bought the old houseboat of the late singer Gunter Gabriel. They wanted to turn a rotten boat into a creative retreat - with a recording studio, lounges and space for guests. What sounded like a romantic plan turned out to be a mammoth task that took years. For two years, they battled mouldy cabins, dilapidated walls and exploding costs. The Netflix documentary "The Houseboat", which was released in 2021, shows all of this.
Rick and Björn are friends, and so his eyes always fell on the small motorboat that belonged to the houseboat. Nothing special, a Dutch boat built by the Beekman shipyard, old and worn. But for him it was more: a piece of freedom, within reach. One day it was clear: the boat had to be his. He bought it from his mate - and that was the start of the adventure of owning his own boat.
Learning by doing
He knew nothing about boatbuilding. Experience with tools? Not much. But that was exactly what appealed to him. While others might have chosen the easier path - a boat in better condition, less effort, more comfort - he wanted to know. "Anyone can buy new," he says. "That's the only way you really learn."
The plan was ambitious: get the boat out of the water, spend two weeks at the Next Generation shipyard in Hamburg, remove the antifouling, apply new primer and refurbish the interior. On top of all that, he also wanted to pass his sports boat licence. "It can't be that difficult," he laughed. But plans have their own laws.
Read also:
Even the transfer to the boatyard was a small odyssey. Driving a trailer for the first time, slipping a boat for the first time, moving a boat over land for the first time - every step was a first.
The first major task awaited him in the shipyard: the underwater hull. Together with his girlfriend, Johanna Schürenberg, whom he affectionately calls "OT", he set to work. The old coating had to be removed, layer by layer. When they were finally finished, the next surprise came: the paint was also peeling above the waterline. So: more sanding and more priming, but also painting the outer skin.
A restoration project without perfectionism
And let's be honest: anyone who has ever restored their boat knows that plans rarely survive the first sanding. Time, money, materials - it's never enough. Perfectionists would have thrown up their hands in disbelief. Painting outside under a tree? Never. Edging the random orbital sander to make it go faster? A sacrilege. The result: a slightly wavy outer skin. Björn is relaxed about it. "But it's surprisingly even," he says with a broad grin. "It doesn't look too bad."
And that is precisely the magic of this project. It's not about having the perfect, shiny motorboat. It's about making, trying things out, failing and getting better. "The boat should please us, not anyone else," he says. "It doesn't have to be perfect. The main thing is that we can sit on it, live on it, dream on it."
This slowly creates a retreat on the water. Fresh paint, new carpet, small details that make the boat their personal boat. Painters and boat builders might turn up their noses - but for Björn and OT, every sanding and every coat of paint is a source of pride. Every evening when they drive home, sweaty but happy, tells the story.
More heart and soul than high gloss
That leaves the engine. The old 15 hp was barely enough to chug across the Elbe. No trace of a sporty driving experience. And what good is a hopefully fresh driving licence without the right drive? So he opted for a new outboard motor with 60 hp. A leap forwards and a real upgrade in comparison. The driving licence test came just in time for the engine delivery - and he passed.
Today the boat is back in the water. Cosy inside with new carpet and new paintwork. It is not a high-gloss project, perhaps not a designer piece. But it is a boat full of stories, full of work, full of passion.
The dream of owning their own boat - for Björn and OT it has become a reality. And even if not everything went smoothly, perhaps that's why: this boat is as unique as the way it got there and its owners. A little crooked, a little wavy, but above all genuine and a true project of the heart.
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
