Another weekend in the season at the beautiful Müritz. Today we are joined by the always bad-tempered Schnupsi, his Anglophile wife Andrea, who everyone calls Wochenändi, eleven-year-old smart arse Lenni and, of course, Anni and Sven, the newcomers to the harbour with their inherited boat. During a trip with the others on their "late love", they make the acquaintance of the enemy in the form of a sailing boat. But first things first ...
"Today we're going on a cruise with your 'late love' and then we'll anchor, okay?" Wochenändi waves a straw hat as if she were an entertainer on a cruise ship. "Together is more fun!"
"What a lovely idea!" says Anni happily, while Sven rolls his eyes. He has just given two patients a dental cleaning. Because Wochenändi has simply put up a notice offering his dental services here in the harbour - imagine that!
"Hello!" There stands Lenni, the walking Wikipedia. "Shall I help you? You're not that experienced yet. It's fine with my parents." He looks up at them seriously and knowingly. Sven knows what's coming next. Lenni's in-built AI reports: "Effective practice requires more regularity than pure duration. For sustainable learning, we recommend repeating content after an hour, a day, a week and a month. Daily, focussed practice is the key to success." Sven resigns himself and just says: "You're saying something." And thinks silently: Let him do it.
After Wochenändi and Schnupsi are on board, Lenni manoeuvres the "Späte Liebe" out of the harbour. As always, Schnupsi is in a bad mood; his T-shirt today announces that he's in the mood for an onion sandwich, but quickly.
Encounter with a sailor
"Great, great!" shouts Wochenändi, once again clapping her hands senselessly. Then - as if out of nowhere - a small cruiser about eight metres long appears ahead. Elegant. Silently. And now the sight of the person on board. Anni has just realised that sailors have a very special look in their eyes. A look like that says: I use the forces of nature. But you're burning fossil resources for forward motion and sweaty fear. You loser, you. Get away from me with your stinker. Make way for those who honour the sea! Look at the truth!
The sailor comes closer. The man with a weather-beaten and angry face stands at the wheel and shouts: "You've taken the wind away from me!" Schnupsi shouts back: "You're travelling slowly by choice. With that rag on the boat. You don't have to complain if you can't go forwards." The sailor turns red with anger. "That's not slow, that's efficient!" he says back indignantly. "But it would be even better with wind!"
"Sailors are such nasty people," complains Wochenändi. "They don't like us. They say we leave the engine running all the time." Sven thinks for a moment and then says: "That's true." Really.
At the anchorage
But Wochenändi is unperturbed by all this. She is full of zest for action and is soon standing there in a bikini. "Let's drop anchor and go for a swim!" No sooner said than done. Anni and Sven jump into the water. It's cool, clear and perfect. "At least nobody's shouting here. And nobody wants a prophylaxis here either. I'd best stay in the cool water. Forever," Sven whispers theatrically to his wife.
Anni doesn't listen at all. Instead, she calls out to Lenni: "What's wrong, come into the water too!" But: "No," comes the firm reply from the "late love". "Someone has to stay on board. You must not have watched the film 'Open Water 2'."
Schnupsi nods in confirmation. "Everyone jumps into the water and the swimming ladder isn't down. Not nice. They won't come back on board." Anni points out that the ladder on the "Späte Liebe" is down after all. Nevertheless. "You never know what will happen," replies Lenni, sounding almost conspiratorial. Schnupsi now slides into the water with diving goggles and a snorkel and paddles up, closely followed by Wochenändi. He puts the snorkel in his mouth and dives in. "What's there to see here?" asks Anni. "Schnupsi is afraid of fish. That's why he always checks to make sure there are no fish in the water," Wochenändi explains. "I see. Are there any fish here at all?"
"Of course," comes - naturally - from Lenni. "The Müritz is known for its excellent fish population with over 50 species of fish!" he shouts from on board. "It's a paradise for anglers. Perch, zander, pike, eel, catfish and carp are particularly common. The vendace, a shiny silver schooling fish, is also a well-known speciality in the region."
Back on board, we have white wine and sit together in a cosy atmosphere, which is also cosy because Wochenändi is taking a nap. "Hey!" comes the cry, and everyone turns round. The angry sailor is back. "This is where I usually anchor. Away! Away!" Then the man goes to the bow of his boat and a short time later his anchor falls into the water.
The missing bathing ladder
"Motorboats should be banned," he rails, stripping down to his swimming trunks and jumping into the Müritz. "Oops." Wochenändi is awake and, for once, doesn't clap her hands. "He hasn't unfolded the bathing ladder."
The sailor also realises his mistake shortly afterwards. "Help me! I need help!" Schnupsi doesn't miss this. He shouts angrily: "Oh, from us? I think motorboats should be banned!" The man reassures him: "No, of course not. That's not what I meant at all. Motorboats are really important. Can you please ..." Sven wants to get up, but is held back by Lenni. "How important are motorboats?" the boy asks the sailor, who swims back and forth excitedly. "Are they more important than sailing boats?" You can almost feel sorry for the man. "Of course!" he replies. "Of course they are. Much more important." Before this goes any further, Anni shouts energetically: "That's enough, now help him up!"
Schnupsi grumbles a little, but unfolds the bathing ladder of the "Späte Liebe" and the sailor comes on board. "Thank you," he says happily, "you saved my life." - "Yes, we're also the GmbH!" shouts Wochenändi cheerfully. "She means DLRG," explains Schnupsi.
"Well then, who fancies a nice wine? We need to celebrate our new sailor-motorboat friendship. By the way, you're lucky I'm not wearing my special T-shirt," he says to the rescued man, who introduces himself as "Toddy the Elder". "Oh, what does it say on it?" he asks.
"I'll make mince out of you," says Schnupsi. And before Lenni starts to talk about the correct way to make mince, he raises his glass: "Good luck again - cheers!"
