It all began with a boat from the Netherlands that founder Thomas Schulz had restored himself. It was 1995 and there was a spirit of optimism on the lakes of Mecklenburg. There were still hardly any charter offers. That was soon to change. Over the next few decades, the company developed into one of the leading providers of yacht and houseboat charters in Germany.
Today, the fleet comprises around 140 boats for two to twelve people, with a length of 7 to 15 metres. The boats are used on the Mecklenburg Lake District, the Peene and the Baltic Sea. "Being in business for 30 years makes us proud," says founder Thomas Schulz. "Our success is based on a passion for water sports, quality and a dedicated team."
How it all began
"Without our parents Lothar and Sylvia Schulz, this company would not exist," say Thomas, the older of the sons and current Managing Director, and his brother Steffen. The family lived in the town of Waren until 1983. They came to Eldenburg through a land swap, where initially there was only a small bungalow. "For us ordinary people, dealing with the GDR authorities posed particular problems, waterfront properties were also coveted back then and we had no contacts with the party," the brothers recall.
In 1992, a large yacht charter company from Stuttgart came to Waren and moored the first boat in the city harbour. This gave Thomas the idea of doing something similar himself. In 1995, he founded the company under the name "Müritzcharter". A year later, he bought an old steel boat in Friesland. The "El Paso" was to cost DM 7500. "Of course, we still remember this first boat very well. It was in a desolate state, but was made seaworthy on site. The former owner helped and even welded the entire railing to the boat," recalls Steffen Schulz. During the winter months, the ship was restored and equipped for the charter service. In the following years, further older boats were purchased. From 1998 onwards, the first ships of more recent construction were purchased. Thomas gave up his main job and focussed exclusively on chartering yachts. From then on, the company was run under the name "Yachtcharter Schulz" and since 1999 only new ships from the shipyard have been added to the fleet.
The fleet is growing, new areas are being opened up
After initial setbacks due to new orders not being delivered, the fleet continued to grow. In 2004, Steffen, the younger brother, joined the business. While Thomas is now primarily responsible for technical matters, Steffen is in charge of marketing. The acquisition of further yachts meant that the Waren site became too small. Demand increased steadily. New areas were added with Berlin, Poland and the Baltic Sea. The new charter bases made it possible to open up completely contrasting regions and also offer one-way trips. As the number of overnight stays increased, the needs of customers also changed. In collaboration with renowned Dutch yacht builders, Schulz developed charter boats in various sizes and with different equipment. In 2013, the experience gained resulted in the company's own brand: the first "Schulz40" - a steel displacement boat for four people.
Expansion of a modern marina
From 2006, the expansion of Marina Eldenburg into a modern facility with jetty, repair and maintenance hall, office, bistro, sanitary building and holiday flats began. In 2017, Yachtcharter Schulz took over the provider Charter Selge and further expanded its activities on the Mecklenburg Lake District. Most recently, the company expanded its fleet in 2021 to include modern houseboats, which are now available from Granzow for the Kleinseenplatte.
Get inspiration for a cruise with Yachtcharter Schulz:
