It's good to talk

Wilf Lower makes a dodgy connection

- Wilf Lower

The former East Germany was undergoing massive changes by the early 1990s as it became part of a unified Germany. One of its most attractive areas is the ‘Seenplatte’ (Lake District) in the northern state of Mecklenburg that boasts a thousand lakes, most inter-connected, including Germany’s largest, the Müritzsee, at 30 miles long and up to 5 miles wide.

The potential for tourism post-reunification was obvious, and I was contracted through the EU to advise/assist the Mecklenburg regional authority with developing leisure use of the waterways.

It was a fascinating challenge: small boat builders and yards had survived the communist regime, usually building craft specified by the state; and while dinghies and yachts had been produced for competition (such as the Olympics), few had been created for leisure.

But there were still some old ‘privately owned yachts and motor cruisers around, many receiving TLC as they passed from generation to generation.