Experience report SX20 -Yachtline-: Upper Rhine – Reffenthal – Otterstädter – Neckar

How it all began

As beginners, we would like to report on our experiences in this portal, which we value highly. After helping an acquaintance and now dear friend to launch his boat in the summer of 2022, we didn’t just want to look at the water, we wanted to look at the shore from the water.
And after a spontaneous invitation to go for a spin on the Rhine, we fell in love with boating anyway and knew it was our element. And so began our little personal journey.

Fully motivated, we looked around for a boating school. Very quickly, we also knew what requirements we wanted to place on a future boat. And it also had to fit the purse. Not too big, so that you can still pull it. We are also beginners and wanted to stay in the 6m class. But it should have a toilet and be suitable for sleeping. Yes, and the quality also had to be right. That’s how the research began. We quickly came across the Drago class. And then suddenly there was the Drago-based Öchsner with its own hull. That was very interesting.

The second-hand market had nothing for us, so we decided to drive to Kürnach. That was a very good decision. We were impressed by the personal approach and the high quality. Another important point for us was to know that we would receive extensive instruction and all the videos and documents in the customer area to prepare ourselves theoretically rounded off the offer. After a few nights, it was clear to us that we could place an order for our SX20 -Yachtline- and secure a delivery date for the spring. So we were potential boat owners. But without a license and without a berth. But we should be able to manage that. And to our delight, we actually got our license in the same port in Mannheim where we got a berth. We have already made many nice acquaintances and friendships there and learned how boating connects people. After the inland navigation license, we then added the sea navigation license and now in winter the radio licenses will follow.

Handover in Kürnach and first meeting

By the way, we are not the only Öchsner drivers in our port. There are actually four big Öchsner and our little Mary. We have baptized them as a reminder.

Over the winter, we had plenty of time to look forward to passing our test and to the handover. Very excited and with the support of our friend, we drove to Kürnach. To take some of the stress out of it, we booked a night at the hotel on the square nearby. We are happy to recommend it to others. The weather was perfect for the beginning of April. After Mr. Küffner had accompanied the theoretical part in a very pleasant atmosphere, we were welcomed by Mr. Öchsner for the practical part.
There were a lot of impressions and we had to stay on the ball so as not to miss out on all the important information and tips. As beginners, it was all the more important for us. It was a great experience for us. And we were glad to have an experienced boat driver with us.

After a night of good food at the hotel, we headed towards Mannheim by boat to launch our boat at a suitable slipway near Altrip. It went really well and was a special moment.
The next few weeks were mainly characterized by mooring and unmooring manoeuvres and manoeuvring on the Rhine. The first time anchoring, the first time refueling, the first time making “packages”, lots of firsts… . The first time WaPo was also there ;-).

During the first boat lessons, we realized that it would be great to move the driver’s seat. We bought a sliding seat plate from an accessory dealer, which allowed the seat to be pushed backwards. This gave us a little more space. We bought beautiful crockery and cutlery, great cloths for the upholstery, battery monitors for the battery and much, much more. As keen barbecuers, we also needed a small barbecue, which we were able to set up and take down safely on a small railing table.

Speaking of setting up and dismantling. In the early days, we put the camper top up and took it down every time. You soon get the hang of it and the steps become routine. Generally speaking, practice has given me more and more confidence.
We were mainly on day trips to Reffenthal. Usually in threes or fours. We made sure that we could also share the boat experience with our friends. The season hasn’t been enough for that yet. But we are just getting started and are already looking forward to next year.
As we have an electric anchor, we were the boat that boating friends liked to tie up to. We can highly recommend an electric anchor. We wouldn’t want to be without him. That’s a lot of fun.

Of course, we also wanted to spend the night on the boat

The summer increased and it got hotter. We were also impressed by the design of the awning. You not only have shade on the foredeck, but also in the cockpit. I secure the struts for the front attachment with Velcro tape for safety. We also often have the awning folded upwards as a variant.

Now we wanted to spend our first night on the boat. Our destination was Philippsburg, a beautiful boat club on the Rhine. To darken the room better, we simply put some cloths on the outside. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning on your own boat. We set the fridge a little lower at night. Then you haven’t heard anything. And the batteries are grateful too. After breakfast, we set off on the Rhine towards Otterstädter, an old arm of the Rhine. And another wonderful weekend came to an end. We made ourselves a travel topper for the next overnight stay.

Many beautiful trips followed and so we got a little more than 60 engine hours on the clock. Now it’s time to winterize and look forward to the next season.
We have a bag full of wonderful memories with which we can shorten the winter. And lots of ideas about what next summer could look like. We are very happy about our boat decision and send our best wishes to Kürnach.

Marcus and Sandra from Mannheim

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