A pair of brothers want to attract guests to Mardorf with parties on the water and a touch of glamor: They rent out boats for excursions with up to ten guests. However, the fun comes at a price.
Mardorf. A traditional business on the Steinhuder Meer has new owners: after 27 years, Axel Rintelmann has passed on his Bootshandel GmbH in Mardorf to brothers Chris Del Castillo and Francesco Esser-Del Castillo. At the Mardorfer Straße 41 location, their own family business EK Bootsmotoren will become EK Marine Service. The company’s flagship and additional mainstay will be the rental of electric boats for smaller parties, social outings or company outings. The first of these boats is already out on the Steinhuder Meer and can transport up to ten people according to current coronavirus regulations.
First excursion boat imported from Florida
“Outrunner” is the name of the pontoon boat with a convertible roof, white leatherette seats, music system, cool box, lighting and electric motor, which the pair imported from Florida and redesigned according to their own ideas. Anyone who rents it for 100 euros per hour (minimum duration three hours) can drive it themselves and will receive an introduction and a map of the Steinhuder Meer. Chris Del Castillo says that it is also possible to hire the boat with a skipper, for example for trips for senior citizens or similar.
Ex-ice hockey player is managing director
Former ice hockey player Chris Del Castillo (31) takes over the management of the company, while his brother Francesco (20) is in the process of completing his training as a boat builder, which he started two years ago. The expertise of master boat builder Axel Rintelmann is also still in demand. He also works as an expert and surveyor. And André Esser, father of the two brothers, also continues to work in the background.
His sons brought his business, EK Bootsmotoren, from Langenhagen to Steinhuder Meer and merged it with the boat trade. They got their sonorous surname from their Peruvian mother. They have traveled the world a lot and practically grew up on the water and on boats, they say.
Business sectors complement each other
“It complements each other quite well,” says Chris Del Castillo. Refurbishment and repairs to the sailing boats are mainly carried out in the winter months, while engine purchases and maintenance tend to take place in the summer season. “I first worked in an office after my sporting career, but that wasn’t for me,” says the sportsman, who played for both the Hannover Indians and the Scorpions. He turned his back on sport after a knee injury. The new job is now much more varied than the office job. “Even when there’s trouble, it’s great fun here.” The two have taken on employees and customers and see themselves as collegial bosses who can and want to learn from the experts in the team.
Young boat builder fine-tunes party equipment
Esser-Del Castillo has already tried his hand as a boat builder many times on the company’s first rental boat. He has polished and refined the rather simple equipment supplied, for example by creating a wooden cockpit and installing loudspeakers and a lighting system. The music system can be played with your own playlist via Bluetooth and delivers an appropriate, discreet volume for a leisurely tour across the lake. There are lights on board, in the baseboard of the armchairs and on the underfloor of the boat. “If you ever drop anchor, that’s fun,” says Del Castillo. However, the tenants cannot travel too far into the twilight with the party boat: they should head for the home port at the mushroom kiosk quickly after sunset, as night sailing is prohibited on the Steinhuder Meer.
New operators join the network
The pair have already completed their first trips with friends and journalists and have already received inquiries from interested parties. Before they can rent it out, however, the boat still has to be inspected and approved by Master Rintelmann. “We hope it will work out this year,” says Francesco Esser-Del Castillo. In the meantime, the two are activating their networks and are thinking about integrating their boat rental business into the Lilacard bonus system in Hanover. “We have also been very well received in Mardorf so far,” says Chris Del Castillo. The brothers are planning further collaborations, for example with Wilhelmstein landlord Peter Dombrowski or with caterers who could offer party services for the boat hirers. They also want to bring more party boats onto the lake if the concept works.
Despite the nearby water with around 3500 boats on it, there are only a few companies around the Steinhuder Meer that build, maintain and repair boats. In addition to EK Marine Service, FSA Segelsport is also based on the northern shore, as is Bootswerft Bopp & Dietrich and Bootsoase Porsch in Steinhude.
Source: Kathrin Götze – haz.de
