“I've always been at the lake, the connection was just there,” says Florian Böhm. The 51-year-old is a self-employed sailmaker in Eurasburg. A workshop visit.
Eurasburg – Many people dream of turning their passion into a career. Sailmaker Florian Böhm succeeded. “I've always been by the lake, the connection was just there,” says the 51-year-old when our newspaper visited his Eurasburg workshop.
Eurasburg: Sailmaker Florian Böhm found his dream job through a friend
Water and water sports have always played a role in the life of the Munich native, who grew up in Ambach. The father was a successful sailor. At a young age, Böhm followed in his footsteps. After school, the Upper Bavarian had to decide what to do next. “A good friend started training to be a boatmaker, and that’s how I got into sailmaking,” remembers the Baierlach native.
After an internship, he started his apprenticeship with a Tutzingen sailmaker in September 1993. “I was familiar with the material, but it was still like jumping into cold water.” A jump that the craftsman never regretted. During his early days, Böhm helped produce a sail for a 45-meter-long yacht in Mallorca - sewn by hand in Tutzing. The apprentice was then allowed to deliver the cloth to Palma. According to the sailmaker, “a very stressful but exciting time”.
The training lasts three years. “Germany is the only country where sailmaking is an apprenticeship,” said the 51-year-old. Today Florian Böhm is one of the few sailmakers in the region. “I know one or two others here, for example one lives on Lake Chiemsee.” His customers are mainly private individuals who often sail through the Mediterranean in their boats.
“Germany is the only country where sailmaking is an apprenticeship”
Böhm makes his sails in the workshop. At first he worked at home in the basement, but eventually he ran out of space. He came across the hall on Unterherrnhauser Strasse on the Internet. Corona “played into his hands”. Because in times of full restrictions, sailors pursued their hobby even more intensively. “Ultimately, that was the trigger for me to become self-employed in April 2021.” Böhm looks around with satisfaction.
Happy radio music plays in the background. There are large shelves on the left wall and at the back. Cloth and rolled-up white, gray and black sails are piled on top of them. They are usually made of polyester or carbon. The cost per piece starts at 450 euros, depending on size and material.
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In the workshop, Böhm not only sells the sails and covers he produces, known as tarpaulins. He also manufactures and sells sun sails, self-sewn bags from leftover sails - and he carries out repairs.
Sailmaker Florian Böhm emphasizes: “There is still manual work in every sail”
There is currently a gray membrane sail on the Baierlacher's work table. “It’s laminated to protect against UV radiation and kinks,” explains the expert. Today, a PC designs the sails and a large plotter then cuts the parts together. Previously, every step had to be done by hand.
“Nevertheless, there is still manual work in a sail,” emphasizes Böhm. He points to the corners of the gray cloth. “They really have to withstand a lot, they carry the biggest load,” which is why the craftsman reinforces them with the sewing machine.
What Böhm loves most about his dream job is the versatility: measurements on the water, precise manual work, delivery and assembly in foreign countries. “Of course it’s not a vacation for me, but it’s definitely a great place to work,” he enthuses. “I can sometimes work directly in nature, in the water. I see that as a great privilege.”
I can sometimes work directly in nature, in the water. I see that as a great privilege.
Florian Böhm
The father of the family often doesn't have the time to sail himself. He mainly sails through the water with customers in their boats. “I like test drives after every assembly. Then I know that everything fits.”
Böhm particularly values these many encounters. He points to a rolled-up black sail on the ground. “This belongs to Prince Luitpold of Bavaria. I'm on a first-name basis with him, we've already gone sailing together.” Actor Christian Tramitz also found his way to his workshop. Florian Böhm shrugs his shoulders. “They are normal people like us who spend their free time with hobbies.”
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Information on the Internet
at www.bavariansails.de