BootsProfis

BootsProfis

After a two-year transatlantic odyssey spanning from the Baltic Sea to the Bahamas, Hendrik Pilz and Dominik Behringer transformed their family sailing sabbatical into Germany's premier yacht surveying consultancy. Today, operating as BootsProfis, the certified marine surveyors travel the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, utilizing their hands-on bluewater experience to conduct pre-purchase condition surveys, sea trials, and market valuations for prospective yacht buyers. Their operations are anchored by SY 7seas, a 1984 Comfortina 39 performance cruiser that underwent a dramatic diesel-to-electric propulsion conversion in the Caribbean.

The Crew and Professional Background

The core foundation of BootsProfis blends rigorous structural engineering with high-end media production.

Hendrik Pilz serves as the co-founder, lead technical inspector, and Master Skipper. Growing up sailing the Baltic Sea, Hendrik formalized his maritime and engineering background by becoming a certified marine surveyor for recreational craft (Sachverständiger für Sportboote). Onboard, he conducts structural hull inspections, utilizing ultrasonic steel thickness gauges and moisture meters to detect GRP osmosis. He assesses rigging integrity, engine diagnostics, and manages severe offshore weather.

Dominik Behringer operates as the co-founder, media director, and technical surveyor. Leveraging a background in digital media and business management, Dominik directs the channel’s cinematic documentaries and drone cinematography. He co-leads structural surveys with Hendrik, analyzes market valuations, and coordinates the expansive BootsProfis community flotillas in Turkey.

The extended family crew was integral to the foundational transatlantic voyage. Anett ("Netti") Pilz managed logistics, provisioning, and offshore homeschooling during the two-year expedition. Today, she organizes fitness and Zumba sessions during the annual Marmaris flotillas. The cruising kids, Marie and Max ("Baby Max"), spent their formative years at sea. Marie hiked the Boiling Lake in Dominica, while Max took his first steps and celebrated his first birthday during a shipyard haul-out in Trinidad. Guest crew members, including Grandmother Petra and British sailor Phoebe, joined for critical passages through the Grenadines and the North Atlantic return.

The Professional Fleet

The BootsProfis fleet spans from modest Baltic cruisers to cutting-edge electric project vessels, each testing the limits of marine architecture.

SY 7seas: The Electric Flagship

SY 7seas is a 1984 Swedish-built Comfortina 39 performance cruiser sloop designed by Thomas Bern. Selected for its solid GRP construction, lead fin keel, and balanced sea-kindly lines, the 39-foot vessel displaces 11,000 kg when fully provisioned. The most significant structural modification occurred in March 2018. Following a catastrophic Volvo Penta diesel engine failure off Grand Cayman, Hendrik and Dominik executed an emergency DIY conversion, installing a 20 kW Electric Inboard Motor system. Powered by a 48V LiFePO4 battery bank and supported by a Superwind 350 wind generator, 180W+ solar array, and hydrogeneration under sail, 7seas now operates with zero diesel dependency. The deck features a KiwiGrip non-skid coating applied in 2016, and the hull is protected by a multi-layer Coppercoat epoxy system. Source: BootsProfis YouTube Channel.

The Legacy Vessel: Marie

Before stepping up to the Comfortina 39, the family cut their teeth on Marie, a 26-foot Trio 80. Designed by Pelle Petterson, the solid GRP Swedish cruiser was sailed extensively across the Baltic Sea for four years. The vessel displaced 2,500 kg and featured an inboard diesel engine with a shaft drive. Marie was successfully sold in March 2018 while the family was cruising the Caribbean.

VOLT and the Flotilla Fleet

Looking toward the future of sustainable yachting, BootsProfis launched the VOLT initiative—a custom eco-performance concept designed to showcase electric propulsion and hydrogeneration autonomy. In their consulting and flotilla operations, Hendrik and Dominik regularly skipper and survey premium multihulls, including the Neel 51 Trimaran, Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40, and Orana 44 across the Mediterranean.

The Gear Locker

The equipment aboard 7seas is sized for autonomous ocean voyaging and redundancy.

• Ground Tackle: A 20 kg modern roll-bar scoop anchor (Rocna/Delta type) serves as the primary hook, backed by 60 meters of 8/10 mm calibrated galvanized chain and a 12V high-torque electric windlass. A lightweight Fortress aluminum kedge anchor is deployed from the stern.
• Sail Inventory: The rig features a heavy cruising dacron mainsail with three slab reefing points, a roller-furling 135% Genoa with a UV sunstrip, and a Parasailor for Atlantic tradewind running. The main boom was replaced and rigged in Sint Maarten after fracturing during a squall.
• Safety Suite: Security equipment includes a 6-person offshore ISO 9650 canister liferaft, 406 MHz GPS-enabled EPIRBs, and automatic hydrostatic lifejackets with integrated harnesses.
• Navigation & Comms: Steering is managed by a Windpilot Pacific servo-pendulum windvane. Navigation relies on iPads running iNavX and Navionics, supported by a Class B AIS transceiver and an Iridium GO! satellite marine package.

Quick Specs & Channel Vitals

Vessel Systems Health Scorecard

Voyages, Destinations, and Regional Navigational Analyses

The BootsProfis have navigated some of the most demanding offshore routes and intricate coastal pilotage regions.

• Baltic Sea & North Sea: The initial departure from the Greifswalder Bodden required threading through shallow Baltic shoals and transiting the Kiel Canal under strict commercial locking procedures. In the North Sea, the crew battled severe tidal ranges and shifting Dutch sandbanks, seeking emergency refuge in Den Helder during adverse gales.
• Bay of Biscay & Atlantic Crossing: The crew crossed the Bay of Biscay in three days from Falmouth to Baiona, timing their passage between autumn low-pressure systems. The subsequent transatlantic jump from Mindelo to Barbados spanned 14 days and 2,100 nautical miles, requiring constant management of rolling downwind swells and squall lines under the Windpilot Pacific.
• Caribbean Archipelago: Inter-island cruising down the Windward and Leeward chain involved punching through accelerated winds in the Martinique Channel. To escape Hurricane Irma, the crew diverted south to Charlotteville, Tobago, safely sitting out the cyclone season before hauling out in Chaguaramas, Trinidad.
• Mediterranean Operations: Current surveying and flotilla operations center on the Turkish Turquoise Coast around Marmaris and Göcek. Here, Hendrik and Dominik manage afternoon Meltemi gusts while executing Mediterranean stern-to mooring in deep pine bays. Similar to Sailing The Far Side, the crew's transition into professional technical surveying relies on extensive sea time and hands-on refit engineering.

Cruising Budget & Financial Blueprint

Funding the transition from family cruisers to professional surveyors required disciplined capital allocation and diversified revenue streams. Today, 7seasVentures UG generates income through rigorous pre-purchase surveys, yacht purchase advisory, organized charter flotillas, and YouTube AdSense.

Frequently Asked Questions