It started with a few visits to the hotel and an appreciated Christmas dinner.
But for Mats Wahle, the feeling lingered long after the weekend was over.
– “I thought quite early on that if I ever buy a bigger boat, I’ll keep it here in winter. I immediately fell in love with the place,” he says.
Since 2017, Mats has had his boat in winter storage in TanumStrand’s guest harbor, and today the harbor is a natural part of life on the coast.
More than just a berth
Just south of Grebbestad is TanumStrand’s guest harbor with 250 berths, right next to the hotel, restaurants and spa area. For many, it’s about convenience. For Mats, it is at least as much about the feeling.
– It’s the combination that does it. You have the proximity to the hotel, the restaurants, the spa and services, but also the community in the harbor. Many people come back year after year and you get to know each other.
During the winter months, around 40 boats remain in the harbor. Thanks to bubbles in the water, parts of the harbor are kept ice-free and life in the harbor continues even when the temperature drops.
– It almost becomes its own little community in winter. Especially on weekends, many people are here and the boats are used much more than you might think.
Winter storage that becomes an experience
For Mats, winter storage is not only practical, it has become something to look forward to.
– It’s easy and safe. You know that there are people on site and that the port is kept open all year round. At the same time, you get access to everything around you.
After a day at the dock, a visit to SPA Horisont, dinner at Latitud 58° or pizza down at Udden might be in order. During the winter, Mats particularly appreciates the dock sauna and the opportunity to combine boating with relaxation.
– That’s what’s so special here. Even on a gray winter day, there is always something to do.
A place for everyone
Another reason Mats keeps returning is that TanumStrand works for the whole family, whatever the season. In fact, he enjoys the area so much that he recently bought a house just a few hundred meters from the hotel.
– Children, grandchildren and friends enjoy themselves as soon as they arrive. In summer there’s swimming, mini golf and life in the harbor. In winter, the spa, sauna and restaurants. It really does suit all generations.
When the boating season starts, Mats often leaves the harbor for trips along the coast, before returning again later in the summer.
– It’s always nice to come back here.
“There’s a special feeling here”
When Mats is asked what he would recommend to someone who has never visited TanumStrand before, the answer comes quickly:
– You have to experience the brewery sauna. And an evening out on Udden with the sea right next door is hard to beat.
But it is above all the big picture that he returns to.
– I have a hard time finding anything like it. It is well organized, beautiful and very personal at the same time. You get so much more than just a mooring here.
