With the establishment of the Helgoland seaside resort in the 1820s and the creation of a regular shipping connection to the mainland, tourism on Germany's only offshore island began to flourish. At that time, Helgoland had neither a harbor nor landing stages, so passengers were taken to and from the island by Helgoland fishermen using so-called Börte boats. This landing service, which still exists today, is unique in Germany. Holger Bünning describes the historical development of the boats and the organization of the steamer Börte, as well as their economic and cultural significance since their inception. The presentation is complemented by numerous stories about captains and crews, rescue missions, extraordinary events, and a variety of partly historical photographs.