Living on a Superyacht: Maverick Owner Interview

In this interview with YachtBuyer’s Jack Haines, shortly after Maverick received a YB5 Star Award and was inducted into the YachtBuyer Hall of Fame, Tom Schröder is now far enough into that process to answer that properly. Tom Schröder is now far enough into that process to answer that properly. As the owner of Maverick, and the one behind the project from the start, he has been living with its results day to day.

Before getting into the boat itself, why build a long-range explorer yacht like Maverick in the first place. Where did the idea for a seven-year world cruise come from?

For Tom Schröder, it starts with time already spent living on the water, with a sailing catamaran in the Caribbean laying the groundwork. That experience gave the world cruise idea some weight, because life on board was already proven.

The real shift came during Covid, when the whole family spent months together at home, and with all four sons in one place, the idea moved from background thinking into something more direct. As he puts it, “the idea raised up...why we cannot do a world cruise together.”

A year in now and how has that first year actually played out?

The journey began in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and from there pushed north into Europe, with extended time spent in Norway before heading further on into the Arctic. This is where the trip shifts from long-range cruising into something more demanding, both in conditions and in intent.

That then leads to the next question: why this yacht?

Covering this kind of ground, and doing it in places like the Arctic, depends heavily on the platform underneath it, and in Maverick’s case that decision came down to its engineering.

Tom Schröder first encountered Cantiere delle Marche at the Cannes Yachting Festival before visiting the yard in 2019, and it was the engine room that settled it. “Carlos… brought me to the engine room, and I thought this is an incredible room…” From that point, the direction was clear, with confidence built around how the yacht was put together rather than how it looked.

That choice then fed directly into the brief and explains a lot about how Maverick has been used since. This is a seven-year programme, much of it in remote areas, so the focus naturally shifts towards access and the ability to operate independently for long periods.

Within CdM’s range, the Flexplorer 146 fits that brief through its deck layout. The key requirement is space, not for entertaining in the usual sense, but for equipment and access, with a large working deck that can carry and deploy multiple tenders and support craft.

Further on in the build and standing in what would have been the bridge deck during construction, Schröder realised, “okay, this would be perfectly my bedroom.” The project was then revised with the yard and naval architects to add an extra deck, creating a dedicated owner’s deck that was not part of the original design and just goes to show how flexible the Flexplorer can be.

For a full breakdown of Maverick’s layout and deck arrangement, see our full walkthrough tour.

Which raises the more practical question: what is it actually like to live on board a superyacht long term?

Over the first 18 months, Tom and his family have lived on board for around 16 of them, so the setup has had to work day to day.

That starts with the relationship between owner and crew, which sits somewhere between informal and structured. The galley is open to the main saloon, so there is regular interaction, and over time that builds a close working dynamic. At the same time, there are clear boundaries built into the layout, with doors and separate crew routes allowing both sides to step back when needed. As Tom puts it, “we are very, very close with the crew,” but that proximity is managed rather than constant.

The way the crew operates reflects that balance. The captain and engineer run on a one-to-one rotation, given they are responsible around the clock, while the rest of the crew work on a four-month-on, two-month-off cycle. It keeps continuity on board, while giving people time away, which becomes important over a programme of this length.

The Atlantic crossing now sits behind Maverick, with the yacht having already passed through Newfoundland and Bermuda on its route west. The next stop brings her into Florida, where she is appearing at the 2026 Palm Beach International Boat Show, before continuing on towards the Bahamas.

From there, the wider programme resumes, with four more years still ahead to complete a full circumnavigation.