The Seven-year Hitch

Aboard a 146ft explorer, the six-member Schröder clan has let loose on a voyage of discovery to further tighten their familial bond.

- Katia Damborsky

AT AGE 14, Tom Schröder had no idea that his passion for sailing would lead him to an ocean odyssey spanning the globe. Yet three decades later, Schröder, his wife, Jeannine, and their four sons are at the beginning of a seven-year voyage aboard their 146ft explorer Maverick. “I'd sold my business in 2019 and then COVID hit,” says Schröder, a venture capitalist based near Cologne. Homebound for a year, the tight quarters brought the family closer. “It worked out so well, we had the idea for this world cruise,” he says.