Yacht Maverick Preparing for Multi-Year Journey Well Beyond the Med

With a 22-mm-thick steel ice belt for cruising through some of the coldest climes on earth, the yacht Maverick made her way to the water over the weekend. She’s the first Flexplorer 146 from Cantiere delle Marche.

The Flexplorer projects (two more are under construction) share a common focus on global exploration, especially to the farthest reaches on earth. Simultaneously, they emphasize the ability to have friends and family come aboard for luxurious living, relaxing, and entertaining. But, that’s where the similarities end, since each bears entirely customized creature comforts and technical solutions. With Maverick, for instance, the owners commissioned the yacht to make her way through northern climes. This includes not only Iceland and Greenland, but also the far reaches of Canada. And, these are just on the initial part of the itinerary. The megayacht will embark on worldwide adventures, cruising to as many countries as possible over several years.

For exploring close to shore, the yacht Maverick will carry a rugged, custom 31-foot (9.5-meter) tender, which launches and retrieves via a custom A-frame crane. The carbon fiber crane itself is pretty rugged, too, capable of hoisting 4 tons. It folds out of the way, essentially blending into the structure of the yacht, when not needed.

Since the tender stays on deck, this frees up space below for a beach club. It should be a popular hang-out place for the guests, given a sauna, a gym, and dive center inside it. Similarly sure to be popular is a pool on the aft deck. It turns into extra space for loose lounge chairs or other furniture when it’s not in use, since it has a cover. Also nice, an extra 1,453 square feet (135 square meters) of usable area opens up, quite literally, when the nearby bulwarks fold down.

Throughout the interior of the yacht Maverick, meanwhile, the emphasis is on practical luxury. Francesco Paszkowski and Margherita Casprini worked with one of the owners to create a family-friendly atmosphere amid neutral colors. Interestingly, the main saloon extends the full beam on the starboard side, preserving of course side-deck access for crew opposite.

Vasco Buonpensiere, o-founder and CEO of Cantiere delle Marche, confesses, “If it is true that we take pride in all the explorer yachts that we have launched up to now, I would be less than sincere if I didn’t express my special pride for the launch of Maverick.” It’s because he and Ennio Cecchini, his fellow co-founder and president, became close with the owners throughout the design and build the past few years. Furthermore, the husband half of the owners, Tom Schröder, an Austrian national, became the shipyard’s majority shareholder in October 2022. Through his Austria-based FIL Bros family office, he owns 75 percent of the shipyard, while Buonpensiere and Cecchini own 25 percent.

Cecchini echoes Buonpensiere’s sentiment, adding that the Schröder family and craftspeople embody an “unwavering commitment and passion (that) have truly set a new standard in the industry.”

Cantiere delle Marche cantieredellemarche.it

Francesco Paszkowski Design paszkowskidesign.it

LOA: 145’3” (44.3 meters)

Beam: 28’2” (8.6 meters)

Draft: 8’9” (2.7 meters)

Guests: 13 in 7 staterooms

Engines:2/1,300-hp Caterpillars

Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots

Builder: Cantiere delle Marche

Stylist: Francesco Paszkowski Design

Naval Architect: Hydro Tec

Interior Designer: Francesco Paszkowski Design & Margherita Casprini