Sea Cloud Spirit: Gerald Schöber the first Captain

February 20, 2020

Sea Cloud Cruises recently announced that the captain of their new ship, the Sea Cloud Spirit, will be Gerald Schöber, a 54-year old Captain from Northern Germany with years of windjammer experience. Schöber commented: “It is very special to be the first Captain on such a unique ship”. The ship’s maiden voyage is set for August and the ship will head to the USA for the first time arriving in Miami in March 2021 after sailing through Central America.

Capt. Schöber plans to keep the company’s tradition of an open bridge policy in which guests are welcomed to the bridge for discussions and question and answer time. The captain plans to spend time on board the Sea Cloud and Sea Cloud II to learn as much as possible about sailing with the company before taking the helm of his own ship.

A passionate sailor, Schöber is thrilled with his position on the Sea Cloud Spirit, which embodies the spirit of the legendary windjammers of bygone centuries. Indeed, three-masted full ships were at the very heart of trade between the continents hundreds of years ago. Having already been a tall ship captain in the past, Schöber had this to say: “At a time when everything seems to be over-the-top, faster and more digital, traditional hand-sailed ships stand for deceleration and relaxation. It is an awe-inspiring experience, when a ship is only moved by wind power.”

seacloud_captain

Raised by a naval officer father, Schöber first sailed as a boy on the Flendsburg Fjord in Germany, and later went into the Navy. He then took a break from sailing to study business technology and worked as an IT specialist. But he soon yearned to return to the sea and sailed his own ship for several months on a Baltic before going back to professional sailing. After studying and completing naval cadet training he sailed as an officer for a shipping company on merchant ships.

“To be the first Captain for the Sea Cloud Spirit is a great honor, and I am humbled that the management entrusts me with this undertaking,” said Schöber. He is looking forward to the comradery on board and great guest interactions that the Sea Cloud Cruises ships are known for, just like being part of a family.