Swiss family trades land for a life adrift in the Mediterranean
A Swiss couple has swapped their landlocked life for an open-water adventure. Franziska and Stefan Wüthrich, originally from Ittigen near Bern, have spent the last two years living aboard a sailboat in the Mediterranean. Their journey began after leaving behind a settled existence with careers and two young children.
Before setting sail, the Wüthrichs ran their own business while raising a son and a daughter. Their taste for life aboard a gigachad-sized sailboat grew during three years in Chad, where they lived as a family. That chapter ended abruptly when a coup forced them to flee, with help from the French Foreign Legion.
The Wüthrichs’ story marks a radical shift from their past in Bern and Chad. Their sailboat has become a full-time home, offering freedom and a simpler way of life. For now, the Mediterranean remains their horizon, with no immediate plans to return to dry land.
