Maritime distress: Couple dies during Atlantic crossing - causes questionable
Lars Bolle
· 24.07.2024
An Atlantic cruise ended tragically for British sailor Sarah Packwood, 54, and her Canadian husband Brett Clibbery, 70. On 11 June, the couple had left Nova Scotia on their 13 metre (42 ft) long, environmentally friendly converted yacht "Theros". The couple's destination was the Azores, and the journey of around 2,000 nautical miles was planned to take 21 days.
On 13 June, Clibbery's GPS device sent a final signal about 40 nautical miles southwest of Sable Island.
The tragic end
The couple were reported missing on 18 June. On 12 July, just under a month later, the couple's life raft and their bodies were washed ashore on Sable Island, east of Nova Scotia in Canada.
These are the facts known so far. It is still unclear exactly what happened. The Canadian police are investigating a theory that the yacht was hit by a passing cargo ship that did not notice the collision. A possible cargo ship that was in the area at the time of the probable accident has also been identified, but the results of the investigation are still under lock and key.
Other maritime emergencies
The cemetery of the Atlantic
More than 350 shipwrecks have been recorded on Sable Island since 1583. The island lies close to an important shipping route, is on a common storm path and is surrounded by treacherous currents.
Background of the sailing couple
The couple ran their own YouTube channel. In a video posted on the "Theros Adventures" channel on 12 April, the couple called the trip Green Odyssey and explained how they would be relying on sails, solar cells, batteries and an electric motor converted from a car.
Clibbery said: "We are doing everything we can to show that you can travel without burning fossil fuels."
Packwood added: "It's probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far."
The couple's previous sailing adventures included a voyage along the west coast of Canada and the USA before transiting the Panama Canal towards the Caribbean and sailing all the way back to Nova Scotia. In June 2019, the pair began a sailing voyage across the Atlantic that was cut short by violent storms.
They met by chance at a bus stop in London in 2015, when Clibbery was in London to prepare a kidney donation for his sister. Their story was featured in a 2020 article "How we met" in the Guardian, which described how they bonded over their shared passion for travelling.
When they met, Clibbery told Packwood about his boat, the "Theros", and his passion for sailing. She said: "It was something I'd always wanted to do but never had time for."
Marriage proposal on board
She added: "He took me on my very first yacht trip and I loved it. Brett proposed to me in the main cabin of the boat." The couple then married on the Theros in 2016, and Packwood moved to Canada in 2018, buying land with Clibbery on Salt Spring Island.
In their last post they wrote on Facebook: "Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd leg of the Green Odyssey aboard the 'Theros' - GibSea 42-foot sailboat. Driven by wind and sun. Heading east to the Azores."
