by A couple on a “green odyssey” across the Atlantic have died in a lifeboat after being forced to abandon their wind- and solar-powered yacht.
Sarah Packwood, 54, of Warwick, and Brett Clibbery, 70, were reported missing on June 18 after leaving Nova Scotia, Canada, in their 42-foot sailboat, Theros, a week earlier. They were on the way to the Azores.
His two bodies were found on a three-metre life raft last week, after washing ashore on Sable Island, 180 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia.
The mystery revolves around how the couple’s planned voyage turns into tragedy, as fears grow that their reliance on a sail and an electric engine powered by solar panels may leave them stranded without support when things went wrong.
Before they set sail, Mr Clibbery, a Canadian, said in a video posted on April 12: “We’re doing everything we can to show you can travel without burning fossil fuels.”
After they left, Miss Packwood sent a farewell video message: “Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd stage of The Green Odyssey aboard Theros – a 42ft GibSea sailboat. Powered by the wind and the sun. Going east to the Azores.”
Ms Packwood, who was a poet, musician and Reiki healer as well as described by friends as a keen sailor, said: “It’s probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far.”
Police in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have launched an investigation into the deaths and have not yet ruled out accidental collision, power failure, fire or suspicious circumstances.
The couple’s life of adventure began when they met during a chance meeting at a bus stop in London in 2015.
They married on the yacht a year later before holding a Celtic wedding ceremony at Stonehenge called “handfasting”. They then returned to Canada, where they bought a tract of land on Salt Spring Island, near Vancouver.
Ms Packwood learned how to sail at university in England and was a crew member on Lord Nelson for the Jubilee Sailing Trust on the first leg of the European Tall Ships race.
With Mr. Clibberry she went on to sail 5,000 miles along the Pacific coast of Canada, the United States and South America.
Ms Packwood previously worked as an aid worker in Africa, South America and South East Asia.
She blogged about their travels and the two ran a YouTube channel updating their friends, family and fans on their plans to turn Theros into a fully solar-powered vessel.
Miss Packwood previously wrote during one of their journeys together on the Camino Frances in Spain: “I believe in the mystical and I often feel that there are guardian angels watching over us.”
Writing on her online blog about one of their trips, she said: “We spent a year aboard Theros on the high seas together, setting sail on the first leg of our round-the-world journey in stages from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia to Dartmouth. in Nova Scotia, through Central America, through the Panama Canal and crossing the Western Caribbean.”
Their trip in Theros from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the Azores was meant to be the yacht’s first trip after being fully converted to eco-friendly power.
Mr Clibbery, assisted by Ms Packwood, converted the Theros to solar power himself by removing the diesel engine.
He fitted the boat with six solar panels that power a lithium battery pack and an electric auxiliary engine.
The solar panels were attached to a steel frame roof, with side panels made of fiberglass and plexiglass creating a waterproof “hard shedger” cabin.
In a YouTube video, Mr Clibbery described how he made the conversion, using hand tools and readily available DIY materials.
Some experts said the solar panels and battery pack will add extra weight to the yacht and could make it unstable. There were also fears that salt water could cause the lithium battery pack to corrode and catch fire.
In her final message before the couple set sail on June 11, Miss Packwood wrote on Facebook: “We aim to sail across the ocean, all is well, fair winds and seas follow us!”
At that stage Theros was 10 knots from shore and sailed at five and a half knots towards the Azores. In the video Mr Clibbery said they were sailing out of a large tanker which had also left Halifax.
When it appeared that Theros had not touched shore, friends began posting anxious messages on the Facebook page.
Catherine Allison wrote: “The coast guard is watching out for Theros. Fingers crossed when they get within 150 miles or so of the Azores they will RETURN [Automatic Identification system] ping and we can all breathe again.”
However, after more than a month of radio silence, their friends’ worst fears were confirmed.
Dozens of well-wishers have since posted messages of condolence.
Tim O’Connor, 64, and John Dolman, 63, who have been friends with Mr Clibberly and Ms Packwood for years, described them as “like two peas” in a pod.
“They were the type of couple you see at a table, and instead of staring at their phones, they always had something to say to each other. They laughed together all the time. They were one of the happiest couples we know,” said Mr Dolman.
The couple said Mr. Clibberly’s son, James, was traveling from his home in Ontario to the island where her life was being celebrated.
He posted a tribute saying: “The past few days have been very difficult. My father James Brett Clibbery, and his wife, Sarah Justine Packwood, sadly passed away. There is still an investigation, as well as a DNA test to confirm, but with all the news, it’s hard to be optimistic.
“They were great people, and there is nothing that will fill the hole left by their passing, so far unexplained. Life will not be the same without your wisdom, and your wife was quickly becoming a beacon of knowledge, and kindness. I miss your smile. I miss your voices. You will be missed forever.”
It is not yet clear how the couple got into trouble.
The remains of Ms Packwood and Mr Clibbery are being fully examined by medical examiners for any signs of injury.
If Theros is eventually recovered it will also be examined to determine if it was accidentally rammed by a larger vessel or if there was a fire on board, forcing them to abandon ship.
A veteran sailor from Nova Scotia close to the investigation said on condition of anonymity: “Although they don’t have conclusive proof, they suspect the sailboat whose crew washed up dead on Sable Island was hit by a bulk carrier just a few days ago. after departure from Halifax.
“The sailboat crew could not have avoided a collision or they could have gone down with Theros on autopilot.”
Hugo Fontaine, a spokesman for Canada’s transportation safety board, said: “At this time, we cannot say with absolute certainty that the sailing vessel was hit by a ship, as we are still gathering information about the overdue Theros sailing vessel.”
There was also speculation that a fire may have broken out after boarding – a common hazard on a boat – which forced them to abandon ship.
It does not appear that the couple made any daytime calls or set off emergency flares before their boat went missing.
Guillaume Tremblay, public information officer for the Halifax Royal Canadian Mounted Police regional detachment, said “investigators are looking at all possible avenues”.
Officer Tremblay said the couple could be in trouble in the treacherous water off the coast of Nova Scotia.
“The Atlantic Ocean can be very unfriendly, especially with current weather and weather cycles coming from the south, such as hurricanes, so there are definitely a lot of impacts and impacts on ocean vessels,” a he said.
