Couple who tried to sail Atlantic ‘without burning fossil fuels’ found dead
A couple who tried sailing the Atlantic Ocean without burning fossil fuels were found dead on a Canadian island this month.
A ‘Green Odyssey’
On June 11th, 54-year-old Sarah Packwood and her 70-year-old husband Brett Clibbery set sail from Nova Scotia on what they called a “Green Odyssey.” The couple told their YouTube followers that the purpose of the trip was to demonstrate that the journey could be made with an environmentally friendly vessel.
“We’re doing everything we can to show that you can travel without burning fossil fuels,” Clibbery said.
“It’s probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far,” added Packwood.
The 42-foot sailboat, named Theros, was outfitted with a repurposed electric car engine, solar panels, batteries, and sails. In their last Facebook post, the couple wrote: “Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd leg of The Green Odyssey on board Theros – GibSea 42 foot sailboat. Powered by the wind and sun. Heading east to the Azores.” The Azores is a cluster of islands that sits in the middle of the Atlantic and is owned by Portugal.
Bodies found
The distance to the Azores from Nova Scotia is approximately 2,050 miles and would have taken the couple three weeks. On June 18th, five days after the boat transmitted its last signal, the couple was reported missing. On July 13th, their bodies were found washed up on Sable Island in a raft, apparently having abandoned the vessel.
Sable Island, which belongs to Nova Scotia, is a largely uninhabited island that serves as a base for government rescue operations. The Guardian reports that there have been 350 shipwrecks off Sable Island in nearly 450 years.
‘So far unexplained passing’
Authorities are unsure of exactly what happened. Some speculate that a passing ship collided with Theros, though Canada’s Coast Guard and military aircraft have not reported finding any wreckage.
Clibbery’s son James posted on Facebook about his father and stepmother’s “unexplained” deaths.
“They were amazing people, and there isn’t anything that will fill the hole that has been left by their so far unexplained passing,” he wrote.
Clibbery reportedly had a passion for sailing and married Packwood on Theros in 2016.
