The British Columbia couple whose remains recently washed ashore on Nova Scotia害羞草研究所檚 remote Sable Island have been identified as 70-year-old James Brett Clibbery and his 54-year-old wife, Sarah Packwood.
Clibbery害羞草研究所檚 sister, Lynda Spielman, said Tuesday the RCMP had confirmed their identities.
Spielman, a Calgary resident, said she害羞草研究所檚 heard many theories about what happened to the adventurous couple after June 11 when they left Halifax harbour in a 13-metre sailboat en route to the Azores.
Spielman declined to speculate on what went wrong during what was intended to be a 3,200-kilometre voyage to the Portuguese archipelago, and the Mounties have said they are still investigating.
On Monday, the RCMP confirmed they had identified Clibbery害羞草研究所檚 body with the help of the province害羞草研究所檚 medical examiner害羞草研究所檚 office, but they declined to release his name, citing privacy legislation.
The Mounties previously confirmed the couple害羞草研究所檚 sailboat, Theros, was reported missing on June 18. But it wasn害羞草研究所檛 until July 10 害羞草研究所� nearly a month after they set sail 害羞草研究所� that their bodies were found in a three-metre inflatable boat on Sable Island, about 280 kilometres southeast of Halifax.
The Theros has yet to be found. A spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which investigates marine accidents, said the agency is still gathering information about the boat害羞草研究所檚 disappearance.
Clibbery and Packwood, who lived on B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Salt Spring Island, described themselves as adventure travellers. They routinely posted details of their trips on a YouTube channel called 害羞草研究所淭heros Sailing Adventures.害羞草研究所�
The channel features videos showing sailing trips that extend from Canada害羞草研究所檚 west coast to the Panama Canal, and from Central America to the Maritimes. The smiling pair can often be seen on the open ocean aboard their two-masted GibSea yacht, which featured an electric motor powered by solar panels.
害羞草研究所淵es they were quite a pair and will be missed,害羞草研究所� Spielman said in an email 害羞草研究所淭heros Sailing Adventures really document their lives almost from the day they met. They will always be present with their YouTube videos. Real characters.害羞草研究所�
In a short video posted on June 8, Packwood included images of the sailboat at the yacht club in Dartmouth, N.S., across the harbour from Halifax, where she said the couple were preparing for their 害羞草研究所淕reen Odyssey害羞草研究所� adventure.
害羞草研究所淎ll being well and weather permitting, the captain and I intend to set sail in the next day or two for an ocean crossing,害羞草研究所� Packwood害羞草研究所檚 message says. 害羞草研究所淚 will endeavour to document our experiences along the way and will be able to publish videos when we reach land.害羞草研究所�
The video shows the exterior of the sleek sailboat and concludes with the message, 害羞草研究所淪ee you on the other side,害羞草研究所� superimposed on a partly cloudy sky.
On June 11, Clibbery posted a video on Facebook showing him at the helm of Theros as the boat was about 15 kilometres off Nova Scotia害羞草研究所檚 south coast, heading to the southeast at 5.5 knots per hour.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e sailing away,害羞草研究所� Clibbery says, the vast sweep of the blue North Atlantic in the background. 害羞草研究所淥ne big ship behind us, and that came out from Halifax behind us.害羞草研究所�
Spielman said Packwood害羞草研究所檚 career had focused on relief work in Sudan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Africa, Asia and Latin America. As for her brother, she said Clibbery worked as a locomotive engineer for Canadian Pacific Railway and retired at 55.
Clibbery and Packwood first met in May 2015 at a bus stop in London, where Clibbery was undergoing tests before donating a kidney to his sister Glory, who at that time lived in the U.K.
Packwood, who was working in London at the British Department for International Development, recalled her first impression of the man. 害羞草研究所淚 thought Brett was so handsome, like Robert Redford,害羞草研究所� she told the London-based Guardian newspaper in October 2020. 害羞草研究所淗e was very interesting and chatty.害羞草研究所�
The pair discovered a shared passion for travel and their relationship blossomed. He proposed to her in the spring of 2016 while she was visiting his home on Salt Spring Island.
害羞草研究所淗e took me on my first ever yacht trip and I loved it,害羞草研究所� Packwood said. 害羞草研究所淏rett proposed to me in the main cabin of the boat.害羞草研究所�
Their sailing adventures started the following year.
Clibbery told the Guardian he was impressed by his wife害羞草研究所檚 resourcefulness. 害羞草研究所淪he is an amazing lady who never lets anything get in her way,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淣ot even months of sea sickness when we went sailing.害羞草研究所�
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