Hubert Marcoux

Joseph Alexandre Hubert Marcoux[2] (/mɑːrkˈu/ m-ar-k-OO; February 12, 1941 – November 2009) was a French-Canadian solo sailor, author, and travel writer. He sailed solo around the world for 18 years, completing his circumnavigation trip in Halifax. Marcoux began writing a novel and speaking at conferences about his international journey. In November 2009, Marcoux left the Eastern Passage and disappeared during his voyage from Nova Scotia to Bermuda.

Hubert Marcoux
Born
Joseph Alexandre Hubert Marcoux

(1941-02-12)February 12, 1941
Charlo, New Brunswick, Canada
DisappearedNovember 9, 2009 (aged 68)
North Atlantic Ocean
StatusMissing for 11 years, 2 months and 28 days; presumed dead
DiedNovember 2009(2009-11-00) (aged 68)
NationalityCanadian
Alma materUniversité de Moncton
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • traveller
  • sailor
  • speaker
Years active1981–2009
Notable work
Around the World in 18 Years[1]
RelativesLucy Milroy (sister)
Writing career
Period1980s to 2009
GenreSailing, Travel
WebsiteHubert Marcoux

Education and career

Marcoux studied commerce at the University of New Brunswick and also studied at Université de Moncton. He founded and sold his two successful Montreal businesses, both being manufacturing companies. The first business was a manufacturer of flight suits and the second was a manufacturer of picture frames.[3]

World-wide voyage

In August 1981, Marcoux purchased the vessel named Jonathan in Daytona Beach, Florida. Later in 2003, he successfully completed an 18-year world sailing circumnavigation with a solo trip from Australia to Halifax.[4]

Return

After his 18-year travel, Marcoux returned to live with his sister in Bedford, Nova Scotia.[5] His boat, Mon Pays, was wrecked during Hurricane Juan.[6] To pay for his boat repairs, Marcoux began writing his first novel, which was about his 18-year-long journey.[7] It was titled Around the World in 18 years[8] and after its publishing, he began speaking at conferences and writing for trade magazines.[9] In November 2009, he left Eastern Passage and became missing on his voyage from Nova Scotia to Bermuda.[10][11]

Lost at sea

Sailing solo on his boat the Mon Pays, Marcoux left the Eastern Passage on November 9, 2009.[12] He had planned on arriving in Bermuda on November 16.[13] When he didn't arrive, a search was conducted by Canadian and U.S. aircraft.[14][15]

Members of the Air National Guard (ANG) later joined the search. They spent three days scouring the ocean between Virginia and Bermuda.[16] Fixed wing planes were covering 323,000 nautical square miles in the search for the experienced sailor. [17]

Marcoux's craft was reported to have a VHF radio, personal flotation devices, flares and a dinghy.[18] On November 22, the search was scaled back.[19] During this time, there was still hope in finding Marcoux.[20] Officials noted that he likely encountered a series of storms with winds gusts of more than 110 kilometers an hour and waves measuring 10 meters in height during his trip.[21] Shortly after the scale back, with no sightings reported, the search was officially halted.[22][23]

Later reports

From Marcoux's disappearance until 2010, many newspapers received criticism after reporting his loss as "preventable".[24] Feedback from the public noted that any disapproval of the journey was "not necessarily ours to say".[25]

Mon Pays

Mon Pays was a Compu-Craft Yacht Design Dimensions boat, LOA 46'.[26] This was the craft that was lost at sea during a nor'easter in the Atlantic.

Works

Around the World in 18 Years[1]

See also

References
  1. Marcoux, Hubert (2005). Around the World in 18 Years. Hubert Marcoux. ISBN 978-2-9809149-1-1. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019.
  2. "Selected Accessions" (PDF). The Legislative Library of New Brunswick (in English and French). The Legislative Library of New Brunswick. June 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  3. Krochak, Tim (November 20, 2009). "Coast guard searches for adventurer feared lost at sea". The Canadian Press. The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  4. "Hubert Marcoux". Romeo's Marine. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  5. "Around the World in 18 Years" (PDF). CPS Halifax. May 5, 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  6. "Juan hits Canada's eastern coast". USA Today. USA Today. September 30, 2003. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. "146 Nautical books". ABC Antiques. October 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  8. "Around the World in 18 Years. First Edition". Doull Books. John W. Doull Bookseller. 2019. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  9. Jefferies, Andrew (March 30, 2009). "Book review: Around the world in 18 years". AFloat. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  10. Kretschmer, John (May 12, 2010). "Never Lost – Just Hard to Find". A Serious Ocean. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  11. "Halifax solo sailor missing". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  12. "Inquiétant silence radio d'un marin canadien". Voile en Ligne (in French). November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  13. "Bermudan officials search for missing Nova Scotia sailor". The Canadian Press. CTV News. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  14. "Long Island Citizen Airmen Join Hunt For Missing Sailor". Military and Naval Affairs. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  15. "New York Air National Guard Ended Search for Missing Sailor Sunday Night". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  16. Costanza, Frank (December 2, 2009). "ANG assists in search for missing Canadian sailor". 27east. The Southampton Press. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  17. "Search on for missing sailor". The Hamilton Spectator. The Hamilton Spectator. November 21, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  18. "Search begins after solo sailor fails to show". Cape Breton Post. PressReader. November 21, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  19. "Search reveals no sign of Halifax sailor". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 22, 2009. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  20. "L'espoir de retrouver Hubert Marcoux subsiste". Radio-Canada (in French). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  21. "Search for missing sailor resumes in Atlantic". Times Colonist. PressReader. November 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  22. Perreaux, Les (November 23, 2009). "Coast Guard drops search for missing Halifax sailor". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  23. "No trace ever found of missing Canadian sailor". Sail-World. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  24. "Solo Sailor Presumed Lost". Latitude 38. November 25, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  25. Pedersen, Erik (December 31, 2009). "Voyaging Belongs to Seamen". Issuu. Issuu, Inc. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  26. "Compucraft Yacht Designs - Australia's longest serving & most experienced designer of Yachts, Catamarans & Trimarans". Compucraft Yacht Designs. Compucraft Plans. 2010. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
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