Finding Mr Fox: 1. The adventure of a lifetime

Summary

World Of Secrets: Season 5, Episode 1 – "Finding Mr Fox: The Adventure of a Lifetime"

World Of Secrets Season 5, titled "Finding Mr Fox," delves into an intricate investigation surrounding the smuggling of substantial drug quantities from Brazil to Europe. The inaugural episode, "The Adventure of a Lifetime," introduces listeners to Daniel and Rodrigo, two aspiring sailors whose journey aboard the yacht Rich Harvest becomes the focal point of a broader mystery.

Introduction to the Investigation

The episode opens with a gripping narration about Flight 293, a tragic and unresolved incident. Although this segment serves as an atmospheric lead-in, the primary narrative centers on the lives of Daniel and Rodrigo as they embark on what they believe will be a career-defining voyage.

Meet the Sailors

Daniel’s Journey

Daniel, portrayed as a charismatic and adventurous 36-year-old from Brazil, harbors dreams of becoming a professional sailor. His passion for exploration began in childhood, symbolized by his cherished bicycle, which represented freedom and discovery.

Daniel (08:29): “As a child, my bike gave me power, freedom, and it helped me expand my mind. It took me to new places.”

Adopted at birth and having overcome significant health challenges, including treatment for cancer at 18, Daniel's resilience fuels his ambition to captain his own vessel. His meticulous preparation includes obtaining necessary licenses and accumulating nautical miles through coastal trips.

Rodrigo’s Passion

Rodrigo, a 24-year-old engineering graduate from Salvador, Brazil, shares a similar fervor for sailing. From a young age, Rodrigo immersed himself in the maritime world, learning to surf, dive, and sail. His dedication led him to pursue boat delivery jobs, aiming to accumulate the sea miles essential for a future captain.

Rodrigo (11:49): “Ever since I was little, I've had a passion for the sea. I learned to surf, I learned to dive. And then when I was 12, I started learning to sail.”

Securing the Voyage

In June 2017, both Daniel and Rodrigo respond to a job advertisement shared by a former teacher. The opportunity involves joining the crew of Rich Harvest, a majestic yet aging yacht owned by a British man in his 30s. Despite the position offering only unpaid expenses, the promise of an Atlantic crossing entices both sailors.

Daniel (11:05): “My dream was to become a captain and go work in Europe. And so I was super happy knowing that my path to my dream was beginning.”

Rodrigo’s parents express concerns about the yacht's condition, noting its gloomy and unfinished state. After meeting the owner, who presents himself as a calm and trustworthy British Navy veteran with a gunshot wound from Afghanistan, their apprehensions are somewhat alleviated.

Daniel (16:03): “He was calm, very polite. He said he was an officer in the British navy, wounded in the war.”

Setting Sail and Early Challenges

The yacht departs from Salvador, navigating through the narrow and rocky channel to Natal. The initial leg of the journey tests both crew and captain, who earns the nickname "Captain Catastrophe" due to his inexperience and mishaps.

Rodrigo (20:33): “The first impression I had of him wasn't very good. He was a little out of shape.”

Engine Trouble and Crisis

As night falls, the crew encounters severe mechanical issues. Smoke fills the cabins due to a loose electrical wire, forcing them to shut down the engine in the perilous channel. Attempts to seek assistance lead to a harrowing experience where the yacht's British owner rescues them amidst tumultuous seas.

Rodrigo (23:29): “We started to smell smoke. We'd already got the boat's lights turned off so that we could see our way.”

The owner's swift and skilled intervention saves the yacht from imminent danger, but the trust between the crew and Captain Catastrophe is irrevocably damaged.

Rodrigo (26:40): “We don't want to travel with this guy. We don't trust this captain. He doesn't know what he's doing.”

Crew Overhaul and New Leadership

In the aftermath, the owner dismisses Captain Catastrophe and restructures the crew by introducing a new member, Steve, and appointing a seasoned French captain, Monsieur Thomas. Under Thomas’s leadership, the yacht undergoes necessary repairs and is finally deemed ready for the transatlantic crossing.

Rodrigo (27:44): “He was a really professional captain. The first thing he wanted to do was climb the mast to inspect the steel cables that support it.”

Underlying Surveillance and Foreshadowing

Unbeknownst to Daniel and Rodrigo, the yacht remains under police surveillance despite the earlier search. The episode hints at deeper layers of monitoring, suggesting that the yacht's voyage is part of a more extensive investigation.

Colin Freeman (28:33): “Meanwhile, already on his way back home to Europe by plane, is the boat Spritoshona, a man who calls himself Fox.”

Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode

As the episode wraps, the yacht officially sets sail on its transatlantic journey, now under the competent command of Captain Thomas and alongside the newly recruited crew. The narrative leaves listeners anticipating the unfolding of events and the eventual revelation of Mr. Fox's true identity.

Narrator (28:45): “That's next time on Finding Mr. Fox.”

Notable Quotes

• Penny, Miranda’s mother, on the allure of cults:

  “Nobody joins a cult. You just get sucked in.” (Podcast Information)

• Rodrigo reflecting on the initial police search:

  “It really looked like a scene from a movie, a long movie.” (04:23)

• Daniel on his childhood and dreams:

  “As a child, my bike gave me power, freedom, and it helped me expand my mind. It took me to new places.” (08:29)

• Rodrigo expressing his lifelong passion for the sea:

  “Ever since I was little, I've had a passion for the sea.” (11:49)

Production Team and Voice Actors

• Hosts: Yemisi Adegoke and Colin Freeman
• Producers: Charlotte MacDonald (Producer), Joe Kent (Executive Producer)
• Voice Actors:
  • Rodrigo – Edison Okay
  • Daniel – Antonio Fernandez
  • Joao – Thomas Papon
  • Annette – Monica Vasconcelos

Final Thoughts

Episode one of Finding Mr Fox sets a compelling foundation, blending personal narratives with suspenseful maritime incidents. The intricate portrayal of Daniel and Rodrigo's aspirations juxtaposed with the mysterious elements surrounding the yacht hints at a complex investigation ahead. As World Of Secrets continues, listeners can anticipate deeper explorations into the enigmatic figure of Mr. Fox and the secrets that tie him to the perilous voyage of the Rich Harvest.

Transcript

[Colin Freeman]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

An airliner heads for Alaska with 101 passengers and crew. Then, somewhere over the Gulf of Alaska, Flight 293 slams into the icy waters below.

[Unknown]

Even if all four engines quit, it.

[Colin Freeman]

Just doesn't fall out of the sky.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

No bodies were recovered. Loved ones had no closure and were left to wonder, what happened to Flight 293? Unsolved what happened to Flight 293 is available now. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

You'Re about to listen to season five of World of Secrets. Finding Mr. Fox episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts. If you're in the uk, you can listen to the full series right now, first on BBC Sounds. Welcome to our new World of Secrets investigation, which is going to take us on a journey which begins in Brazil with Daniel. You'll be hearing lots from them and from other Portuguese speakers, you'll hear their words spoken in English by actors and members of our BBC team. It's not long after dawn and at a marina in northeast Brazil, a scattering of boats are anchored off the coast.

[Colin Freeman]

The water's calm and the harbour side is still quiet. But on board an old white sailing boat, one of the crew, Daniel, is already up and about.

[Daniel]

I just woken up. I was only wearing shorts. I hadn't even put a T shirt on.

[Unknown]

In his small cabin below deck, he's making his bed when he hears a commotion.

[Daniel]

I look around and see a police boat coming towards us. Then I hear them. Documents, passports.

[Colin Freeman]

His younger crewmate, Rodrigo, is already up too. He's at the back of the boat in the kitchen, which is small but neatly organized.

[Unknown]

Everything is stored in its proper place ahead of a long Atlantic crossing. They're about to set sail on.

[Rodrigo]

I just finished breakfast and I was washing the dishes and Daniel shouted, rodrigo. Rodrigo. The police are here. I managed to get close to the window and I could see a boat full of police officers.

[Colin Freeman]

Rodrigo drops what he's doing, plates still covered in the remains of that morning's scrambled eggs. He rushes up the narrow steps to remove reach the deck just as the officers board the yacht.

[Rodrigo]

First Federal police, all in black, all armed. Then officers from the Port Authority. Then military police in camouflage with a sniffer dog.

[Unknown]

The sailors are ordered to stay where they can be seen. The yacht is about three times as wide as a car and five times as long. And soon it's swarming with people in uniform.

[Colin Freeman]

One of the cops, a particularly aggressive man dressed all in black, swaggers over to Daniel and squares up to him.

[Daniel]

You guys are in trouble, he says, because there's something on this boat.

[Unknown]

Daniel appears nonplussed. What's he talking about?

[Colin Freeman]

A smaller, more polite police officer starts to question Rodrigo.

[Rodrigo]

How did you get here? Where are you going? And I was thinking to myself, a guilty person would be really scared. They'd look nervous.

[Unknown]

So he tries to play it cool. Despite the heavily armed police, some with machine guns drawn around him, Rodrigo does what he normally does. When he finds himself in a strange situation. He takes out his phone and starts filming the search.

[Colin Freeman]

It soon becomes clear they're looking for drugs.

[Unknown]

The officers turn out drawers, empty the fridge, lift up sections of the floor.

[Rodrigo]

It really looked like a scene from.

[Unknown]

A movie, A long movie.

[Colin Freeman]

For more than six hours, police combed the yacht. They cut through plastic pipes, open water and fuel tanks, scatter the contents of the sailors backpacks all over their beds.

[Rodrigo]

I was thinking like, whoa, they messed up the whole boat. Then after they'd opened everything up, they said, okay, now let's bring a sniffer dog for the rest of the inspection.

[Unknown]

The dog is led along the deck, then moves from room to room, running its nose along the dark wooden surfaces, the communal seating area, the cabins, the storage tanks.

[Colin Freeman]

Everyone seems to be holding their breath. But the dog finds nothing. The police seem to have run out of steam. They've searched everywhere they can, but clearly haven't found what they're looking for.

[Rodrigo]

So they apologized and said, look, you're free.

[Unknown]

Almost as quickly as they arrive, the police leave the yacht and head back to shore.

[Colin Freeman]

This is Rodrigo and Daniel's first major international voyage. They don't know what to make of it all.

[Daniel]

I thought it was standard procedure, but.

[Unknown]

Wasn'T it strange for you guys?

[Rodrigo]

When you travel through an airport, you have to go through an inspection too. Your bags go through the X ray machine. So I thought, well, it's an international trip and they're coming to inspect the boat.

[Colin Freeman]

Rodrigo is so unfazed by it all, he even sends the video of the search to his mum. She'd been worried about her son working on this yacht. And for someone she doesn't really know, look, everything's cool. The police have searched it, there's nothing to worry about.

[Unknown]

But Daniel remembers a warning they got from a more experienced sailor a few weeks earlier. He told them a story of another yacht, one being used to carry drugs across the Atlantic Ocean.

[Daniel]

So this captain said to us, ah, be careful, make sure you inspect everything. Who's the boss? Ah, a British guy. Be careful. So I said, right, let's just go and ask him. He's right here.

[Colin Freeman]

Daniel says he finds the British owner and asks him straight out, do you.

[Daniel]

Have any drugs here? What do you mean? Says the owner, do you have any drugs on board the boat? He gave me this big smile and said, no. Kind of like, you're crazy.

[Unknown]

Maybe there's nothing to worry about after all. This is World of Secrets season five finding Mr. Fox a BBC World Service investigation. With me, Yemisi Adegake, who you might remember from season two.

[Colin Freeman]

And me, Colin Freeman, a foreign correspondent who's been working on this story for years.

[Unknown]

Episode 1 Adventure of a Lifetime.

[Daniel]

My first memory of cycling is of freedom. As a kid, my bicycle was my best friend. I was an only child. My parents worked all day and so I shared my best moments with my bike.

[Colin Freeman]

Brazil 2017 Meet Daniel, an aspiring sailor on the lookout for an adventure. A job that will take him to interesting places.

[Unknown]

36 years old, he has thick curly brown hair, warm brown eyes, and he's nearly always smiling. He gives laid back surfer vibes.

[Colin Freeman]

Daniel's always been a bit of an adventurer. But long before he set his sights on becoming a sailor, his bicycle was his way of exploring the world.

[Unknown]

He loved the thrill, the adrenaline. But more than that, it gave him something he didn't always have.

[Daniel]

As a child, my bike gave me power, freedom, and it helped me expand my mind. It took me to new places.

[Colin Freeman]

Daniel's parents were loving and supportive, but protective. As a kid, he often had to play with his mates through the garden fence rather than out on the streets with them.

[Unknown]

Their concern was understandable after his difficult start in life.

[Daniel]

I am adopted. My biological parents left me in a little cardboard box in front of my parents house. They rang the doorbell and left.

[Colin Freeman]

When Daniel's dad opened the door, he caught a glimpse of a couple getting into a car, driving off into the rain in the middle of the night.

[Unknown]

Then he noticed the package at the front doorstep. A cardboard box with something wrapped up inside it.

[Daniel]

My dad brought me over to my mother and said that someone had left them a gift and it was me. I'm so grateful for everything they have ever given me and I always will be. It's a story of pure love.

[Colin Freeman]

Being abandoned at birth wasn't the only challenge in Daniel's childhood. At 18, he was treated for cancer and had to spend a year in recovery.

[Unknown]

He decided from then on, he would never waste a single moment and would always be open to new adventures.

[Daniel]

It was my dream not only to be the Captain of my own boat, but of my own life to be a nomad sailing around the world.

[Unknown]

Fast Forward to his 30s, and Daniel set about trying to realize his dream of becoming a professional sailor. Getting qualifications and building up experience.

[Daniel]

And so I went looking to see how to do this. Deck licenses, supply licenses, captain's licenses, so I could actually work on boats.

[Unknown]

But there was one thing he still.

[Colin Freeman]

Lacked a bit like trainee pilots have to clock up a certain number of flying hours before they can qualify. So, too do commercial boat captains. You need nautical or sea miles.

[Daniel]

I'd done some trips along the coast of Brazil, so I'd already had some miles. But I wanted to cross the Atlantic.

[Unknown]

June 2017, and Daniel thinks he's found the answer when an old teacher of his shares a job advert. The British owner of a yacht is looking for a crew to take his boat across the Atlantic from Brazil to Europe. It's unpaid expenses only, but a rare opportunity to clock up thousands of nautical miles.

[Daniel]

My dream was to become a captain and go work in Europe. And so I was super happy knowing that my path to my dream was beginning. I think I was born a fish out of water, but fell back into the aquarium.

[Colin Freeman]

Meanwhile, another Brazilian man sees the same advert posted by a reputable yachting company and shared by the same teacher. Rodrigo is younger than Daniel, and he too wants to be a captain. For him, the job has the added advantage that the yacht is moored in the very city where he lives, Salvador in northeastern Brazil.

[Unknown]

24 years old, tall and slim, with wavy brown hair and glasses he prefers not to use. Rodrigo has never been far from water.

[Rodrigo]

Ever since I was little, I've had a passion for the sea. I learned to surf, I learned to dive. And then when I was 12, I started learning to sail. I fell in love with sailing. There was a summer camp. It was an intensive sailing class for children. And then my dad bought our first boat. We started sailing together. I learned a lot from him, and from then on, I kind of lived in a world of sailing.

[Unknown]

After finishing school, Rodrigo decided to study engineering, choosing a university close to the sea.

[Colin Freeman]

But he soon gives that up to pursue his real passion.

[Rodrigo]

I just wanted to sail, and so I decided that I needed to change my life. So I looked for a way to sail for a living. Then I discovered boat delivery jobs. You can hire professional crew to take your boat from one city to another, from one country to another.

[Colin Freeman]

Just like Daniel, Rodrigo studies everything he can. Navigation, first aid, mechanics. But just like Daniel, he has a problem. He needs those all important nautical miles.

[Unknown]

So how did you feel when you were accepted?

[Rodrigo]

I was so happy. I think every sailor dreams of crossing a large ocean. For me, it was going to be a great adventure and an opportunity to gain a lot of experience.

[Colin Freeman]

There's a lot riding on this voyage.

[Unknown]

For both of them, it has to be a success.

[Daniel]

Rodrygo has always been drawn to the sea. He has always, always, always liked adventures.

[Unknown]

This is Joo, Rodrigo's dad. Shorter, broader, tougher looking than his son. Protective. He's excited that Rodrigo has secured the chance to crew an Atlantic crossing. He's proud. But he's also got some questions, like.

[Colin Freeman]

Who will he be working for? What kind of yacht will he be working on?

[Daniel]

Even if it's in another state. I'm going to see the boat. I'm going to see everything. You have to look at everything. So when I finally got there, from a distance, I could see it was a majestic boat. Big, old, very old.

[Unknown]

Majestic in size, maybe, with two towering sails. But the boat, which is called the Rich Harvest, isn't some glamorous party boat where oligarchs or groups of influencers in bikinis drink champagne.

[Colin Freeman]

The Rich Harvest is a serious yachter's vessel, the kind people use to sail across oceans. Built for endurance, not comfort.

[Unknown]

It was big, beautiful on the outside, and then when we went below deck, I found it very old, very ugly, very untidy.

This is Rodrigo's mum, Annette, and she's right inside. The boat is in a bit of a state.

[Colin Freeman]

Repairs are not finished. Workers still scurry around painting, mending, and its dark wooden interiors make it gloomy.

[Unknown]

It didn't give me good energy in any way. And I think that Rodrigo could tell what I was thinking. He looked at me with that look, as if to say, I know you don't like it, but that's fine. My concern was basically the safety of the boat if it sank. I thought that was an obvious thing to want to check. It made my heart turn cold, you know? But I know Rodrigo has to do these sailing trips.

You get the picture. Rodrigo's parents are anxious. They're worried about their son. So what do they want to do next? They've seen the yacht, now they need to meet the owner. All they know is that he's a British man in his 30s.

[Colin Freeman]

They hear he bought the yacht over from Europe to have it renovated in Brazil. Now he wants to take it back. They're told not to worry about the state and the boat. It's been worked on for months, just the finishing Touches to go now, and while it may be old, it's reliable.

[Unknown]

Joao's impressed by the owner.

[Daniel]

He was calm, very polite. He said he was an officer in the British navy, wounded in the war. He showed me the gunshot wound. I said, look, watch out for my son. He said, don't worry, I'll take care of Rodrigo.

[Unknown]

I just told him, be careful with my son. I'm watching you. And he gave me a friendly smile.

They're charmed and reassured.

[Colin Freeman]

Within weeks of the advert, the parental seal of approval, and the repairs being finished, the yacht set sail from Salvador.

[Unknown]

I was able to see the boat passing by at sea from the window of our house. And I said a prayer to God that everything would work out the way.

Anya describes it to me. The boat passing the city's famous lighthouse, then sailing off into the distance. I imagine a pretty serene scene. Early morning sun, maybe some palm trees fluttering in the sea breeze. But that's not how it went down.

[Colin Freeman]

In a video filmed by Rodrigo's uncle on his phone, you can see low grey clouds dominating the sky sky and hear the wind howling around.

[Unknown]

But they're not ready to cross the Atlantic just yet. First they have to sail north, hugging the Brazilian coastline to the port of Natal. On board this first stage of their voyage are Rodrigo Daniel, a mechanic and the yacht's British owner.

[Daniel]

It was super tense because there had been a storm and there were waves about 3, 3 meters high. So I was anxious to get out to sea.

[Colin Freeman]

It's an early test for Rodrigo and Daniel. It's also a test for the owner. He's their boss and they have to put their trust in him.

[Daniel]

When I first saw him, he didn't seem like a sailor with much experience because of his hands. You know, people would sail. They burn their hands on the sails. It makes them really calloused.

[Unknown]

But Daniel says the British owner has saved smooth, unblemished hands.

[Daniel]

Then when we got out to sea, I saw he was wearing gloves and actually he had a lot of experience.

[Unknown]

Both Daniel and Rodrigo are impressed by their new boss, his sailing skills and his attitude towards them.

[Rodrigo]

I used to work on some boats and the owners were old, super demanding, super rude and talked down to me. He was like, very cool, very friendly, polite. He seemed like a trustworthy guy.

[Daniel]

He seemed to be a very honest, kind, polite, respectful person with few words and always straight about what he wanted.

[Colin Freeman]

They say he keeps mostly to himself, working or playing video games, but he's friendly.

[Unknown]

He tells him he lives in Spain, has a house on the seafront but doesn't come across as a rich, arrogant playboy.

[Daniel]

We were saying to each other, you know, how cool is this guy, this guy who can travel the world, things like that, and at the same time not show off his wealth. Like, he's wearing jeans, there's no fancy watch, no rings. You understand? Yeah. He was short, blond, looked like a typical British guy.

[Unknown]

What does a typical British guy look like?

[Daniel]

Like David Beckham.

[Colin Freeman]

I'm not sure I'd agree that the average British guy looks like Beckham or that the boat's owner does, really.

[Unknown]

I think most men wish they did look like David Beckham, but I agree with you that he doesn't. He looks quite muscular. It looks like he does spend quite a bit of time in the gym.

[Daniel]

And when he took his shirt off, you could see he had scars on one side of his body. He said he went to the war in Afghanistan and ended up being shot there. Shot in the lungs. I remember once I was making food and asking if the salt was okay, the seasoning good enough, and he said, it doesn't matter to me. I can taste it. He couldn't smell and couldn't even taste the food because of his injury.

[Colin Freeman]

Much as Rodrigo and Daniel have grown fond of the boat's British owner, their time with him is soon over. After a few days at sea, they arrive in Natalie. This city on the northeast tip of Brazil is the closest point to Europe and the main point of departure for transatlantic crossings.

[Unknown]

They're here to swap crew ahead of the voyage. The British boss will leave and a new captain will take over.

[Rodrigo]

The first impression I had of him wasn't very good. He was a little out of shape.

[Daniel]

My first impression was terrible. He just arrived with his clothes all wet. I asked what happened. The captain had fallen off a boat.

[Unknown]

This is the man who will be in charge as they travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic. This is the man who will hold their lives in his hands.

[Daniel]

We called him Captain Catastrophe.

[Unknown]

Rodrigo and Daniel are excited about their trip. But what they don't know is that Captain Catastrophe is about to live up to his nickname.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

An airliner heads for Alaska with 101 passengers and crew. Then, somewhere over the Gulf of Alaska, Flight 293 slams into the icy waters below.

[Unknown]

Even if all four engines quit, it.

[Colin Freeman]

Just doesn't fall out of the sky.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

No bodies were recovered. Loved ones had no closure and were left to wonder what happened to Flight 293? Unsolved what happened to Flight 293 is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Morgan]

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[Unknown]

It's 10pm it's dark, and right now the rich harvest is moving through the gloom, heading away from Natal, trying to reach the open sea to start its Atlantic crossing.

[Colin Freeman]

It's already been an eventful few days, what with that police search of the yacht, which in the end didn't find anything unusual, and a new captain taking over from the yacht's owner.

[Unknown]

Now the crew has to negotiate their way out of the bay and to the open ocean through a narrow, rocky channel.

[Rodrigo]

It's super dangerous. You can't use the sails, you have to use the motor. Only when you're in the open sea can you navigate using the sails. Doing this at night was the worst.

[Unknown]

Rodrigo says he asked the captain if they could postpone leaving until the morning as they're all tired. The answer was no.

[Rodrigo]

Who am I to go against the captain? He's the boss.

[Colin Freeman]

So there they are in the middle of the night, trying to avoid the rocks.

[Rodrigo]

We started to smell smoke. We'd already got the boat's lights turned off so that we could see our way. And then when we switched on a flashlight, we could see the cabins were full of smoke, black smoke. And we're thinking, if there's black smoke, there's fire. So we need to switch off the engine. But how do we switch off the engine when you're in a super dangerous place with rocks on both sides of the boat?

[Unknown]

It's a nightmare start to their dream trip. But they have no choice.

[Rodrigo]

There was a lot of adrenaline.

[Colin Freeman]

They find an electrical wire has come loose and melted on the hot engine and they don't want to switch it back on and risk more smoke.

[Unknown]

The captain decides they need to return to the marina and get it checked over. But without an engine, they'll need help to get through the rocky channel. And for that, they'll need to wait until morning. So they take turns to keep watch.

[Colin Freeman]

But when Rodrigo wakes up, things have gone badly wrong with Captain Catastrophe.

[Rodrigo]

He felt sick, he vomited. It turned out to be completely useless. We were supposed to be at the entrance of the channel at dawn, but the captain changed his route and was heading the wrong way. We were super far away. We woke up and said, captain, what are you doing? Where are you going? I was really afraid of getting too close to the rocks. And so Daniel took the rudder and I went to change the sails. We took over from the captain. We maneuvered the boat, and from then on, Daniel was in charge. The captain laid down and slept.

[Unknown]

Then suddenly, zipping across the water, is the yacht's British owner in another boat. He'd responded to their call for help.

[Rodrigo]

That scene was really crazy. The sea was very rough and the owner wanted to board our sailboat. But to pull two moving boats together would be very difficult.

[Unknown]

With the waves crashing around them. They chuck the yacht's support boat and inflatable dinghy into the water. Somehow, the owner manages to jump in and get himself onto the rich harvest. He takes control immediately, and rather than use the engine with great skill, he manages to sail the large boat back down that dangerous channel channel and back to the marina.

[Colin Freeman]

He saved them, but things will have to change.

[Rodrigo]

Back in the safety of the marina, Daniel and I, we said, we don't want to travel with this guy. We don't trust this captain. He doesn't know what he's doing.

[Colin Freeman]

The owner fires Captain Catastrophe.

[Unknown]

After everything that happened, did you never think twice about whether this trip was a good idea?

[Rodrigo]

I thought about the fire, the motor, the mechanical problems, problems with the electrics. The captain and I thought, people who give up do so because they're scared. I didn't want to be scared. I wasn't scared. I didn't want to be seen as a person gives up, you know, I wanted to go on this voyage. It was my dream and I was so close.

[Colin Freeman]

The yacht now needs more repairs, plus a new captain, and it's decided another pair of hands. To help out on the voyage, Rodrigo.

[Unknown]

Recommends one of his friends who soon joins the crew. He's also called Daniel, so to avoid confusion, they affectionately call him Steve.

[Colin Freeman]

And finally, they also have a new captain, a Frenchman, Monsieur Thomas.

[Rodrigo]

He was a really professional captain. The first thing he wanted to do was climb the mast to inspect the steel cables that support it. He also ended up identifying a problem that no one else had noticed. A problem with the batteries we needed for the fridge and the navigation equipment. So he seemed like a very experienced guy and the owner liked him too.

[Unknown]

The captain takes command and quickly gets the rest of the yacht in order.

[Colin Freeman]

At last, they're ready to cross the.

[Unknown]

Atlantic for real this time.

[Colin Freeman]

This is it. They're finally on their way.

[Unknown]

Daniel, Rodrigo, Steve and Captain Thomas.

[Colin Freeman]

Meanwhile, already on his way back home to Europe by plane, is the boat Spritoshona, a man who who calls himself Fox.

[Unknown]

But what none of them realize is that even after the police search, they're still being monitored. We've got hold of photos taken in the marina by undercover cops because the.

[Colin Freeman]

Police are still watching.

[Unknown]

That's next time on Finding Mr. Fox.

[Colin Freeman]

This has been episode one of six of season five of World of Secrets, Finding Mr. Fox. It's a BBC News long form audio production for the BBC World Service.

[Unknown]

We hope you've enjoyed it. To make sure you get episodes as soon as they're available, make sure you subscribe or follow World of Secrets. And please do let others know what you think.

[Colin Freeman]

I'm Colin Freeman.

[Unknown]

And I'm Yemisi Adegoke. The producer is Charlotte MacDonald. The executive producer is Joe Kent.

[Colin Freeman]

The series editor is Matt Willis. Production coordinator Gemma Ashman. And the sound design and mix are by Tom Brignall.

[Unknown]

Additional production is by Iam Leroy, Christine Kist, Nick Norman Butler and Chiara Francavilla.

[Colin Freeman]

At the World Service, Cat Collins is the senior producer and John Manell the commissioning editor.

[Unknown]

Rodrigo is voiced by Edison okay, Daniel by Antonio Fernandez, Joao by Thomas Papon.

[Colin Freeman]

And Annette voiced by Monica Vasconcelos.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

An airliner heads for Alaska with 101 passengers and crew. Then somewhere over the Gulf of Alaska, Flight 293 slams into the icy waters below.

[Unknown]

Even if all four engines quit, it.

[Colin Freeman]

Just doesn't fall out of the sky.

[Yemisi Adegoke]

No bodies were recovered. Loved ones had no closure and were left to wonder what happened to Flight 293? Unsolved Histories what Happened to Flight 293 is available now wherever you get your podcasts.