I was very sad to learn that Andy Bennington-Turner of Sailing Melody died suddenly last week.

I’ve been following the Bennington-Turner family on their YouTube channel since their first episode in 2020 (see Channel Hopping in the May 2020 issue of PBO).

I was particularly impressed by Jack, then eleven years old, a profoundly deaf boy with cochlear implants and an astonishing screen presence.

It’s been wonderful to see the family grow in all senses: their channel, their community, their skills and their crew.

Melissa and Andy both encouraged Jack’s boundless curiosity, patiently involving him in the practical challenges of boat ownership.

But there was something particularly touching about the bond between Andy and his stepson, a boy who seemed determined to learn everything.

Like many aspiring circumnavigators, the Bennington-Turners encountered plenty of setbacks.

Their ambitious steel boat restoration eventually gave way to a more suitable cruising yacht, while family commitments and Andy’s medical emergency last year interrupted their plans.

Despite everything, they continued working towards their dream of sailing around the world together.

Melissa of Sailing Melody has paid a moving tribute to her husband on their YouTube channel @SailingMelody

Andy Bennington-Turner of Sailing Melody shared his Learning from Experience tale in PBO’s May 2026 issue. Credit: www.youtube.com/@SailingMelody

Inspiring family sailing adventurers

One of the people helping Andy Bennington-Turner and family to prepare was the legendary American cruising sailor Pamela Wall.

Pam and her husband Andy spent ten years building their 39ft sloop Kandarik, then took their two young children on a six-year circumnavigation.

She subsequently spent years working at West Marine, and enjoyed drawing on her experience to help other families build the knowledge, skills and confidence to set off themselves.

I met Pam by chance in Florida, when a WhatsApp chat about a satellite SIM card turned into an invitation to stay at her home after my plans were delayed.

We spent an unforgettable couple of days swapping sailing stories, including how her children’s unconventional upbringing shaped their adult lives.

Pam’s husband Andy died in 2008, their daughter Sammy in 2013, and Pam herself in 2024.

I couldn’t help thinking of them when I watched Melissa’s heartbreaking video announcing that Andy Bennington-Turner had died suddenly.

Pam’s son Jamie Wall went on to become an architect working internationally, his extraordinary childhood having helped shape a life far beyond sailing.

He also knows something about losing a much-loved father and supporting his mother through subsequent family tragedies.

Whatever the future holds for the Bennington-Turners’ sailing ambitions, Andy has already given Jack something precious: confidence and a determination to learn.

I’ve been thinking about putting Jamie and Jack in touch. I suspect they’d have a lot to talk about.

Jack of Sailing Melody. Credit: www.youtube.com/@SailingMelody

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