Hubert Marcoux's round-the-world voyage took 18 years and two boats. He relaunched Mon Pays, which was damaged in Hurricane Juan in 2003, in July.Hubert Marcoux's round-the-world voyage took 18 years and two boats. He relaunched Mon Pays, which was damaged in Hurricane Juan in 2003, in July. (CBC)

A search is underway for a solo sailor who left Nova Scotia and has not turned up in Bermuda as planned.

Hubert Marcoux, 68, left Eastern Passage on Nov. 9 on his 14-metre sailboat, Mon Pays. He was expected to arrive in Bermuda on Monday.

The search began quickly when the experienced sailor failed to show up, said Lt. Ed Stansfield, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

"He would have experienced about four days of incredibly rough weather, with winds up to 60 knots and 10-metre seas. Where he's sailing by himself that would have been just an incredible experience, just trying to stay awake for four days at the helm," Stansfield said Friday.

A Hercules and an Aurora aircraft from the airbase in Greenwood are patrolling a large area around Bermuda, along with two U.S. planes.

Lucy Milroy suspects her brother tried to dodge the storm and ended way off course.

"He's one of the most courageous men that I have ever met. He just has the ability to bounce back and keep going. He's an excellent sailor," she told CBC News.

Milroy said Marcoux experienced a lot during his 18 years sailing around the world. He lost his boat, Jonathan, in one storm, and during one trip he drifted for three weeks.

"I'm very optimistic that he will touch land at some point," said Milroy.

Maj. Denis McGuire, with the rescue co-ordination centre, said another sailboat with three people aboard left Halifax a day before Marcoux and has not yet arrived in Bermuda due to the storm.

Marcoux's current boat, Mon Pays, was damaged in Hurricane Juan in 2003, and he's been repairing it ever since.

Milroy said her brother has a VHF radio, but planes or ships must be quite close to make contact.

Marcoux is believed to also have a dinghy, flares and personal flotation devices on board, but no emergency tracking beacon, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.

With files from The Associated Press