Jim Byron (Dad) Timeline and Summary

Without warning, Jim puts the Byron family house on the market and tells his three sons that they're going on a yearlong sailing trip around the Bahamas. No arguments. Angst ensues.
When they go to pick up the boat he's bought, the Chrysalis, Jim seems almost manic. He can't wait to sail away from all his problems.
On the boat, he constantly clashes with his oldest son, Ben, who is constantly questioning his decisions.
Jim is badly injured during an attempt to remove some seaweed from the boat's propeller. He cuts his hand. It's serious, but after a few weeks of rest, he feels much better.
After the accident, Jim seems like a new man. He's not so bossy, for one thing.
One night, Jim disappears without warning. He's gone without a trace.
We later learn that he fell off the boat during a safety check. Somehow he managed to grab the emergency tracking device on his way into the water.
Jim floats alone in the middle of the ocean (!) for several hours. He's rescued because he has that tracking device thing.
The storm hits, preventing Jim's rescuers from looking for his sons.
Jim stays in the Bahamas for a month looking for his kids. Everyone thinks they're dead.
He gives up and returns home. He resumes teaching, thinking his entire family is dead.
Jim gets the call that his boys have been found. He flies out to them. After a fight with Ben, he takes everyone back home.