Robin Lee Graham

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Robin Lee Graham bigraphy, stories - Sailor

Robin Lee Graham : biography

March 5, 1949 –

Robin Lee Graham (born March 5, 1949) is an American sailor. He set out to sail around the world alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic Magazine carried the story, and he co-wrote a book, titled Dove, detailing his journey.

Before beginning his around-the-world journey, Graham had sailed alone from California to Hawaii. However, he declared the official starting point of his around-the-world journey to be Hawaii, where he and his family lived at the time. At the age of sixteen, he started out heading west in his 24-foot sloop. He was originally given two kittens for company, that he named Joliette and Suzette, and through his travels lost and gained several more, ultimately docking with Kili, Pooh, and Piglet. He married along the way and, after almost five years, ended his journey in Los Angeles instead of finishing his around-the-world journey where he started in Hawaii. He and his wife, Patti Ratterree, briefly attended Stanford University, then settled in Montana.

Graham’s book about his voyage, Dove, was published in 1972. His voyage was depicted in a film, The Dove (1974). A follow-up book, Home Is The Sailor, was published in 1983.

The boats: Dove and Return of Dove

Robin started his journey on the original Dove, a 24 foot Lapworth sloop. On reaching the Caribbean, Dove was replaced by Return of Dove, a 33 foot Allied Luders sloop. web site.

Dove sank in Hurricane Marilyn in 1995.

The Return of Dove was found in Hawaii by Mark and Beverly Langley in 2000. They restored her in 2001. She was sold again in 2004 and is believed to be still in Hawaii. YouTube, 23 November 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

The route

Pacific leg

After a shakedown cruise from San Pedro, California, to Hawaii, Dove left Ala Wai Yacht Harbor in Honolulu on Sept. 14th, 1965. Graham’s first landfall was 14 days later at Fanning Island, a British-controlled atoll. His next planned stop was Pago Pago on the Island of Tutuila in American Samoa. A fierce squall demasted Dove and left her unable to reach Pago Pago. Under jury-rig, Dove set course for Apia on Upolu, Western Samoa. Five months later the repaired Dove sailed to Pago Pago to wait out the hurricane season.

On May 1, 1966, Graham sailed Dove to the Vava’u Group in Tonga. On June 21, Dove sailed to Fiji: first to Fulanga in the Lau Group, then Kabara and then on to Suva in the Viti Levu Group. Dove next made its way through the Yasawa Group, including the Naviti, Waialailai, Waia, Nalawauki, Tavewa, and Yasawa islands. It was on Fiji that he met the future Patti Graham (born c. 1944), a fellow American traveler who was "stopping to work at various places and living mainly by her wits."

On October 22, Dove set sail for the New Hebrides, arriving at the capital, Port Vila, four days later. On November 20, Dove pulled into Honiara on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. While in the Solomons, Robin visited Florida Island, Savo Island and Tulagi Island. After one of Dove‘s slowest passages, landfall was made at Port Moresby, New Guinea on March 24, 1967.

Dove left New Guinea on April 18 and arrived in Darwin, Australia on May 4.

Indian Ocean leg

On July 6, 1967, Graham sailed Dove out of Darwin and made 1,900 miles in 18 days to reach Direction Island in the Cocos Islands. Eighteen hours out of the Cocos Islands, Dove was again demasted during a brief storm. Graham sailed under jury rig for 2,300 miles to reach Port Louis Harbor, Mauritius. After repairs, Dove made for Reunion Island and then sailed 1,450 miles to Durban, South Africa.

Graham spent nine months in South Africa, calling on ports along the southern edge of the continent including East London, South Africa, Port Elizabeth, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Stilbaai, Struisbaai, Gordon’s Bay and finally Cape Town. He married his girlfriend and went on a honeymoon at Kruger National Park.