Robin Lee Graham
Encyclopedia
Robin Lee Graham 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, title Dove, detailing his journey.
Graham was sixteen when he set out alone from Southern California and headed 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 at the end of the journey. He married along the way and, after almost five years, sailed back into his home port in Los Angeles
. 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 followup book, Home Is The Sailor, was published in 1983.
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
, New Guinea
on March 24, 1967.
Dove left New Guinea on April 18 and arrived in Darwin
, Australia
on May 4.
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.
. A week later, Graham sailed Dove out of Clarence Bay and towards Surinam. On August 31, Dove sailed up the Surinam River to the city of Paramaribo
.
On October 12, 1968, Dove sailed out of the mouth of the Suriname River
and headed to Barbados
. After a month in Barbados, Graham's new boat, Return of Dove, was sailed down Fort Lauderdale to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Graham sailed Dove from Barbados to St. Thomas and sold her before continuing his trip in the bigger Return of Dove on November 20, 1969. Eight days later, Graham reached the San Blas Islands
, where he spent two months exploring.
After spending Christmas and New Year's Day in Cristobal
in the Canal Zone
, Return of Dove sailed through the Panama Canal
and reached Balboa
on January 17, 1970. In April of 1970 he returned to Longbeach, CA closing the loop and finishing the voyage.
He attended Stanford University for a semester.
Graham and his wife sold the Maverick that Ford
had given him and used the money to buy a retired postal van. They moved to a mountain property near Kalispell, Montana
where they built a log home. In 1972 they moved closer to town and started building a larger log home. The skills learned led Graham to pursue career as a builder and furniture maker. He and his wife had a second child, a son named Ben
In 1982, he helped skipper a sailboat delivery from Hawai’i to California with his father, Lyle, in the crew. This trip helped cement a reconciliation between the two. Their relationship had been strained since near the end of the circumnavigation and started recovering when Lyle helped with the construction of one of Robin’s homes.
In 1983 with co-author Derek Gill, Graham wrote a follow-up book titled Home is the Sailor.
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.
The Return of Dove has been sold and is being transported to the mainland. Plans were for the boat to be displayed to the public, along with the opening of a new musical in Atlanta, Georgia
, in October 2007 about Robin Graham's adventure.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
. He set out to sail around the world
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
carried the story, and he co-wrote a book, title Dove, detailing his journey.
Graham was sixteen when he set out alone from Southern California and headed 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 at the end of the journey. He married along the way and, after almost five years, sailed back into his home port in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He and his wife, Patti Ratterree, briefly attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, then settled in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Graham's book about his voyage, Dove, was published in 1972. His voyage was depicted in a film, The Dove
The Dove (1974 film)
The Dove is a 1974 American biographical film directed by Charles Jarrott. The picture was produced by Gregory Peck, the third and last feature film he would produce....
(1974
1974 in film
The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
). A followup book, Home Is The Sailor, was published in 1983.
Pacific leg
After a shakedown cruiseShakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
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
Tutuila
Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and over northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor,...
in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. A fierce squall demasted Dove and left her unable to reach Pago Pago. Under jury-rig, Dove set course for Apia on Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
, 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
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. On June 21, Dove sailed to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
: first to Fulanga in the Lau Group, then Kabara
Kabara
Kabara is an island of Fiji, a member of the Lau archipelago. With a land area of 31 km² , its population of some 700 lives in four villages.The islanders are noted for their craftsmanship in the area of wood carving...
and then on to Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
in the Viti Levu Group
Viti Levu Group
The Viti Levu Group in Fiji consists of the island of Viti Levu and its outliers, including Bau, Beqa, Nukulau, and Vatulele. The group had an aggregate area of 10,453 square kilometers and a population of 574,801 at the 1996 census....
. Dove next made its way through the Yasawa Group, including the Naviti
Naviti
Naviti is a volcanic island in the Yasawa Group, in the Western Division of Fiji. Located at 17.13° South and 177.25° East, Naviti covers an area of 34 square kilometers, with a maximum elevation of 388 meters. The main economic activity is centred on resort hotels. Korovou Eco Resort is a typical...
, Waialailai, Waia, Nalawauki, Tavewa
Tavewa
Tavewa is an island of the Yasawa Islands, measuring approximately 3 kilometres long by 1 km wide. It is part of the Nacula District that lies north-west of the Fijian island of Viti Levu.- Tourism :...
, and Yasawa
Yasawa
Yasawa, also called Assawa and Ysava, is the main island of the Yasawa Group, an archipelago in Fiji's Western Division. Located at 17.00° South and 177.23° East, it covers an area of 32 square kilometers. It has a maximum altitude of 244 meters. The population was 1120 in 1983.- References :...
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
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, arriving at the capital, Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
, four days later. On November 20, Dove pulled into Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. While in the Solomons, Robin visited Florida Island, Savo Island
Savo Island
Savo Island is a volcanic island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. It is located to the northeast of the northern tip of Guadalcanal Island at . Politically, Savo Island is a part of the Solomons' Central Province. The indigenous language of Savo is the Savosavo language.The...
and Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
Island. After one of Dove
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
on March 24, 1967.
Dove left New Guinea on April 18 and arrived in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
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 IslandDirection Island
Direction Island may refer to:* Direction Island, Cocos Islands is an island of the Cocos Islands* Direction Island, Antarctica is another name of Bearing Island in Antarctica...
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
Port Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...
Harbor, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. After repairs, Dove made for Reunion Island and then sailed 1,450 miles to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
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
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...
, Knysna
Knysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
, Stilbaai
Stilbaai
Stilbaai, also known as the Bay of Sleeping Beauty, is a town along the southern coast of South Africa about four hours by car from Cape Town. It is part of the Hessequa Local Municipality in the Western Cape province...
, Struisbaai
Struisbaai
Struisbaai is a coastal settlement in the Overberg region of South Africa's Western Cape province. The town is two hours South from Cape Town in the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality within the Overberg District, and four kilometers from the southernmost point of the African continent at Cape...
, Gordon's Bay
Gordon's Bay
Gordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town to the south of the N2 national road and is named after Robert Jacob Gordon , the Dutch explorer of Scottish descent...
and finally Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. He married his girlfriend and went on a honeymoon at Kruger National Park.
Atlantic Ocean leg
On July 13, 1968, Dove left Cape Town and sailed toward the northern coast of South Africa. On August 5, Dove made landfall in Clarence Bay Ascension IslandAscension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
. A week later, Graham sailed Dove out of Clarence Bay and towards Surinam. On August 31, Dove sailed up the Surinam River to the city of Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
.
On October 12, 1968, Dove sailed out of the mouth of the Suriname River
Suriname River
The Suriname River is 480 km long and flows through the country Suriname. Its sources are located in the Guiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and the Eilerts de Haan Mountains...
and headed to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. After a month in Barbados, Graham's new boat, Return of Dove, was sailed down Fort Lauderdale to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Graham sailed Dove from Barbados to St. Thomas and sold her before continuing his trip in the bigger Return of Dove on November 20, 1969. Eight days later, Graham reached the San Blas Islands
San Blas Islands
The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 378 islands and cays, of which only 49 are inhabited. They lay off the north coast of the Isthmus, east of the Panama Canal...
, where he spent two months exploring.
After spending Christmas and New Year's Day in Cristobal
Cristóbal, Colón
Cristóbal is a port in the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. It is located on the western edge of Manzanillo Island and is part of the Panamanian city and province of Colón...
in the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, Return of Dove sailed through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and reached Balboa
Balboa
Balboa may refer to:Vasco Núñez de Balboa , Spanish explorerBalboa may also refer to:- Places :* Balboa, León, a Spanish village and municipality* Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California, also called Balboa...
on January 17, 1970. In April of 1970 he returned to Longbeach, CA closing the loop and finishing the voyage.
After circumnavigation
About two months after completing his trip, Graham's daughter, Quimby, was born.He attended Stanford University for a semester.
Graham and his wife sold the Maverick that Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
had given him and used the money to buy a retired postal van. They moved to a mountain property near Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2010 census put Kalispell's population at 19,927 up 5,704 over 2000. At 40.1% this is the largest percentage of growth of any incorporated city in Montana. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center...
where they built a log home. In 1972 they moved closer to town and started building a larger log home. The skills learned led Graham to pursue career as a builder and furniture maker. He and his wife had a second child, a son named Ben
In 1982, he helped skipper a sailboat delivery from Hawai’i to California with his father, Lyle, in the crew. This trip helped cement a reconciliation between the two. Their relationship had been strained since near the end of the circumnavigation and started recovering when Lyle helped with the construction of one of Robin’s homes.
In 1983 with co-author Derek Gill, Graham wrote a follow-up book titled Home is the Sailor.
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.Dove sank in Hurricane Marilyn
Hurricane Marilyn
Hurricane Marilyn was the fifteenth tropical depression and thirteenth named storm of the unusually busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Luis. Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful storm to hit the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989.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.
The Return of Dove has been sold and is being transported to the mainland. Plans were for the boat to be displayed to the public, along with the opening of a new musical in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, in October 2007 about Robin Graham's adventure.
External links
- The Schoolboy Circumnavigation
- The Robin Lee Graham Society at Yahoo Groups
- Robin Lee Graham's Sloop Dove at St. Thomas VI at You Tube
- Robin and Patti Graham at Flickr, 2009.
- http://sailmagazine.com/racing/robin_lee_graham_on_the_latest_teen_circumnavs/ Robin Lee Graham on the Latest Teen Circumnavs