In 1965, 16-year-old American Robin Lee Graham set out alone on a small 24-foot sailboat on a voyage that seemed beyond his years. His crossing of the oceans without the aid of modern technology, littered with damage and unexpected encounters, would become a model of determination and independence.
Wind in the sails and cats on board
The son of a sailing enthusiast, Robin Lee Graham grew up in California, where he became familiar with sailing at an early age. On July 21, 1965, at the age of 16, he left San Pedro aboard the Dove, a Lapworth 24 sloop.
After a tune-up cruise to Hawaii, the young navigator left Ala Wai harbor in Honolulu on September 14, 1965. Robin's first landing took place 14 days later on Fanning Island, an atoll known as Tabuaeran located in the central Pacific Ocean within the Republic of Kiribati.
His next objective was Pago Pago on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, but a violent gust dismasted Dove and prevented him from reaching his destination. Under jury rig, the yacht headed for Apia on the island of Upolu in Western Samoa. 5 months later, after repairs, Dove headed back to Pago Pago to wait out the hurricane season. But he's not alone in facing the sea.
To break the solitude of the ocean's immensity, he has been entrusted with two kittens, Joliette and Suzette, who accompany him on his nautical adventures. As his journey progresses, his love of felines becomes apparent, and at each stop he takes on new four-legged companions. His voyage ends with a team of inseparable tomcats: Kili, Pooh and Piglet, three cats who have learned to enjoy the waves as much as their captain's caresses.
From Vava'u to the coasts of Africa: love along the water's edge
On May 1, 1966, Robin again left the port of Tutuila for the Vava'u archipelago in Tonga. On June 21, he arrived in Fiji, with stopovers at Fulanga in the Lau archipelago, Kabara, then Suva in the Viti Levu archipelago. He continued on through the Yasawa archipelago, visiting the islands of Naviti, Waialailai, Waia, Nalawauki, Tavewa and Yasawa. These stopovers are also an opportunity to forge ties and discover a variety of maritime cultures. It was in Fiji, in fact, that he met Patti, an American traveler who lives mainly off her ideas and stops in various places.
In October, Robin sets sail for the New Hebrides, arriving in Port Vila four days later. On November 20, he docked at Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
A second dismasting!
During his stay, he explored the islands of Florida, Savo and Tulagi. After one of his slowest crossings, he reached Port Moresby, New Guinea, in March 1967. In April 1967, Dove left New Guinea, arriving in Darwin, Australia, in May. In early July, he left Darwin to sail 1,900 nautical miles in 18 days to Direction Island in the Cocos Islands. 18 hours after his departure, a storm dismasted Dove again. Robin sailed under jury rig for 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km) to reach the port of Port-Louis, Mauritius.
After repairs, he headed for Reunion Island, then 1,450 nautical miles (2,690 km) to Durban, South Africa, where he arrived in October. In South Africa, Robin spends 9 months exploring the country's southern coast, calling at East London, Port Elizabeth, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Stilbaai, Struisbaai, Gordon's Bay and finally Cape Town. Here, he marries his partner Patti.
Last miles of a round-the-world trip
On July 13, 1968, Robin left Cape Town for the north coast of South America.
Change of yacht en route
On August 5, he arrived at Clarence Bay on Ascension Island. A week later, he set course for Suriname and, on August 31, sailed up the Suriname River to Paramaribo. On October 12, he left the river mouth and headed for Barbados. After a month in Barbados, Robin Lee Graham set sail again aboard the Return of Dove a 33-foot ketch built by the Allied Luders shipyard. Once Dove was sold, this new boat, larger than the previous one, enabled him to continue his voyage from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on November 20, 1969. 8 days later, he reached the San Blas Islands, where he spent two months exploring the region. After spending Christmas and New Year's Day in Cristobal in the Canal Zone, he crossed the Panama Canal with Patti and an obligatory Panama Canal Company pilot on board, arriving in Balboa on January 17, 1970. Robin then visited the Galapagos Islands before ending his journey in Long Beach, California, in April 1970, 1,739 days after departure after covering 30,600 miles.
The legacy of a pioneer
Welcomed as a hero on his arrival, Robin Lee Graham became a figure in sailing despite not completing his solo adventure. He was not an author, but his story has been told by writer Derek Gill in 3 books: Dove , The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone and Home is the Sailor . In 1974, Dove has also been adapted for the big screen by Hollywood.
His voyage, completed long before the age of modern technology, was a testament to exceptional courage that would inspire other sailors. In her wake, in 2012, the young Dutch sailor Laura Dekker, then aged 17, also completed a solo circumnavigation with stopovers aboard Guppy, a Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch, after a 366-day voyage. Australia's Jessica Watson remains the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe at the age of 16, sailing around all three capes aboard the S&S 34 Ella's Pink Lady. Neither record has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
Since returning to Montana with his wife and children, Robin, now 75, has put an end to his career as a carpenter and furniture builder. Although the call of the sea seems to have faded, he retains a vivid nostalgia for his adventure and the years he spent at sea. In an interview in 2022, he evoked his logbook, an intimate record of his adventure: '' At 10, I was only interested in sailing, a simple goal for a boy who wanted to discover the world by boat. It's still the most dangerous book in my library. I take it out from time to time and handle it with great care. I keep it there because it fuels my childhood dreams. I keep it there to protect me from the worst that life on earth can throw at me. ''
