# Robin Lee Graham

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robin_Lee_Graham
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robin_Lee_Graham.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lee_Graham
> Source revision: 1346099824
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Robin Lee Graham** (born March 5, 1949) is an American [sailor](/source/Sailor). He set out to sail [around the world](/source/Circumnavigation) alone as a teenager in the summer of 1965. *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)* magazine carried the story in [installments](/source/Serial_(literature)) (October 1968, April 1969, October 1970), and he co-wrote a book, titled *Dove*, detailing his journey.

At age sixteen, Graham sailed alone from California to Hawaii on July 21, 1965. He continued heading west in his 24-foot [sloop](/source/Sloop). He was originally given two kittens for company (Joliette and Suzette), and kept two or three cats throughout the entire journey (ending his travels with Kili, Pooh, and Piglet). He married along the way and, after almost five years, ended his journey in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles). He and his wife, Patti Ratterree, briefly attended [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University), then settled in [Montana](/source/Montana).

Graham's book about his voyage, *Dove*, was published in 1972. His voyage was depicted in a film, *[The Dove](/source/The_Dove_(1974_film))* ([1974](/source/1974_in_film)). A follow-up book, *Home Is The Sailor,* was published in 1983.

## The route

### Pacific leg

After a [shakedown cruise](/source/Shakedown_cruise) from [San Pedro, California](/source/San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles), to Hawaii, *Dove* left [Ala Wai Harbor](/source/Ala_Wai_Harbor) in [Honolulu](/source/Honolulu) on September 14, 1965. Graham's first landfall was 14 days later at [Fanning Island](/source/Tabuaeran), a British-controlled atoll. His next planned stop was [Pago Pago](/source/Pago_Pago) on the Island of [Tutuila](/source/Tutuila) in [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa). A fierce squall [dismasted](/source/Dismasting) *Dove* and left her unable to reach Pago Pago. Under [jury rig](/source/Jury_rigging), *Dove* set course for [Apia](/source/Apia) on [Upolu](/source/Upolu), [Western Samoa](/source/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 [Vavaʻu Group](/source/Vava%CA%BBu) in [Tonga](/source/Tonga). On June 21, *Dove* sailed to [Fiji](/source/Fiji): first to [Fulanga](/source/Fulanga) in the [Lau Group](/source/Lau_Islands), then [Kabara](/source/Kabara_(Fiji)) and then on to [Suva](/source/Suva) in the [Viti Levu Group](/source/Viti_Levu_Group). *Dove* next made its way through the [Yasawa Group](/source/Yasawa_Islands), including the [Naviti](/source/Naviti), Waialailai, Waia, Nalawauki, [Tavewa](/source/Tavewa), and [Yasawa](/source/Yasawa) islands. It was in 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."[citation needed]

On October 22, *Dove* set sail for the [New Hebrides](/source/New_Hebrides), arriving at the capital, [Port Vila](/source/Port_Vila), four days later. On November 20, *Dove* pulled into [Honiara](/source/Honiara) on [Guadalcanal](/source/Guadalcanal) in the [Solomon Islands](/source/Solomon_Islands). While in the Solomons, Robin visited [Florida Island](/source/Nggela_Islands), [Savo Island](/source/Savo_Island) and [Tulagi](/source/Tulagi) Island. After one of *Dove'*s slowest passages, landfall was made at [Port Moresby](/source/Port_Moresby), New Guinea on March 24, 1967.

*Dove* left New Guinea on April 18 and arrived in [Darwin](/source/Darwin,_Northern_Territory), Australia on May 4.

### Indian Ocean leg

On July 6, 1967, Graham sailed *Dove* out of Darwin and made 1,900 nautical miles (3,500 km) in 18 days to reach [Direction Island](/source/Direction_Island,_Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands) in the [Cocos Islands](/source/Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands). Eighteen hours out of the Cocos Islands, *Dove* was again dismasted during a brief storm. Graham sailed under jury rig for 2,300 nmi (4,300 km) to reach [Port Louis](/source/Port_Louis) Harbor, [Mauritius](/source/Mauritius). After repairs, *Dove* made for [Réunion Island](/source/R%C3%A9union) and then sailed 1,450 nmi (2,690 km) to [Durban](/source/Durban), South Africa, arriving there on October 21.

Graham spent nine months in South Africa, calling on ports along the southern edge of the continent including [East London](/source/East_London,_South_Africa), [Port Elizabeth](/source/Port_Elizabeth), [Plettenberg Bay](/source/Plettenberg_Bay), [Knysna](/source/Knysna), [Stilbaai](/source/Stilbaai), [Struisbaai](/source/Struisbaai), [Gordon's Bay](/source/Gordon's_Bay) and finally [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town). 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 America. On August 5, *Dove* made landfall in Clarence Bay, [Ascension Island](/source/Ascension_Island). A week later, Graham sailed *Dove* out of Clarence Bay and towards [Suriname](/source/Suriname). On August 31, *Dove* sailed up the [Suriname River](/source/Suriname_River) to the city of [Paramaribo](/source/Paramaribo).

On October 12, 1968, *Dove* sailed out of the mouth of the Suriname River and headed to [Barbados](/source/Barbados). After a month in Barbados, Graham's new boat, *Return of Dove*, was sailed down [Fort Lauderdale, Florida](/source/Fort_Lauderdale,_Florida) to [Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands](/source/Saint_Thomas,_U.S._Virgin_Islands). Graham sailed *Dove* from Barbados to Saint 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](/source/San_Blas_Islands), where he spent two months exploring. After spending Christmas and New Year's Day in [Cristobal](/source/Crist%C3%B3bal,_Col%C3%B3n) in the [Canal Zone](/source/Panama_Canal_Zone), *Return of Dove* sailed through the [Panama Canal](/source/Panama_Canal) with Robin, Patti and the mandatory Panama Canal Company pilot aboard and reaching [Balboa](/source/Balboa,_Panama) on January 17, 1970. Robin then visited the Galapagos Islands. In April 1970 he ended his voyage at Long Beach, California where he had started from 1,739 days and 30,600 miles earlier.

## After the journey

About two months after ending his trip, Graham's daughter, Quimby, was born.[citation needed]

He attended Stanford University for a semester.

Graham and his wife sold the [Maverick](/source/Ford_Maverick_(Americas)) automobile that [Ford Motor Company](/source/Ford_Motor_Company) had given him and used the money to buy a retired postal van. They moved to a mountain property near [Kalispell, Montana](/source/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 a 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 Hawaii 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 attempted circumnavigation and started recovering when Lyle helped with the construction of one of Robin's homes.[1]

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 24](/source/Lapworth_24) sloop. On reaching the Caribbean, *Dove* was replaced by *Return of Dove*, a 33-foot Allied Luders sloop.[2]

*Dove* remained in and was sailed about the British Virgin Islands after Graham sold her. She sank in [Hurricane Hugo](/source/Hurricane_Hugo) in 1989.

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 still be in Hawaii.[3][4]

## Bibliography

- Robin Lee Graham (1973). [*The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone*](https://archive.org/details/boywhosailedarou00grah). Golden. ISBN 0-307-16510-8.
- Robin Lee Graham (1972). [*Dove*](https://archive.org/details/dovesoem00grah). HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-011603-X.
- Paperback reprint: Robin Lee Graham (1991). [*Dove*](https://archive.org/details/dovesoem00grah). Harper Paperbacks. ISBN 0-06-092047-5.
- Robin Lee Graham, with Derek Gill (1983). [*Home Is the Sailor*](https://archive.org/details/homeissailor00grah). Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-015154-4.

## See also

- [List of youth solo sailing circumnavigations](/source/List_of_youth_solo_sailing_circumnavigations)

## References

1. [\[1\]](http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20119357,00.html) Web site.

1. [Dove](https://web.archive.org/web/20131011145811/http://www.jarogers.com/dove2.htm) web site.

1. [Sailing on the "Return of Dove", now renamed "Dove"](https://www.youtube.com/pDa04utzeYI) on YouTube, 23 November 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2011.

1. [\[2\]](https://www.gazettes.com/entertainment/on-the-water-all-about-dove-the-famous-sloop/article_50ce7b5e-7dbb-11ea-8994-ffff2362afeb.html) ON THE WATER: All About Dove, The Famous Sloop, Apr 17, 2020

## External links

- [The Schoolboy Circumnavigation](http://www.bluemoment.com/dove.html)
- [The Dove](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071438/) at IMDb
- [The Robin Lee Graham Society](https://archive.today/20130209231455/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/robinleegrahamsociety/) at [Yahoo! Groups](/source/Yahoo!_Groups)
- [Robin Lee Graham](http://www.jarogers.com/dove.htm)'s Sloop Dove at St. Thomas VI at [YouTube](/source/YouTube) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100527035422/http://www.jarogers.com/dove.htm) 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
- [Robin and Patti Graham](https://www.flickr.com/photos/20460149@N04/3691523358/) at Flickr, 2009.
- [Robin Lee Graham on the Latest Teen Circumnavs](http://www.sailmagazine.com/robin-lee-graham-latest-teen-circumnavs/)
- [Profile: Sailor at Home](https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/03/11/sailor-at-home/), by Justin Franz. Flathead Beacon

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robin Lee Graham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lee_Graham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Lee_Graham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.