In 1972, the Family Robertson, consisting of Dougal and Lynne Robertson and their children Douglas, Anne, Neil, and Sandy, embarked on what was meant to be the adventure of a lifetime: a voyage around the world. Dairy farmers from Staffordshire, England, they sold their farm to purchase the Lucette, a 43-foot schooner, fueled by a dream sparked by young Neil’s innocent question, “Daddy’s a sailor. Why don’t we sail around the world?” Leaving Falmouth in January 1971, their journey initially unfolded as planned, sailing across the Atlantic and exploring the Caribbean. Anne eventually chose to leave the voyage in the Bahamas, and the family welcomed Robin Williams, a Welsh economics graduate, to join them as they set their sights on New Zealand, navigating through the Panama Canal and the Galapagos Islands. Little did the family robertson know, their idyllic voyage was about to transform into an unimaginable ordeal in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
The Robertson Family onboard Lucette in Falmouth before departure.
The Robertson family preparing for their ambitious round-the-world sailing trip aboard the Lucette in Falmouth.
Their course took them westward from the Galapagos Islands, aiming for the Marquesas Islands, a staggering 3,000 miles away. On June 15, 1972, approximately 200 miles west of the Galapagos, disaster struck. At 9:57 am, the Lucette was violently attacked not by a storm, but by three Orca whales. The impact of the whales against the hull was devastating, and within minutes, the Lucette was sinking. The family robertson, along with Robin, had mere moments to react. They managed to scramble into an inflatable life raft and a small fiberglass dinghy named Ednamair, salvaging only a few essential items. Their provisions were meager: water for ten days, emergency rations for three, a handful of onions, a kitchen knife, some biscuits, oranges, lemons, glucose sweets, and flares. Lynne, a resourceful midwife and nurse, had the foresight to grab her sewing box, an item that would prove surprisingly invaluable. Adrift in the vast Pacific, with no maps, compass, or means of communication, and with no one aware of their plight, the family robertson‘s fight for survival had begun.
Map of the entire voyage of the Lucette schooner and subsequent drift.
Illustration depicting the planned voyage of the Lucette and the survivors’ harrowing drift across the Pacific Ocean.
Day 2: Adrift and Facing the Elements
Dougal Robertson, the experienced sailor, made the crucial decision to head north towards the Doldrums. His reasoning was twofold: the Doldrums were known for rainfall, essential for replenishing their dwindling water supply, and they might bring them closer to shipping lanes, increasing their chances of rescue. The life raft, however, was in poor condition, constantly deflating and leaking. The bellows intended to inflate it soon broke, forcing Dougal, Douglas, and Robin to take turns manually inflating it by mouth – a tiring and continuous task. Working tirelessly, they bailed out the Ednamair and ingeniously rigged a makeshift towing system, using a paddle, an oar, and a sail to convert the dinghy into a tug, towing the leaking raft stern first.
Ednamair dinghy towing the life raft stern-first in the Pacific Ocean.
Illustration showing the Ednamair dinghy ingeniously towing the damaged life raft as the Robertson family struggled for survival.
Hunger and thirst quickly became their most pressing adversaries. The initial salvaged rations and water barely lasted six days. To survive, they had to rely on the ocean itself. Flying fish that landed in their vessels became a vital food source. They also managed to catch dorado. However, turtles became the cornerstone of their diet. They consumed turtle meat and eggs and even drank turtle blood for hydration. The constant immersion in seawater due to the leaking raft led to painful saltwater boils for everyone. Despite these hardships, the family robertson pressed on, using wind and current to navigate northeast, towards Central America, clinging to hope in the face of overwhelming adversity. Every day was a battle, meticulously documented by Dougal in an improvised logbook, using a biro found in Lynne’s ever-useful sewing kit.
Days 3-7: Hope and Despair on the Open Sea
Day 3 brought a small respite when a flying fish landed in the Ednamair. Lynne, with her resourcefulness, marinated it with lemon juice, providing a much-needed flavorful meal. However, seasickness plagued Neil and Robin, adding to their discomfort. Days 4 and 5 were dominated by the relentless task of inflating and repairing the leaking raft. By Day 6, fortune smiled briefly as a large dorado, weighing 35lbs, landed in the dinghy, providing a substantial meal of raw fish and enough to dry for future sustenance.
Day 7, Wednesday, June 21st, brought both immense hope and crushing disappointment. Heavy rain allowed them to replenish their water supplies, raising spirits. Then, Douglas spotted a cargo ship, the Straat Cook. With renewed energy, they fired parachute rockets and hand flares, desperately signaling for help. Tragically, their signals went unseen, and the ship sailed past, leaving the family robertson in despair. Later that day, they caught their first turtle, a crucial turning point in their survival strategy. They killed it carefully, mindful of not attracting sharks with the blood.
Days 8-16: Hardship and Ingenuity
Day 8 began with a breakfast of turtle steaks and eggs, a testament to their evolving survival skills. By Day 10, saltwater boils afflicted everyone, water was running critically low, and the raft demanded constant inflation. Hope for rain sustained them through Day 11, anticipating the rain-bearing Doldrums. Day 13 saw their desperation for water intensify, and sharks became a nuisance, stealing fish from their lines. The raft’s condition deteriorated further by Day 14, requiring incessant bailing. They caught a small turtle and resorted to drinking its blood to combat dehydration.
Day 15 brought torrential rain, a godsend that allowed them to refill their containers. However, disaster struck again when the dinghy broke away from the raft. Dougal, displaying incredible resilience, dived into the shark-infested waters and managed to retrieve it, utterly exhausted. It was Lynne who then suggested a radical idea: using seawater enemas for hydration. While the water was too foul to drink, they reasoned their bodies could absorb moisture this way. Everyone except Robin agreed, and Douglas ingeniously crafted makeshift enema equipment. By Day 16, the family robertson were in dire physical condition, suffering from sores, boils, and sunburn, yet the rain continued, offering a small mercy.
Days 17-29: The Raft’s Demise and Continued Struggle
Day 17 marked a critical turning point. The bottom of the raft essentially disintegrated, forcing them to transfer entirely to the Ednamair. They salvaged what they could, including flotation pieces and the canopy, to improve the dinghy’s seaworthiness and provide shelter. Space was severely limited, requiring careful planning for every movement to maintain balance. Each person had an assigned place in the cramped dinghy.
Ednamair dinghy underway after the life raft became unusable on Day 17.
Illustration of the Ednamair carrying the Robertson family after they were forced to abandon the sinking life raft.
Seating arrangement illustration inside the Ednamair dinghy for survival.
Diagram showing the incredibly confined seating arrangement within the Ednamair dinghy, highlighting the family’s endurance.
Day 18 offered a more palatable breakfast of flying fish, turtle meat, and turtle fat. Seabirds like frigate birds and storm petrels became common sights. Their clothes were disintegrating under the harsh conditions, exacerbating sunburn. On Day 19, a blue-footed Booby landed on Douglas’s shoulder, a brief moment of unexpected connection with nature. Day 20 was Lynne’s birthday, celebrated with a feast of turtle and dorado and a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” a poignant reminder of life beyond their ordeal.
Days 21 and 22 brought further challenges. The sea anchor broke away, requiring Douglas to row for 35 minutes to retrieve it. He later spotted a green flare, raising hopes of rescue, but it amounted to nothing. They caught a large turtle and made sure to drink its blood quickly before it coagulated, saving the valuable fat. A terrible storm struck on Day 22, bringing torrential rain. Day 23 saw them battling for their lives, bailing water incessantly through another night of torrential rain. To keep spirits up and ward off cold, Douglas encouraged everyone to sing. Miraculously, the storm subsided, the wind shifted, and they survived their worst night yet.
Days 24-29 continued with rain and lightning. Food supplies dwindled by Day 25, but another large turtle provided much-needed sustenance, improving everyone’s physical and mental state. Stormy conditions returned on Day 26. Lynne planned more enemas for herself and the twins. Day 27 saw them create turtle oil from the fat to soothe their skin and for enemas. By Day 28, rough seas with 20-foot waves demanded continuous bailing. On Day 29, Dougal caught a five-foot Mako shark, a significant event. He hauled it aboard and decapitated it. In a startling moment, the severed head clamped its jaws on Douglas’s hand, drawing blood, but Douglas kept the shark’s teeth as a grim trophy. Their eastward progress was improving.
Days 30-37: Near Land, But Still in Peril
Day 30 marked a geographical milestone: Douglas spotted the Pole Star, confirming they were back in the Northern Hemisphere. On Day 31, an enormous shark bumped the dinghy. Another turtle catch replenished their food. Water shortage returned on Day 32, but a 20lb dorado offered some relief. Day 33 emphasized the brutal reality of survival at sea: “Eat or be eaten.” Catching three large dorado provided vital fluids, alleviating their severe thirst. Days 34 and 35 saw them surviving on raw fish, extracting every drop of moisture from bones and eyes. A massive downpour on Day 35 allowed them to fill all containers with water, and enemas were administered for digestive health. They discovered five holes in the dinghy’s flotation collar.
By Day 36, rough seas and squalls persisted. Their clothes were in tatters, but Lynne continued to mend and wash them. The twins were alarmingly thin; Neil was emaciated, and Sandy had a cough, possibly pneumonia. Sandy’s worsening condition on Day 37 raised the grim prospect of rowing the estimated 350 miles to land. Land was still about 15 days away, but they estimated they had enough dried meat and fish to last.
Illustration of the Robertson family drying fish for preservation aboard the Ednamair.
Illustration depicting the Robertson family’s method of drying fish on the Ednamair dinghy to preserve food supplies.
Day 38: Rescue and Reunion
On Day 38, as they were planning a rowing rota, Dougal spotted a ship. Waving a red flare and torch, their desperate signals were finally seen. A prolonged blast from the ship’s whistle confirmed their salvation. On July 23, 1972, after 38 days in the Ednamair, the family robertson were rescued by the Toka Maru II, a Japanese fishing trawler en route to the Panama Canal. The Japanese crew were astonished by their condition. They rescued the Ednamair at the Robertsons’ request, after emptying its foul contents. The Japanese sailors provided exceptional care.
The family robertson had drifted over 750 miles by raft and dinghy and were approximately 290 miles from land when rescued. Upon reaching Panama on July 28, 1972, they were met by the world’s press. Robin Williams returned to England by air, while the family robertson sailed home on the MV Port Auckland. In England, their daughter Anne awaited, and the family was reunited, forever bound by their shared ordeal. Their survival was a testament to their comradeship, ingenuity, unwavering love, and sheer determination. It was an experience that indelibly shaped the family robertson forever.
Map showing the drift track of the Robertson family survivors after the Lucette sank.
Map illustrating the remarkable drift track of the Robertson family in the Pacific Ocean after the sinking of the Lucette.
Post-rescue photograph of the Robertson family inside the Ednamair dinghy.
A poignant photograph taken after the rescue, demonstrating the incredibly cramped conditions endured by the Robertson family in the Ednamair.
Ednamair dinghy on display at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
The Ednamair dinghy, a symbol of resilience, now exhibited at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
The Legacy of Ednamair and the Robertson Family
The Ednamair, named after Lynne’s sisters Edna and Mary (Edna having provided the funds for its purchase), became a lasting symbol of their incredible survival story. After many years in Edna’s care, it was brought to Falmouth, the starting point of their ill-fated voyage, and donated to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. The museum commemorates their story, with Douglas Robertson himself giving a lecture, ‘The Last Voyage of the Lucette’, there in 2008.
Exhibits at the museum further detail their ordeal, including items like a pressure cooker weight from Lynne’s sewing box, used as a fishing weight, and teeth from the Mako shark. Turtle oil, painstakingly rendered from turtle fat, is highlighted as a vital resource, used for treating saltwater boils, as a warming tonic, in stews, and even for enemas. The enema tube, ingeniously fashioned from the life raft’s boarding ladder, underscores their resourcefulness in using seawater for hydration.
The story of the family robertson is more than just a survival narrative; it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the unbreakable bonds of family in the face of unimaginable adversity. Their tale continues to inspire awe and serves as a powerful reminder of resilience, ingenuity, and the will to live.
To delve deeper into this incredible story, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall offers resources including the books ‘Survive the Savage Sea’ by Dougal Robertson and ‘The Last Voyage of the Lucette’ by Douglas Robertson, available for purchase, supporting the museum and preserving this remarkable piece of maritime history.
