Dark Shadows | 1

Summary

Adrift: “Dark Shadows” (Episode 1) — Detailed Summary

Podcast: Adrift (Apple TV / Blanchard House)
Episode: Dark Shadows | 1
Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Becky Milligan

---

Main Theme / Purpose

Episode 1 of “Adrift” introduces the harrowing true story of the Robertson family, who left everything behind in 1971 to attempt a round-the-world sailing trip—only to find themselves fighting for survival in the Pacific Ocean. The episode deftly weaves together past and present, outlining their motivations, fraught preparations, interpersonal tensions, and the moment disaster strikes, leaving them stranded at sea surrounded by sharks, facing the ultimate test of endurance and family bonds.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ordinary Morning Turns Catastrophic [00:00–02:41]

• Setting: Early 1970s, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
• The Robertson family is enjoying a regular morning on their yacht, Lucette—chatting, making coffee, and fishing.
• Douglas notices something odd in the water (“a black mark in the distance”), and soon after, disaster.
• Becky Milligan, the host, sets the immersive scene—two white sails, endless ocean and sky.

2. Flashing Back: Pre-Sailing Life & Family Struggles [03:44–08:15]

• Four Years Earlier — Staffordshire, England (1968)
  • The Robertsons struggle with rural poverty and a failed farm.
  • Lynn and Dougal’s background: Dougal, originally from Edinburgh, ex-sea captain, became a struggling farmer; Lynn, strong-willed, hardworking nurse/midwife.
  • Living with no electricity, using paraffin lamps, and dealing with hardships unknown to the children.
  • Children recall freedom in the countryside; resourceful and close-knit, yet unaware of the family’s poverty.

3. Disaster Strikes — The Sinking of Lucette [08:20–19:17]

• Back to the present: sudden chaos as the yacht begins taking on water.
• Killer whales (orcas) collide with the Lucette, damaging the hull—described viscerally.
• The family scrambles for survival: “Abandon ship. Abandon ship.” (Dougal Robertson, 10:32)
• Heart-wrenching moments—Lynn grabs for Douglas as he’s swept into the sea; Neil clings to his teddy bear for comfort.
• Douglas recounts thoughts of imminent death and fear of being eaten by orcas.

4. Origins of the Dream: Inspiration and Doubt [19:17–24:50]

• Another flashback reveals the family’s motivation to sail:
  • Inspired by the Sunday Times Round the World Yacht Race (news on radio, 20:09).
  • Neil’s offhand suggestion: “Dad, you were a sailor. Why don’t we sail around the world?” (Neil Robertson, 20:55)
  • Dougal seizes the idea, declaring it an education for the whole family, and begins planning in earnest.
• Lynn is deeply hesitant, but Dougal’s determination drives the family forward.

5. Preparation, Social Pressure, and Family Tension [22:39–26:42]

• Extreme steps: Dougal arranges for the entire family to have their appendices removed “just in case.”
• The community is incredulous; neighbors and relatives call the Robertsons crazy or foolish.
• Family argument before departure reaches a fever pitch—Lynn’s fears boil over, leading to a physical fight with Dougal.
• This conflict exposes underlying doubts and sacrifices.

6. The Final Moments: Survival and Separation [27:20–30:04]

• Return to the disaster at sea:
  • The Lucette breaks up; the family escapes into the liferaft and dinghy as debris and orcas circle.
  • Neil and Sandy swim for the life raft: Sandy is given a bag of onions as rations—his “otter” swimming described in detail.
  • Lynn struggles to escape the sinking yacht; her nightdress catches, and she vanishes from sight.
  • By the episode’s end, both Douglas and Lynn are missing, leaving the family’s fate uncertain.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Desperation and Decision:

  • “We were on our own. I mean, you have to make a choice. Are we going to die?”
    — Douglas Robertson [00:00]
  • “Abandon ship. Abandon ship.”
    — Dougal Robertson [10:32, 17:07]

• The Water Rises:

  • “He was up to his ankles in water... I saw gaping holes. Just at that moment, I heard a big surging splash behind me. Three killer whales.”
    — Douglas Robertson [08:43–09:19]

• Fear and Tenderness:

  • “It was terrifying that we might watch Douglas being torn limb from limb and devoured. And the rest of us would be next.”
    — Lynn Robertson [18:29]

• Children’s Innocence Amid Trauma:

  • “I want me teddies.”
    — Neil Robertson [17:31]
  • “I had my teddy stuffed under my life jacket.”
    — Neil Robertson [17:36]

• Dream or Folly:

  • “She said, you’re crazy. Allowing Dougal to talk you into this. You’ve got your children to think about.”
    — Douglas Robertson, quoting Lynn’s sister [22:22]

• Family Tensions Explode:

  • “This is your dream, Dougal. Your dream, not ours. What if something happens? What about the children? What about school?”
    — Lynn Robertson [25:41]
  • “What better education can you have than going around the world? Anything’s better than that shithole of a farm.”
    — Dougal Robertson [25:50]

• Memorable Flash of Humor (pre-departure):

  • “The whole family went to have their appendices out together. If you have your appendix out? You’re getting pretty involved, aren’t you?”
    — Douglas Robertson & Becky Milligan [23:08–23:15]

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Opening reflection: “We were on our own...” (Douglas Robertson)
• 02:41 – Introduction of the podcast and the host
• 03:44–07:03 – Early life, poverty, and family dynamics in rural England
• 08:20–10:13 – The yacht starts sinking, killer whale collision
• 10:32–11:00 – “Abandon ship” order given
• 12:10–13:51 – Dougal and Lynn’s contrasting personalities
• 17:04–18:39 – The family is separated in the chaos; Douglas at risk in the water
• 20:09–22:06 – Family inspired by round-the-world yacht race; origin of scheme
• 24:50–26:42 – Explosive pre-departure argument between Dougal and Lynn
• 27:20–29:58 – Children swim toward the life raft; Lynn struggles to escape the sinking yacht

---

Tone & Style

• The episode skillfully employs dramatic narration, interweaving retrospective interviews, first-person recollections, and immersive sound design. The language is candid, raw, and occasionally darkly humorous, capturing both nostalgia and terror. Interpersonal dynamics are vividly rendered, from familial love, rivalry, and mischief to deep-seated doubts and desperate courage under pressure.

---

Summary for New Listeners

Episode 1 of Adrift is a gripping, character-driven recounting of the fate that befell the Robertson family during their attempt to sail around the world. The narrative alternates between the sinking and earlier years, exposing both the family’s motivations and the fraught, very human complications beneath the surface of their adventure. The result is a suspenseful, empathetic portrait of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances—testing the limits of endurance, love, and what families mean to each other in crisis.

Transcript

[Douglas Robertson]

We were on our own. I mean, you have to make a choice. Are we going to die?

[Becky Milligan]

The Pacific Ocean, the early 70s.

[Dougal Robertson]

Douglas, take the wheel.

[Douglas Robertson]

All right.

[Becky Milligan]

Two white sails billowing in the wind. On board, a family on the adventure of a lifetime, sailing round the world. Just sea sky for hundreds of miles.

[Douglas Robertson]

The spray was coming across the deck, but it was a normal morning and there was no cause for alarm. We could smell the coffee and we're all looking forward to having a cup. But then I did notice that the fishing line was dancing in the water.

[Becky Milligan]

Sandy looks over.

[Sandy Robertson]

Hello, I've caught a fish.

[Douglas Robertson]

He pulled it in, said, oh, look, Sandy, it's a squid. And where there are squid, bigger fish, I found. It was then that I saw something, a black mark in the distance, a distinct black shape. And it drew my attention.

[Becky Milligan]

But then it disappears.

[Douglas Robertson]

I thought it might be a piece of flotsam, maybe a dinghy or something, but it came and went and I said to Sandy, did you see that? That dark black thing? Did you see it?

[Sandy Robertson]

I said, yeah, yeah. I said, probably a beard.

[Douglas Robertson]

Where Seabirds don't really have that shape. They're soft. This was solid. Bang, bang, bang.

[Becky Milligan]

This is Adrift. An Apple Original Podcast Produced by Blanchard House. I'm Becky Milligan. Episode 1 Dark Shadows Four Years Earlier Staffordshire, Rural England. January 1968.

[Douglas Robertson]

Farming is a tough existence. Fetching the cows in, milking the cows.

[Becky Milligan]

Money is tight. Dougal and Lynn are struggling to put food on the table and buy clothes and shoes for their four kids, Douglas, Ann and twins, Sandy and Neil.

[Lynn Robertson]

Fifteen years dairy farming in the middle of the countryside. It had diminished to extinction. My enthusiasm for an agricultural way of life.

[Becky Milligan]

And in those 15 years, just two weeks off, it's up at the crack of dawn, day after day.

[Neil Robertson]

He wasn't a farmer, my dad wasn't. He wasn't born to farming, you know, it took a lot out of him doing that farm. Found it very hard work.

[Becky Milligan]

Originally from Edinburgh, Dougal was one of nine, the youngest.

[Douglas Robertson]

He was the youngest, 11 of them.

[Becky Milligan]

In one tiny apartment.

[Douglas Robertson]

His dad was a music teacher. They had no money. They were a very poor family. There were so many kids, in fact, that Dougal and his brother had to sleep underneath the piano.

[Becky Milligan]

His eldest brother joined the Merchant Navy.

[Douglas Robertson]

And I think my dad was a bit taken with tales of foreign travel and followed in his brother's footsteps.

[Becky Milligan]

Dougal was at Sea for 20 years, traveling the world, and he was a good sailor, rising up the ranks to sea captain before he gave it all up to be a Farmer and start a family.

[Douglas Robertson]

He was like a square peg in a round hole, you know?

[Becky Milligan]

Now he's married with four kids. Life is a struggle.

[Douglas Robertson]

We didn't have electricity. We had paraffin lamps and candles and no running water. We had open fires, set fire to the house twice. Dougal had to stop milking the cows and come put the fire out. So, yeah, it was a tough life.

[Becky Milligan]

The kids don't know just how hard things are for their parents.

[Sandy Robertson]

We didn't know we lived in poverty.

[Becky Milligan]

But they do have freedom. Acres and acres of countryside to play in.

[Sandy Robertson]

We would go out and enjoy our life from sun up to sundown. If Mum and Dad wanted us, dad.

[Douglas Robertson]

Would whistle like that.

[Sandy Robertson]

No, four fingers.

[Becky Milligan]

Oh, I can do that too.

[Sandy Robertson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, go. No, you can't.

[Becky Milligan]

I can.

[Sandy Robertson]

Well, it was twice as loud as that.

[Becky Milligan]

Really?

[Douglas Robertson]

Yeah.

[Sandy Robertson]

And you could hear this for half a mile away, this whistle.

[Becky Milligan]

Anne and Douglas are the oldest kids.

[Anne Robertson]

We used to get up to all.

[Douglas Robertson]

Sorts of mischief, climbing trees and making density.

[Anne Robertson]

We used to play together all the time. We only had each other.

[Douglas Robertson]

We got on well together.

[Anne Robertson]

That's why I told him all my secrets.

[Douglas Robertson]

We'd have fights, fist fights.

[Anne Robertson]

We chipped two of my teeth so we weren't afraid of physicality.

[Becky Milligan]

Dougal and Nin are working all hours, so the kids are left to get on with it.

[Anne Robertson]

When we got hungry, we'd find mushrooms, wild raspberries, wild strawberries, crab apples, greengages. We knew all the places to find lunch. On a windy day, I'd go and find myself a patch of long grass. And I'd lie down just listening to those sounds. This circle of grass around me.

[Becky Milligan]

Four years later.

[Neil Robertson]

Dad.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dad.

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas is on deck, looking down through the hatch at Dougal.

[Douglas Robertson]

He was looking back up at me, terrified, confused, his eyes full of fear.

[Becky Milligan]

And it's only now that Douglas realizes why his dad looks so scared.

[Douglas Robertson]

He was up to his ankles in water. There's water around his feet. And he said, where's this water coming from? And I didn't know. I mean, I was asking him that.

[Becky Milligan]

And now Douglas seed the damage below deck.

[Douglas Robertson]

These were gaping holes. Just at that moment, I heard a big surging splash behind me. I turned my head. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Three killer whales.

[Becky Milligan]

Sandy sees them too.

[Sandy Robertson]

I looked at him and thought, the.

[Becky Milligan]

Killer whales so close he can almost touch them right there. Killer whales. Orcas.

[Douglas Robertson]

The first one, big one, about 30 foot long. His head was split open and blood was pouring into the water in a long Stream behind him. I thought that whale's in trouble. Something's wrong here. Rails, dad. There's whales out here.

[Neil Robertson]

What?

[Dougal Robertson]

What did you see?

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas looks through the hatch at his.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dad and he was up to his knees in water. The water had risen a foot in that few seconds.

[Becky Milligan]

Lynn puts her hand on his shoulder.

[Lynn Robertson]

It's no good, Dougal. We can't save Lucette. We have to go. We have to go now. Come on, while there's still time to save ourselves.

[Becky Milligan]

Lin's voice snaps Dougal into action. Only a minute has passed since the moment of impact. If Dougal doesn't act now, they're all going down with the Lucette. He gives an order, two words he never imagined he would have to utter.

[Dougal Robertson]

Abandon ship. Abandon ship.

[Douglas Robertson]

Four years earlier, he had no money yet. He'd go to the pub and drink whiskeys, which were expensive and the children hadn't got any shoes to wear.

[Becky Milligan]

And Dougal would be drinking all night if it wasn't for Lynn.

[Douglas Robertson]

She walked in her night dress from the farm to the pub, which is three miles.

[Anne Robertson]

She wandered into the pub and said.

[Lynn Robertson]

Dougal, what the hell do you think you're doing?

[Douglas Robertson]

My mum was a strong woman, farmer's daughter, big boned. I remember her arms and her wrists.

[Becky Milligan]

With Dougal spending money he doesn't have on whiskey, and with the farm struggling, Lynn has no choice but to return to work.

[Douglas Robertson]

My mum was a nurse, a midwife.

[Becky Milligan]

And with babies to deliver any time of day or night, Lynn is always rushing back and forth to the hospital.

[Douglas Robertson]

On her moped, wearing oven gloves because she couldn't find her gloves. And just ordinary clothes.

[Becky Milligan]

And the roads can be treacherous.

[Douglas Robertson]

My mum had some exciting moments on this motorbike. There were lots of sort of minor accidents.

[Becky Milligan]

Lynn met Dougal when she was working in Hong Kong in the 50s. Dougal's ship was in port, he was the captain and they fell madly in love.

[Douglas Robertson]

You think, what a perfect couple the world was at their feet. My mum met Dougal for the very first time in the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. And he was swinging on the chandelier with his kilt on, you know. That was her first meeting of him. He knew how to party.

[Sandy Robertson]

He was life and soul of the party.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dougal was a great talker. He had a great career, charisma and a great talker.

[Becky Milligan]

At a party, he entertained.

[Douglas Robertson]

Oh, yeah. Entertaining. Very entertaining chap and very colorful. Everywhere he went, he held court. People were in awe of Dougal. He had a magnetism.

[Becky Milligan]

His New Year's Eve Parties were legendary.

[Sandy Robertson]

Couple of whiskeys down dad. And he was. He was back in his navy days.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dancing around with his kilt, singing his Scottish songs. And he used to get quite drunk. So Dougal was quite a social beast. My mum was not.

[Sandy Robertson]

I think Mum was a little bit embarrassed about Dad's antics.

[Becky Milligan]

So they were different.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dougal was an outspoken socialist, atheist, rebel. And the farming community goes to church every Sunday. They're quite religious. A Dougal was not that. And yet my mum was ultra Christian.

[Sandy Robertson]

She was religious. We had to go to church. We hated going to church, but we had to go to church on a Sunday.

[Douglas Robertson]

We all had christenings and she was so pleased when I joined the choir and sang in the church choir, you know. So they came from quite different sort of walks of life, actually. But certainly then it didn't seem to be a problem.

[Anne Robertson]

Dougal was the love of my mother's life.

[Douglas Robertson]

My mom loved my dad. My dad was her great love.

[Dougal Robertson]

Abandon ship.

[Neil Robertson]

Oh, my God.

[Dougal Robertson]

Abandon ship.

[Neil Robertson]

Dad, what's happening?

[Douglas Robertson]

Get the life raft over the side.

[Lynn Robertson]

And then get the dinghy over the side.

Do the dance.

[Douglas Robertson]

I thought, no, this is not happening. This can't be happening.

[Becky Milligan]

Below deck, Dougal and Lynn grab what they can. Lynn rummages through drawers. For a second, she and Dougal hold each other tight. By now, the water is up to their waists. Dougal orders Neil up on deck now. Lyn is right behind him. Dougal takes one last look.

[Lynn Robertson]

Dougal. Dougal, come on, quick.

[Becky Milligan]

She's going. And he clambers up.

[Neil Robertson]

Dad. Dad, please.

[Becky Milligan]

Everyone is now on deck.

[Neil Robertson]

Dave. Higher and higher.

[Lynn Robertson]

I stood mesmerized for a moment. It was like watching a film unfold in slow motion.

[Neil Robertson]

Quickly.

[Becky Milligan]

Move.

[Douglas Robertson]

My mum was trying to get the life jackets onto the twins.

[Sandy Robertson]

The water's coming up and she's trying to put these life jackets on us.

[Douglas Robertson]

We were going to sink. And this was it.

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas is lowering the sails. It doesn't make sense, but he's in shock.

[Dougal Robertson]

Douglas, get the plan. Bloody life raft. Over the side.

[Douglas Robertson]

And I immediately jumped too. The adrenaline was pumping. By now.

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas has to get the small fiberglass dinghy into the sea. And then the inflatable life raft. They'll need both.

[Douglas Robertson]

Pick the dinghy up, slid it over the rail. Pick the life rafter, threw it over the side.

[Becky Milligan]

The life raft is supposed to inflate by tugging on a rope.

[Douglas Robertson]

And I started pulling the roping.

[Becky Milligan]

It should inflate straight away, but it isn't working.

[Douglas Robertson]

I kept pulling on the rope, pulling Pulling, pulling.

[Becky Milligan]

The raft still isn't inflating. Douglas is flying frantic. In the next few seconds they're all going down with the Lucette.

[Douglas Robertson]

Suddenly the raft started to inflate.

[Neil Robertson]

And.

[Douglas Robertson]

I just remember the relief, extreme relief.

[Becky Milligan]

And then Dougal gives the order again.

[Dougal Robertson]

Abandon ship.

[Douglas Robertson]

The Lucette was beginning to go under.

[Sandy Robertson]

There's water crashing over the deck.

[Becky Milligan]

The deck that just minutes earlier was six feet above the waterline.

[Neil Robertson]

She was.

[Douglas Robertson]

She was going in the chaos.

[Becky Milligan]

11 year old Neil can't take it in. He could only think about teddies.

[Douglas Robertson]

Me teddies.

[Neil Robertson]

I want me teddies.

[Becky Milligan]

His teddy bears. He can't leave them behind.

[Neil Robertson]

I had my teddy stuffed under my life jacket.

[Becky Milligan]

Waves are now swamping the Lucette. Douglas is standing on the side of the deck when one big rolling wave hits him.

[Douglas Robertson]

And over I went.

[Lynn Robertson]

I reached out trying to grab him but I wasn't quick enough. My hands were just desperate, grasping at fresh air. My eldest son, who I love more than I could ever have told him, was taken right in front of me.

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas is swallowed by the sea. Then flashes of black and white.

[Douglas Robertson]

And I thought, my God, I'm going to be eaten alive here. This is how it's going to end.

[Lynn Robertson]

It was terrifying that we might watch Douglas being torn limb from limb and devoured. And the rest of us would be next.

[Douglas Robertson]

This is it. Wait for the teeth. Keep feeling for your legs. Just keep feeling for your legs. Keep feeling that you've still got them. How could be it come to this? How could a farmer's son from the middle of England be eaten by a bloody killer whale in the Pacific Ocean?

[Neil Robertson]

Sunday. Sunday. It's my turn.

[Becky Milligan]

Four years earlier.

[Lynn Robertson]

Sunday. A day of family communion.

[Becky Milligan]

Every Sunday after church the family gather in the parents bedroom to just chat.

[Lynn Robertson]

Calm down you lot.

[Becky Milligan]

But this Sunday will turn out to be unlike any other.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dougal made the breakfast.

[Lynn Robertson]

Porridge.

[Douglas Robertson]

Porridge.

[Neil Robertson]

Hot porridge again dad.

[Becky Milligan]

He brings it upstairs with cups of tea.

[Lynn Robertson]

Tea yourself Douglas.

[Neil Robertson]

Give us a show.

[Sandy Robertson]

Douglas would be fooling around and messing about as he normally does.

[Becky Milligan]

16 year old Douglas is the entertainer.

[Douglas Robertson]

I used to do a funny show for them and they used to laugh like hell about it.

[News Reporter]

Rough seas and stormy weather have seemed too. Two more competitors drop out of the Sunday Times. Round the World Yacht Race.

[Becky Milligan]

There's something interesting on the news.

[News Reporter]

The unstoppable Robin Knox Johnstone is still in first place as he approaches New Zealand.

[Becky Milligan]

The Round the World Yacht Race non stop. It's never been done before. It's captured the public's imagination and Dougal's. It takes him back to his days as a sea captain and master mariner.

[Sandy Robertson]

Dad started talking about the perils of the sea and what these men would face and how high the seas were and the dangers of lone yachtsmen at sea. And we just sat and listened in awe. Then suddenly Neil just said, well, dad.

[Neil Robertson]

Dad, you were a sailor.

You were a sailor.

Why don't we sail around the world? Didn't think anybody'd take that seriously.

[Becky Milligan]

But Neil's throwaway remark, well, it's the spark of an idea.

[Douglas Robertson]

It got him thinking. He said, well, we could sail around the world, you know, there's no reason why we can't.

[Becky Milligan]

In fact, he thinks he has a very good reason why they should.

[Douglas Robertson]

He thought that by taking us around the world, it would be an education in life. He thought that his children. He even said it were a bit backward because they'd been brought up in a rural environment.

[Lynn Robertson]

But insulting, really, where we go after the Panama Canal.

[Douglas Robertson]

Then, dad, talk of sailing around the world seemed to be the main topic of every conversation.

[Neil Robertson]

How long do you think it would take?

[Douglas Robertson]

We're always talking about it.

[Neil Robertson]

Can I take all my Teddy's?

[Douglas Robertson]

Dad consuming our every moment for two years. Once Dougal had sold me the idea, nothing, nothing was going to turn my head.

[Becky Milligan]

So it turned into your dream as well?

[Douglas Robertson]

It turned into my dream.

[Becky Milligan]

But while Dougal and the kids are swept up by this crazy idea, my.

[Douglas Robertson]

Mum was full of doubt. Full of doubt, really? Yeah, she was quiet. My mum was always very reserved about this.

[Becky Milligan]

And Lynn's sister tells her to put her foot down.

[Douglas Robertson]

She said, you're crazy. Allowing Dougal to talk you into this. You've got your children to think about.

[Becky Milligan]

But Dougal's not going to be talked out of it.

[Douglas Robertson]

When he made his mind up about something, that was it.

[Becky Milligan]

And he's getting ready, going to some extraordinary lengths. He knows that if you get sick at sea, it' it can be really serious because you're on your own. But there's one illness you can prevent. Appendicitis. In fact, lots of sailors used to have their appendix taken out just in case. So that's what Dougal arranges for the whole family.

[Douglas Robertson]

We were in hospital together.

[Becky Milligan]

Really?

[Douglas Robertson]

Yeah.

[Becky Milligan]

A family affair going and have your appendix out.

[Douglas Robertson]

Well, you're getting pretty involved, aren't you, if you have your appendix out?

[Becky Milligan]

Word about their trip and the operation soon gets out.

[Douglas Robertson]

Dougal was a crazy father, dragging his wife and kids around the world.

[Becky Milligan]

And the neighbours give Dougal a piece of their mind.

[Douglas Robertson]

What's this I hear about you sailing round the world? I've never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life.

[Sandy Robertson]

People would come up to us and say, your dad's a fool.

[Douglas Robertson]

What are you doing that for?

[Sandy Robertson]

What the hell are your parents doing?

[Becky Milligan]

Even close family. Can't believe it.

[Neil Robertson]

Uncle Bill was saying, no, no, you know, you can't do this. You've got your family with you. He was trying to talk my mother out of it. He was really worried about it.

[Becky Milligan]

What was he worried about?

[Neil Robertson]

Sinking. I said, well, my dad's a master mariner. He's a sailor. We're not going to sink, are we? You know, if you go to sea on a boat, it doesn't matter what sort of boat it is, things can happen. Light sinking, light sinking.

[Becky Milligan]

They're becoming the talk of the town.

[Douglas Robertson]

Robertson family. To sail around the world. You know, local newspaper had got hold.

[Sandy Robertson]

Of it, this family sailing around the world. It was big news because people didn't do that.

[Douglas Robertson]

We were gonna lose a lot of face if we didn't do it now.

[Neil Robertson]

So dad sells the farm, buys this boat, The Lucette.

[Becky Milligan]

A 50 year old boat. Yes. Dougal is a former sea captain with decades of experience, but the rest of.

[Douglas Robertson]

His family, we hadn't even set foot on a boat.

[Becky Milligan]

We were farmers from rural England, miles from the sea. And that's precisely what's always worried Lynn. Four years later, they're finally about to set sail. And Lynn realizes this is her last chance to stop the madness. Her anxiety turns to anger.

[Dougal Robertson]

What the hell do you mean?

[Lynn Robertson]

I should never have gone along with it.

[Douglas Robertson]

Mum and dad were having a fight. A physical fight.

[Dougal Robertson]

You should have said something before we sold the farm.

[Lynn Robertson]

I should have put a stop to it months ago.

[Douglas Robertson]

She was hitting it. My mum had fists like you wouldn't believe.

[Lynn Robertson]

We always have to do what you want.

[Dougal Robertson]

Oh, that's a lie.

[Lynn Robertson]

I'm not going to. We're not going.

[Dougal Robertson]

Well, I'm going. You've had four years to say this, for Christ's sake. Four bloody years.

[Lynn Robertson]

Yeah, yeah, and I should have, but you never let me. It's just all about you.

[Dougal Robertson]

It's never about me.

[Lynn Robertson]

This is your dream, Dougal. Your dream, not ours. What if something happens? What about the children? What about school?

[Dougal Robertson]

What better education can you have than going around the world? Anything's better than that shithole of a farm.

[Lynn Robertson]

None of us can sail, Dougal. You can, but we can't. It's dangerous. Have you thought about that?

[Sandy Robertson]

We thought, wow, Mum and Dad. Are really having a crack at each other here.

[Lynn Robertson]

Nothing's gonna happen, woman. I'll tell you what, when I tell you what, I'll go back to sea.

[Dougal Robertson]

The rest of you can stay here.

[Sandy Robertson]

It was definitely violent.

[Lynn Robertson]

Oh, you bastard.

[Douglas Robertson]

My mum's ring caught my dad's face and cut his cheek.

[Lynn Robertson]

I don't want to go.

Well, it's too late for that. We've got nothing left.

It's never too late, Dougal.

[Sandy Robertson]

And she drew blood and he's bleeding.

[Dougal Robertson]

Get off me.

[Lynn Robertson]

I'm sick of you.

We as parents, were for the first time beginning to question exactly what we had embarked upon. It had been all too easy to tell friends and family that we were so up in order to sail around the world. From the beginning, we had convinced ourselves that we were not fleeing our economic plight or escaping from reality, but were doing what was best for our children.

[Becky Milligan]

A year and a half later, the Lucette is now low in the water. Douglas is nowhere to be seen and the killer whales are circling. The Lucette's breaking up.

[Lynn Robertson]

Whatever fate had in store for us, we didn't have a choice. It was too dangerous to stay on board the Lucette any longer.

[Becky Milligan]

Time has run out. Dougal has to put Douglas to the back of his mind. He orders the twins to swim, swim like mad for the raft, which is drifting away from the Lucette. 11 year old Neil goes first.

[Douglas Robertson]

You've got in the back of your mind.

[Neil Robertson]

He's blooming kill whales.

[Becky Milligan]

But he forces himself not to think about them and swims. Next, Sandy, his twin. Before he steps into the sea, Lynn hands him the only food she's managed to salvage. A bag of onions.

[Sandy Robertson]

She said, hold on to these. And I just stepped off Lucette into the ocean.

[Becky Milligan]

But the onions are heavy and Sandy's so small.

[Sandy Robertson]

So I'm rolled on my back like an otter, drop the onions on my chest and kick my legs. Kicking, kicking, kicking, kicking like mad because.

[Becky Milligan]

Of those huge killer whales.

[Sandy Robertson]

They must be still around.

[Becky Milligan]

Dougal watches Sandy from the submerged deck of the Lucette. The raft is moving further and further away from his little boy.

[Lynn Robertson]

No matter how hard his little arms thrash the water, he just couldn't close the gap. I watched him dig deep, gritting his teeth, trying to reach the raft, trying to find that crucial extra bit of speed that would save his life.

[Becky Milligan]

The ocean swells roll over the deck of the Lucette, blasting white flumes of water into the. The cabin windows shatter. Lin is next to swim to the raft.

[Lynn Robertson]

In the distance, I could hear my.

[Becky Milligan]

Children crying, but she's waited too long to get off. Her nightie is caught on something.

[Lynn Robertson]

As hard as she tried, she couldn't break free. The Lucette was pulling Lynn down.

[Neil Robertson]

And.

[Lynn Robertson]

Then I lost sight of her.

[Becky Milligan]

Douglas is gone. Lynn is gone. Dougal is certain they're de You've been listening to Adrift, an Apple original podcast produced by Blanchard House and hosted by me, Becky Milligan. Adrift is written and produced by Ben Crichton and me, Becky Milligan. The series is based on the book the Last Voyage of the Lucette by Douglas Robertson. Original score by Daniel Lloyd Evans, Louis Nankmanel and Toby Matimal. Sound design by Volkan Kizletug and Daniel Lloyd Evans with dialogue editing by Toby Matimal. The lead sound engineer is Volkan Kizletook. The part of Dougal Robertson is played by Mark Bonner and Lynn Robertson is played by Anne Marie Duff. Their words are adapted from Dougal and Lynn's own accounts of their story. The young Robertson twins are played by Rocco Hamill and Dexter Hutton. Other parts are played by Mark Gillis. The managing producer is Amica Shortino Nolan. The creative director of Blanchard House is Rosie Pye. The executive producer and head of content at Blanchard House is Lawrence Grizzell SA.