Hear the Incredible True Story of The Robertson Family and Ednamair

The small and unassuming Ednamair boat that sits in our museum’s Boat Hall holds an extraordinary sea survival story…

More than half a century after the dramatic rescue of the Robertson family took place, the incredible ordeal is being told in Adrift, an eight-part podcast produced by Blanchard House.

A Fight for Survival

In the early 1970s, the Robertson family sold everything they owned to sail around the world together. Lyn and Dougal Robertson and their children set out aboard their schooner Lucette for what they hoped would be the adventure of a lifetime.

But when three Orca whales attacked and sank their vessel in the Pacific Ocean, the trip transformed into a desperate battle for survival. Stranded hundreds of miles from land with minimal supplies, the six castaways crowded into the Ednamair – a small dinghy you can see on display here at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

For 38 days, they drifted across the vast Pacific catching rainwater and hunting turtles to survive, all while predators circled below. Read more about the The Robertson’s.

Experience The Story in Their Own Words

In the new immersive Apple Original series Adrift, some of the Robertson siblings and a traveller who was on board on the fateful day of the orca attack, relive those harrowing weeks at sea, offering insights into a story that has captivated audiences for decades. The first-hand accounts bring depth to this legendary tale of resilience.

See the Robertson’s Ednamair in the Museum

When you visit the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, you can stand beside the Ednamair and imagine what those 38 days must have been like for six people crammed into this small craft, fighting for their lives against impossible odds – a small dinghy that is testament to human endurance and the will to survive.

Listen to Adrift now on Apple Podcasts.