April 1942, four months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. An old British ship slowly edges through the waters off the coast of modern-day Sri Lanka. The SS Sagan, a decrepit old rust bucket, eking out a living. Until the onset of the war had bought her a reprieve. Right up on the bridge of the ship, with the best view of everything, Junior Third Officer, 18-year-old Dugal Robertson, he's on lookouts. All clear counting. On board, precious cargo. His girlfriend, Jesse, and their toddler Duncan, they're on the main deck. I watched this Jesse appeared. Carefully holding, young Duncan. His golden cuddles crowning his smiling face. Families aren't usually allowed on board, but just this once, that Captain has turned a blind eye. Jesse's bright blue kimono flapped in the wind, as she tried to control her long black hair in the blustery sea air. She helped her little boy wave at me. I waved back until they'd disappeared from view. In the depths of the ship, more precious cargo. Fighter aircraft, ammunition, mines, for the Allies. And that makes them a target for the Japanese. We'd been forced close and sure in a deadly game of cotton mouse. Then he spots something through the cloud. But bloodthrun cold, as I saw the unmistakable glint of metal in the sky. A second later, the seconding whine of Japanese aircraft. Doogal is thrown to the deck. The front of the ship has been badly hit. As squinted into the sun, just as the first of three aircraft banked sharply to the left and disappeared into the glare. They were coming back to bomb us again. They weren't finished. I had to find Jesse and Duncan. I jumped clear of the bridge as machine gun bullets tore into the ship all around me. The floor was tilting under my feet. I ran to the open decks when I last saw Jesse and Duncan. I crouched the law. The plane's past over respiting fire with deadly accuracy. Another massive blast, deep within the ship, where all the explosives were stored. A choking, blinding fog rapidly covered the entire ship, billowing black clouds of impenetrable, accurate, suffocating smoke. One last frantic dash brought me to the deck. A scene of utter devastation. A tower of smoke reaching thousands of feet into the sky. Panic stricken crew poured onto the decks. Some with strips of flesh torn from their arms and legs. I gulped the air in shallow, rapid gasps. My greatest fear suddenly a reality. Jesse lay face down. I dropped to my knees, slumping over her lifeless body. Don't leave me my love. I didn't want to let her go. But for my sweetheart, and the dearest mother of my son, it was already too late. Then my eyes got sight of a bundle. My son. This white face frozen in his moment of death. His blonde carols, turned black with blood. In the blink of an eye, my life had been changed forever. I turned my head towards the clouds. My heart full of hatred I screamed at the heavens. I would never forgive the Japanese. This is Adrift, an apple original podcast produced by Blanchard House. I'm Becky Milligan. Episode 2. Baptism of Fire. 30 years later, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Dugal sits in the life raft and thinks about those events half a lifetime ago, watching that ship go down. And now he's lost another love, another son. Lin and Douglas are missing, probably dead. Dugal doesn't know if he can go on. But he has to, for his other kids, the twins, Sandy and Neil. They need him now more than ever. He holds them close. He feels their little bodies shaking and shivering. Dugal is shattered, traumatized. His desperate swim to the raft has taken every last ounce of his strength. I struggled to bring myself under control. Weave after weave of seconding fear gripped my soul. My dad was in shock. He's lost for words. Just sit in there. Dugal's thinking, what next? They're lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a tiny life raft. Dugal also managed to salvage a three person fiberglass dinghy which he attaches to the raft. My watch would tell us the time. But apart from that, we had no compass, no charts, no instruments of any kind. He will have to rely on his skills as a master mariner using the stars, the sun, the winds and the sea currents. That's all he has. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Dugal sees something moving in the water. Dugal pulls the twins away from the edge of the raft. Finally, the wheels had returned to finish us off. But it's not the killer whales. Like a glorious miracle, Lin suddenly burst through the surface of the water right in front of my eyes. Dugal clutches his wife's hands. I was not going to risk losing her again. He holes Lin into the raft, hugging and kissing her. But grateful beyond words that she was alive. On Lin's neck and chest, cuts and terrible bruising. She was only wearing her nightie when they sank. Now it's torn to shreds. She looks around. Where's Douglas? They don't know. And the wind is carrying the raft away from where the loose set went down, carrying it further from where Douglas disappeared. Dugal is stealing himself to tell the twins that Douglas is gone. Douglas? Oh, yes son! Oh, my son! Dugal grabs hold of his arms and drags him into the raft. My mum was so pleased to see me. She said, Dougie, Douglas. I'd she hope me. My beautiful boy. I'd still got my legs. I hadn't been attacked by the killer whales. I was so grateful to be lying inside that raft. He looks up at all the faces, looking down at him. The twins are there. My dad's there. My mum's there. We're all alive. All looking at each other. Scared. In shock. And there we were. The first moment of calm since the horror of the attack. They've all survived. For now. We started to recount our stories, trying to piece together. What had happened? Douglas tells them how he'd been waiting to be eaten by the killer whales. But when he saw the raft, he just swam for it, swam for his life. Lin, shivering, hugging the twins, says when her night he got caught on part of the loose set, and she was trapped, teard to a sinking ship. She was going down with the boat. She was dragged deeper and deeper under the waves. And she was holding her breath, and holding her breath, and holding her breath. Lin was frantic. She pulled again and again on her nighty. And then... It ripped. And she broke free. But the joy of being alive, of being together, is short-lived. You're a caster drift in a raft, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and you haven't got a chance in hell. I was going to open to us that. I remember Neil crying. Lin stares at her husband, who is still barely able to speak. The burden of guilt, remorse, and responsibility must have been unbearable for him. He looks grey and utterly exhausted. Lin is blaming herself too. She shouldn't have given in to Dougal's absurd dream. But I loved Dougal. That's why I was here. I'd put him in before our children's lives, put him in at risk. And now I was going to pay. She holds Dougal's hand, and says quietly... If we only do one thing, Dougal, we must get our boys back to land. But Dougal knows the truth. The life raft is old, and it's already leaking. A storm could flip it over in seconds. Remember how cold it was. And beneath them, predators are circling. My mum said... Dougal, tell us the truth. Are we going to die? The end of the day. Ah... October 1970, a year and a half earlier. Sunday, hand me the bottle. Dougal, I just don't stand there. Go and give me a hand. I've been living here for the last few days of my life. I can actually move away from the place you loved. That must be really hard. It was, it was terrible. Because that was our life. There was no outside interference. That was our life. The Robertsons have sold the farm and everything they own. And they've had to give away their dogs. They went and held in you. In you. Eleven-year-old Sandy watches from the back window of the car as his old life disappears. The Lucette, the family's new home, is anchored in Falmouth Harbour in the southwest of England. It's an aging wooden boat. It feels tiny after the space and freedom of Meadows farm. Douglass is 16. It was cramped. And daughter Anne is 17. It was bloody uncomfortable. You'd bang your head on the bloody doorway. You had to duck underneath the boom. Tiny, tiny. No escape. A completely different way of living. I was not impressed, I've got to say. But this is it. This is their new home. And they're going to have to get used to it. They're ready to go. But the only thing stopping them is the weather. October, November, December. Living on this boat. And it's driving them crazy. We haven't sailed an inch yet. One day, the Robertson children notice a large boat moored up from Iceland. And they spot some other kids, the same ages. They start playing together. And they soon discover they have something in common. We're going to sail around the world. Yeah, yeah, so are we going around the world? Let's play hide and seek. Suddenly, he was another family. That's crazy as we were. We struck up a friendship. We were like one big family. Third, Siggy gets on well with Dugal, despite their differences. Siggy was a nice, kind man, quite a contrast to my dad, who was a rough and ready, ferocious, fearsome man. Do you like a hard job of asking you, Siggy? Who is? Don't need all the potatoes. And while they wait for better weather, the family spend long evenings over dinner, swapping stories. Siggy, we just got in to port an Hong Kong high-tech. I'm in a place. I loved it. That's where I met my local. It was gorgeous, then. I'm so excited. Siggy and his wife, Etta, have noticed something. The loose set is missing a crucial bit of kit, a life raft. As luck would have it, they have a spare one, so they offer it to Dugal. But he's adamant, he doesn't need it. Dugal said, The best life bought with God is the loose set itself. I mean, the boss is not going to actually sink. Siggy says, I'm not giving it to you, Dugal. I'm giving it to your wife and children. What did your dad say then? He had no choice. He had to take it. What did your mum say? My mum was very grateful. I think my mum knew the frailty of life. 27th January, 1972. Finally, after months of waiting. The wind turned. The tide was right, the wind was right. And Dugal decided it was now or never. They've got all their supplies. And Dugal smuggled some luxury items on board. A couple of bottles of whiskey for medicinal purposes, we were told by Dugal. The moment of truth has arrived. Cast off. We're off. Gone. And there was Dugal stamping on the deck shouting, Yee-haw! And pumping the air with his fist. And I thought, So you did do it for yourself after all. The children were just an excuse. You know, this was Dugal's dream. A few miles out in the Bay of Biscay. The winds pick up. Lucette took a dip. And the first wave came over the bow. The spray hit it. Cold wet spray hit it in the face. It's now blowing a gale. And the sky darkens to an inky black. The wind in the rigging was shrill. It was scary just listening to that. The gale and the waves are getting big. Great white, naughty roller is blowing down on top of Lucette. The mountains and the waves coming from the north. There weren't 20 foot now. There were 30 foot. Maybe 40 foot. Oh, it was fine. And Sandy doesn't feel prepared. Mom, we don't have to say anything about this. I remember me modest saying, who in trouble here, I was terrified. This was a world I didn't know. These rookie sailors have never seen anything like it. Water is seeping in through the cabin floors. And suddenly I was feeling seasick. Everyone was sick. Oh, I really felt. Even my father was sick. The boat deck, it's a mess. Up on deck, Dougal is yelling at his kids, telling them what to do. Dougalus has never steered a boat in his life. Now he's expect to stay on course in the middle of a storm. The boat makes a sudden turn. And Dougal turns around to be, what you do it? And I said, I've got no idea what I'm doing. Dougal had this idea of learning on the job. We'd never done anything. Like how to tie knots and how to stand up when the boat's moving. It may sound unbelievable, but all those months and farmers, not once did Dougal actually teach his children how to sail. We could have just sailed around the bay, couldn't we? We hadn't done a thing. Couldn't we have just put the sails up and steered the boat a little bit? The storm rages for two days. Two long days. The sheer misery of it. Dougalus has been at the wheel for hours. His sister Anne takes over. And suddenly she shouts. There's a boat, a big French fishing ship, much bigger than the Lucette, heading straight for them, less than a hundred yards away, and getting closer by the second. Dougal sounds the horn. It's pointless. The blast is lost in the storm. It's going to be a head-on collision. Then the fishing ship is somehow carried upwards on a huge, freak way. Incredibly, as the Lucette plunges down to the bottom of the wave, the other vessel sweeps over them on the top of the same wave. I don't know how we missed it. At last. All those big waves had gone. Disappeared. The sun came out. The spell of misery had been broken. Dougal has the map laid out on the table, planning their journey. Their first port of call, Lisbon, in Portugal. Then it's on to the Canary Islands, about 600 miles to the south. After that, the long trip across the Atlantic to the West Indies. For the first time, the family have a chance to take in the joy of the open seas. The water is so clear, absolutely beautiful. This big swordfish came along. Oh, look at this. It's a huge strike. I remember. It was something we'd never seen before. We used to carry on sheep and pigs. And suddenly we got glimps of what this trip was really going to be like. Can we stay on the loose set forever, Doug? 1971, late March. It's a smooth trip across the Atlantic. 32 days of mostly placid sea. Clear blue waters and steady breezes. One afternoon, Anz on deck as the sun is setting. The sky turning from blue to a pale, shimmering pink. An awl came up out of the water. A whale. All white with a very long horn. They're called the unicorns of the sea. And then it went down again. And it was gone. So, so magical. One of the most beautiful things. Sandy is getting used to life on board, loose set. Very quickly, we were forgetting about medicine. All that went disappeared. And we were now focused on loose set. The trip is finally turning into the adventure the family had hoped for. Late April, they reached the Caribbean and Barbados. Crystal clear waters. Swimming and snorkeling. And exploring the island. They're reunited with their friends, the Icelanders, who've arrived ahead of them. Time seems to be suspended. You don't know even what month it is, never mind what day it is. Sun rises and sunsets and night skies. It is a wonderful life to live. May 1971. They head north to the island of Beckway. And then cruise by St Vincent, St Lucia and Martinique. To the lush volcanic island of Dominica. Such magical days. More magical than anything. Then in June, the Bahamas. Magical, but hard work. Routine, routine, routine. Life at Caesar, routine. Everybody had their job to do. And doodle runs a tight ship. If you step out of line or mess up. What do you think you're doing? That's a whack round the ear from their dad. There's no warning. There's no warning. It was just crack. The kids quickly learn. There was this one time back at the farm when Neil stole his dad's cigarettes. And doodle just lost it. He made Neil eat them. He ate it. Oh my God, did we get disciplined then? What happened? Took a slipper off the benders over the chair and gave six of the best. Six of the best. Six hard wax on the backside. We're doing that again. But teenagers, they aren't so back and Douglas. Douglas was a big lad. I was a farmer's son and very strong. He did all the work, pulling sails up and down and pulling the anchor up by hand. He was a physical lad. Very physical. He's growing up. Douglas was growing up. He's becoming a man. And he had a very confined space to do it in. And he's clashing with his dad. Douglas would lose his temper. Because Douglas had a temper. And he'd lose his temper. And then he died. Because that's only Bernie and he could lose his temper with. Doodle and then are all so arguing. What do you mean, Kari, on the trip? You're joking on. You're broke. We've got nothing. I could always find some work. I'd always see. Well, that's a bit uncomfortable. I could do some nursing and Douglas could pick up some work. He's a strong lad. Don't be ridiculous. You'd be having like a three-year-old. I'm not being ridiculous. I'm being bloody realistic. I'm like you. Don't tell me to calm down and don't patronize me. It's Anne, as the eldest, who plays peacemaker. I was always in the middle. I was the one relaying the message. I was always standing between them. I sort of got used to being in the middle. So maybe it's a relief for all the family when they take a break from their trip and drop anchor. Somehow a year and a half has slipped by. But now the money has run out and they're running very low on supplies. They sold everything to go on this family adventure. So if they want to continue, they've got to make some cash. July 1971. From the magical world of dolphins and swordfish, sunsets and storms. To Miami, Florida. We're in the crazy world. Posh cars, big parties. Piles of marijuana on the table. The crazy world. It was crazy. Me and Anne were just thinking. Bloody hell. They were growing up. Did your parents know what you were doing all these parties? No. Of course they didn't know. I'm new boyfriend. I was 18. My mind was elsewhere. And Douglas is making new friends too. A whole new life is opening up to them. And it's hard to resist. You know, growing up and leaving the parents and finding their own way. And whether or not the woman died like that or not, tough luck was happening. And Anne is about to make a decision that will shock them all. The family dynamic is changing. And Douglas continues to clash with his father. Very soon, his dad will present him with an impossible choice. We'll all die. If I do that, we're all going to die. You've been listening to A Drift, an Apple original podcast produced by Blanchard House and hosted by Me Beke Milligan. A Drift is written and produced by Ben Crichton and Me Beke 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 Matemoll. Sound design by Vulcan Kisletug and Daniel Lloyd Evans with dialogue editing by Toby Matemoll. The lead sound engineer is Vulcan Kisletug. The part of Dugal Robertson is played by Mark Bonner and Lin Robertson is played by Ann Marie Duff. Their words are adapted from Dugal and Lin'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 Amika Shortino Nolan. The creative director of Blanchard House is Rosie Pye. The executive producer and head of content at Blanchard House is Lawrence Grisel.
