logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
53m 7s

Pacific Castaways: Family Shipwrecked (P...

NOISER
About this episode

It’s one of the all-time, epic survival stories. In 1971, Douglas Robertson is just a teenager when he and his family embark on the trip of a lifetime. Their aim is to sail around the globe. But when their small yacht is sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, their dream of circumnavigation turns into a nightmare of self-preservation. The Robertsons must stick together and battle extraordinary adversity as a family. But will it be enough to see them through?

You can see the Robertsons’ tiny dinghy at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, UK: nmmc.co.uk/

A Noiser production, written by Joe Viner.

For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started with a 7-day free trial. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Oct 8
Coast Guard Rescue: Jumping Into a Seething Ocean
Two Coast Guard swimmers, Michael Odom and Mario Vittone, are dispatched to rescue the crew of a stricken sailboat. But when the helicopter’s cable malfunctions and fuel runs dangerously low, the crew have no choice but to leave… without Michael. In the open Atlantic, he must fig ... Show More
49m 48s
Oct 6
Introducing: Jane Austen Stories
This is a preview of a brand-new audiobook from the Noiser Podcast Network. Join Dame Julie Andrews as she reads Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. Step into a world of humour, heartbreak, scandal and romance - all set in the rural landscapes of 19th-century En ... Show More
42m 30s
Oct 1
One Earthquake, Then Another: Chaos on Mount Logan
Earthquakes, avalanches and a superstorm combine atop Canada’s highest peak. And we meet the intrepid soul who endured it all. Natalia Martínez has mountaineering in her blood. But during a solo trip up Mount Logan, a once-in-a-generation phenomenon will see her face her greatest ... Show More
1 h
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Introducing: Real Survival Stories - Abandon Ship (Part 1 of 2)
Noiser presents a brand-new podcast: Real Survival Stories. Hosted by John Hopkins, the show brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations.In this taster episode, we meet Matt Lewis - a rookie sailor who goes looking for adventure.. ... Show More
31m 48s
Nov 2022
54 History of Everything: The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors
The nonfiction book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour is the first full narrative account of the Battle off Samar, which the book's author, James D. Hornfischer, calls the greatest upset in the history of na ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2021
Robert Smalls Stole A Confederate Ship and Sailed to Freedom, Part One: Planning the Heist
Born into slavery, Robert Smalls dreamed of freedom for not just himself and his family, but all oppressed people. As the US became consumed in the Civil War, he hatched a daredevil plan to make this dream a reality -- by stealing a Confederate ship and sailing straight past the ... Show More
25m 12s
Oct 2022
The Age of Pirates | A Gold Chain Or A Wooden Leg | 1
At the end of the 17th century, pirates stalked the coast of North America and the waters of the Caribbean, attacking merchant vessels from every nation. But they were more than just armed robbers of the high seas. They were also crucial figures in the growth of England’s America ... Show More
35m 52s
Feb 2022
Family Stories Series 2: Episode 12
This week’s family stories include an IRA man who ended up fighting for Britain and being torpedoed twice, a Scot who spent five years as a prisoner of war, a teenage sailor who braved the Atlantic and the U-boats, and a pilot who never forgave his enemy. A Goalhanger Films produ ... Show More
25m 16s
Oct 2022
The Age of Pirates | Captain Kid's Adventure | 2
As England waged war against France in 1689, Scottish sailor William Kidd led a deadly mutiny aboard a French privateer in the Caribbean. It was his first act in becoming one of the most feared sea captains of his generation. After Kidd retired from piracy and settled down in New ... Show More
37m 22s
Apr 2022
Lewis and Clark | Into the Wild | 1
In 1803, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began a westward journey that would transform America. Their mission was to head up the Missouri River and find a route through the uncharted west to the Pacific Ocean. The journey was full of risk. But no danger loomed larger ... Show More
39m 54s
Sep 2020
Papa Doc Part 3: Vampire of the Caribbean
François Duvalier puts the finishing touches to his terrifying cult of personality. The President for Life declares himself an immaterial being - a spirit that will hover over Haiti even after his body dies. Thoughts turn to succession. His son - "Baby Doc" - waits in the wings. ... Show More
32m 48s
Feb 2024
Enemy Aliens
As the Nazis waged war on Europe, Britain had to take extreme measures to protect its shores. German and Italian nationals were imprisoned across the UK, including a small community of women on the Isle Of Man. Al Murray and James Holland return to the National Archives, to disco ... Show More
33m 30s
Nov 2021
EP121: The Story of my Grandfather, The Company Without Corner Offices and The Doolittle Raids and the Battle of the Coral Sea
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Frohlich, author of Aimless Life, Awesome God,  tells the story of his German born grandfather William Burtner- a man who helped build the "Arsenal of Democracy" in World War II; Kirk Aubry, the CEO of the supply chain services comp ... Show More
38m 16s