He was originally given two kittens for company (Joliette and Suzette), and kept two or three cats throughout the entire journey (ending his travels with Kili, Pooh, and Piglet).
After a shakedown cruise from San Pedro, California, to Hawaii, Dove left Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu on September 14, 1965.
It was in Fiji that he met the future Patti Graham (born c. 1944), a fellow American traveler who was "stopping to work at various places and living mainly by her wits.
"[citation needed] On October 22, Dove set sail for the New Hebrides, arriving at the capital, Port Vila, four days later.
Graham sailed under jury rig for 2,300 nmi (4,300 km) to reach Port Louis Harbor, Mauritius.
After repairs, Dove made for Réunion Island and then sailed 1,450 nmi (2,690 km) to Durban, South Africa, arriving there on October 21.
Graham spent nine months in South Africa, calling on ports along the southern edge of the continent including East London, Port Elizabeth, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Stilbaai, Struisbaai, Gordon's Bay and finally Cape Town.
After a month in Barbados, Graham's new boat, Return of Dove, was sailed down Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
In April 1970 he ended his voyage at Long Beach, California where had started from 1,739 days and 30,600 miles earlier.
Graham and his wife sold the Maverick automobile that Ford Motor Company had given him and used the money to buy a retired postal van.
Their relationship had been strained since near the end of the attempted circumnavigation and started recovering when Lyle helped with the construction of one of Robin's homes.
[1] In 1983 with co-author Derek Gill, Graham wrote a follow-up book titled Home is the Sailor.