Meet the 90-year-old R/V Robert Gray

A Ship from 1936 with 9 (Fascinating) Lives

Back in 1936, the U.S. built a one-of-a-kind survey vessel. The R/V Robert Gray was the first diesel-electric hybrid of her kind in the world. Today, she’s been reborn for adventure excursions and scientific expeditions thanks to Charleston, South Carolina’s Voyager’s Club. Step into the vintage galley for a fascinating and inspiring conversation with her captain Davis Alford, and owner Leila Davenport Ross.

Listen or Watch in the players below:

^{You can also find this video–and hundreds of our other videos–here ▶}

Watch our walkthrough of this historic boat here >>

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Chris Dixon

Senior Editor, Power & Motoryacht
Chris Dixon is the author of Ghost Wave and The Ocean, The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge. His writing has appeared in The New York Times bestseller The Southerner’s Handbook. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Outside, Popular Mechanics and Garden & Gun. He grew up boating, fishing and surfing along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, once spent a year working and traveling with Jimmy Buffett and today lives in Charleston with his wife, son and daughter.

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