Sagar Parikrama to kickstart on August 15

The Indian Navy set the ball rolling on the first of its kind solo circumnavigation sea voyage undertaken by any Indian.

The Indian Navy set the ball rolling on the first of its kind solo circumnavigation sea voyage undertaken by any Indian. Under the project titled Sagar Parikrama,which is slated to kickstart this August on Independence Day,the boat named Mhadei will sail from India and cover a distance of a minimum of 21,600 nautical miles. It will touch all the capes,including the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa, said Vice Admiral JS Bedi,Commanding-in-Chief,Western Naval Command.

The project Sagar Parikrama,undertaken by Commander Dilip Dhonde of the Indian Navy,Mhadei will sail from west to east through the southern hemisphere without any support. There would be all kinds of adverse environmental conditions. To start with,I will start during monsoons when the Southwesterly winds blow at a speed of 20 to 30 knots in the sea, said Commander Donde.

The southernmost point will be 56 degree south where the water will be 5ºC, he added.

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Mhadei sailed to Mumbais Naval Dockyard from Goa,where it was built by Aquarius ship builders based in Goa. Captain Dhonde will sail to Mauritius from Mumbai and get trained with other professional sailors there. After putting the boat and the soloist through rigorous training during the first half of 2009,it will start circumnavigation on 15th August, said a navy press release.

According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) release,the total cost of the project is Rs 6.15 crore with the boat worth Rs 4.5 crore and another two crore is for circumnavigation.

Although the basic hull of the boat is made in India,its design was purchased from Van de Stadt Design Bureau,Netherlands. The engine of the boat was bought from Sweden,deck fittings from Europe,its sails from New Zealand and mast and rigging from South Africa.

According to Commander Donde,broadband access will be there on the boat,but even if it faces rough weather,it will be all by itself until help arrives. All I have to do is to send out the distress signal and then I am all by myself, said the 41-year-old commander.

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The boat will also be equipped with a water maker that will convert salty water found in the sea into distilled water.

Although he is the first Indian,according to Admiral Bedi,there are about 300 people around the globe who have already achieved this feat.

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