Donde wants his round-the-world trip boat to sail on
September 17th, 2011 - 2:42 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Naval officer Dilip Donde, who last year became the first Indian to go solo round the globe, wants his feat-making sail boat to take on the seas for years to come.
The commander embarked on the expedition Aug 19, 2010, on Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei as part of the ‘Sagarparikrama’ (circumnavitation) project.
“The boat can easily last for the next 20-30 years and we have to come up with ideas to keep it sailing,” Donde told reporters Friday at a ceremony to felicitate him.
Made of red cedar wood, coated with fibre glass and fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, the boat was completely built in India with only some of the imported equipment not produced in the country.
“We wanted the boat to be built in India and it was made possible by a small boat builder in Goa,” said Vice Admiral (Retd) M.P. Awati of the Indian Navy, who mentored the project.
According to Awati, the achievement should not be a “flash in the pan” and instead India should prove to the world that it could indulge in such expeditions again.
“Our next goal is to go on a solo non-stop circumnavigation expedition on the same boat,” said Awati.
The design of the boat was brought from a Dutch company and the construction commenced Dec 25, 2007. It was delivered Dec 12 the following year.
INSV Mhadei was flagged off Aug 1, 2009, and was formally welcomed back home May 22, 2010, by the vice president.
- Dilip Donde is first Indian to sail solo around the world - May 22, 2010
- Navy's 'Mhadei' to sail non-stop from Goa to Cape Town - Nov 24, 2010
- Four selected for Tenzing Norgay Award - Aug 12, 2011
- Indian Navy's solo round-the-world sailing mission from Aug 19 - Aug 10, 2009
- Vice President Ansari honours 'Sagar Parikrma' hero Commander Donde - May 22, 2010
- Indian solo yachtsman to hoist flag in Falklands - Jan 25, 2010
- Circumnavigating Indian vessel leaves South Africa for Mumbai (With Image) - Apr 07, 2010
- Indian naval ship on round-the-world sailing mission - Jan 15, 2010
- Indian Navy sailor on a solo global voyage - Aug 12, 2009
- Indian set to reach halfway point of solo sailing adventure - Jan 10, 2010
- Christmas ecstasy, New Year agony on Indian sailor's world voyage (Feature) - Jan 04, 2010
- India's only round-the-globe navigator nears home (With Images) - May 09, 2010
- Indian on solo sailing trip reaches Falkland Islands - Jan 18, 2010
- Hello, I'm Dr Bharadwaj: Indian greets Indian on South Atlantic island - Jan 22, 2010
- Indian Navy vessel on solo circumnavigation of world reaches New Zealand - Nov 21, 2009
Tags: boat builder, communication equipment, dec 25, dutch company, expeditions, flash in the pan, globe, goa, India, indian navy, New Delhi, sail boat, sailing vessel, small boat, state of the art, trip boat, vice admiral, vice president, world trip