Acknowledgements

While a single person undertakes a solo unassisted circumnavigation, the project cannot be completed without the wholehearted support of a number of people who contribute in its planning, preparation and execution. Without them, the sailor would not be able to go to sea in the first place. The success of the project, thus, is the success of the team with the solo sailor being the representative to receive the kudos on their behalf. It is thus important to acknowledge the contribution of the team members; some of whom were actively involved with the project at various stages while others helped without being directly involved.

Solo circumnavigations in modern boats are expensive affairs. Inevitably, the first and the biggest hurdle is to get the necessary funds. In my case, this hurdle was easy to surmount thanks to the generous funding provided by the Indian Navy and, by implication, the Indian taxpayer. While making sure the necessary funds were made available, the Navy gave me a free hand to use them as I deemed fit. This is all the more remarkable considering my lack of experience and the odds stacked against the project at every stage.

The Navy and the Indian taxpayer are faceless entities made up of well meaning people but there are many I can name who went out of their way to make this project happen. In a project lasting almost four years, the list can go on for a couple of pages. I will thus try to prune the list by naming a few and asking the others to excuse me for not including their names – this does not reduce my gratitude towards them in any way.

First and foremost, I must thank the mentor of the project, VAdm Manohar Awati (Retd), for conceiving the idea of a solo circumnavigation by an Indian in an Indian built boat. It was a big idea that only someone like him could have conceived and pursued so relentlessly. Thanks also to Adm Arun Prakash (Retd), then Chief of Naval Staff, for accepting the idea and handpicking me for the task, Adm Sureesh Mehta (Retd), his successor, for keeping up the momentum, VAdm Sunil Damle (Retd), VAdm Shekhar Sinha (Retd), RAdm N K Misra (Retd), Cmde R S Dhankhar, Cmde Sukhdev Virk (Retd), Capt Subir Sengupta, their successors and officers from Naval Headquarters who steered the project; Capt S J Contractor (Retd) for selecting the boat design and getting us in touch with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world; and Sir Robin Knox- Johnston for putting us on the right track and mentoring me. In fact, in 2006, when everyone at home doubted me, he confidently ordered the first copy of the book that I would write on completion of my solo circumnavigation. And three years after completion of the project, when I was still struggling with the book, he put me in ‘voluntary solitary confinement’ at his lovely house in the UK to ensure that I completed the book you are about to read!

I am quite convinced that anyone can do a circumnavigation in a well-built boat while the best of sailors would falter in a badly built one. My debt of gratitude, therefore, is to the boat-builder Mr Ratnakar Dandekar and his team at Aquarius Fibreglas Pvt Ltd, Goa. It was as much a pioneering project for them as it was for me and they exceeded all expectations while standing up to the challenge. Ratnakar is the face of his company but he had a large team with him, all of whom put in their best to produce the fine boat Mhadei is. Some of them may read this book while many others will not get the opportunity to; nevertheless, my gratitude towards them remains the same.

I thank Mr Johan Vels from the Netherlands for teaching us the nuances of building a boat like Mhadei, Mr Alan Koh of International Paints for showing us how to make the boat pretty, boat designer Van de Stadt Design Bureau and all the equipment suppliers for providing us a good design and equipment that could withstand the Southern Ocean as well as our inexperience, and Mr Nigel Rowe for suggesting we install a wind vane steering, which perhaps saved my life in the Pacific.

While successful completion of such a voyage is important, it is equally important for the story to reach a wide readership to enable them to be a part of the adventure. The blog I wrote from sea achieved this to a large extent. This was thanks to the efforts of my close friend Cdr Anshuman Chatterjee, who designed my blog, and Mr Mandar Karmarkar who regularly plotted my positions while I was at sea and eventually prepared a track chart of the entire voyage. Many of the photographs in the book and those in my blog were clicked from the excellent camera I received days before departure thanks to the efforts of Cmde Amar Mahadevan.

Many thanks to my one-man shore support crew and training partner Cdr Abhilash Tomy who joined me a few months before departure and became indispensable. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better! A special thanks to my mother and the rest of the family for getting totally involved with the project, never showing their apprehensions, and lending a helping hand whenever required.

Finally, I express my gratitude to the Maritime History Society and its Curator, Cdr Mohan Narayan (Retd), for readily offering to publish this book in India, Mrs Arati Rajan Menon for editing the draft, pro bono, and the team of Manu and Madhuri Naik for designing and printing the Indian edition. I am delighted that this international edition is being published by Fernhurst Books, UK – I am grateful to Jeremy Atkins for offering to publish this.

Commander Dilip Donde

Chapter 1

A Path Less Travelled

“Dilip, are you in some sort of trouble with the Navy?” asked my mother one evening as we finished dinner at home in Port Blair. I had pushed away the empty dinner plate absentmindedly and was back to working on my laptop.

“What makes you think so?” I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible while my brain was busy trying to word a suitable reply. The moment I had been apprehensive about for the past two months seemed to have arrived.

“Why have you suddenly started getting so many calls from Naval Headquarters, including the office of the Naval Chief? I think it is all very unusual so will you please tell me?” She had been staying with me for the past nine years and must have noticed the change in my routine since I got back from a sailing trip to Mumbai two months back. Through the years I had made it a point never to take any work home, howsoever busy the schedule. Since my return, however, I had been sitting almost every evening with a laptop borrowed from the office, reading up and writing well past midnight.

“I won’t call it trouble but, yes, there is something I got myself into when I visited Mumbai for the sailing trip. I didn’t tell you earlier as the whole thing still appears a bit harebrained and unrealistic to me,” I mumbled, trying to find the right words to break the news and minimise any possible resistance.

“You can tell me whatever it is,” persisted my mother.

“The Navy has been looking for someone to undertake a solo circumnavigation in a sailboat and I volunteered, though I am not exactly sure what it involves.” I decided to play it straight, acutely aware of my terrible diplomatic skills, and waited for her reaction. The reaction was surprisingly positive, though not too unexpected. “That is very good. Give it your best shot, opportunities like this don’t come every day, but remember it is a one-way street!” she responded after a pause. “Don’t ever think of backing out.”

I decided to test her further by telling her that there was a good possibility that I may not come back alive from the trip. No Indian had undertaken such a trip, less than 200 in the world had been successful, and no one kept count of the unsuccessful attempts. That didn’t deter her much as she calmly replied that I had to go some day like everyone else and it would be far better if I went trying to do something worthwhile! All she asked, in return of her full support, was to be able to read up as much as she could on the subject.

With her full support assured, I decided to fill her in on the events so far...

On 27 Apr 2006, before the start of the Mumbai to Kochi J 24 sailing rally that I was participating in, I met Capt Dhankhar, the Navy’s Principal Director of Sports and Adventure Activities. Since he had flown down to flag off the rally along with the Chief of the Naval Staff, or CNS, the conversation was about ocean sailing in the Navy. As I escorted him to the Sailing Club moorings, he almost casually mentioned that the Navy was toying with the idea of sponsoring a solo circumnavigation by a naval officer.

“Can I be a part of it in some way?” I blurted out, stopping him in midsentence, throwing naval protocol to the winds. I just couldn’t help it, the whole idea sounded so exciting though I had no clue what exactly was involved.

“Would you like to take it on? Should I tell the CNS that you have volunteered or do you need a little time to think about it?” he asked in his characteristic measured tone, with a hint of scepticism.

“Yes sir, please do tell the CNS that I want to volunteer, I don’t need any time to think!” I replied, my brain in overdrive. Less than a minute back I was ready to play any part, howsoever small, in this unknown project because it sounded interesting and suddenly the entire project seemed to be falling in my lap. I didn’t bother to ask what exactly the Navy had in mind, all my fuzzy brain could sense was that this was something exciting and I shouldn’t let go of the opportunity.

“Okay, now that you have volunteered, can you make a project report and send it to me by next month?”

In less than five minutes of what seemed like casual talk, I had gotten myself into the biggest soup in my life with a very vague idea about what exactly it was!

The Captain had been my instructor during my Clearance Diving course and had observed me closely during those stressful days. That, along with my declared enthusiasm for ocean sailing and my past experience as the Executive Officer of INS Tarangini during her first round the world voyage in 2002-2003, probably prompted him to check if I was interested in this project. Apparently I wasn’t the first person he had asked but was definitely the first to fall for the idea, thus ending his search.

Later in the day, the CNS, Adm Arun Prakash, flagged off the rally. In his speech he declared that the Navy was ready to sponsor a solo circumnavigation under sail provided someone volunteered to take on the challenge. As we lined up for a group photograph, he approached and said, “Dilip, I heard you have volunteered!” I just nodded my head and murmured, “Yes sir. Let us see.”

“So that is the story so far. Now I am required to make a detailed project report and send it to Naval Headquarters as of last month, which explains the frequent calls from Delhi. Honestly, I don’t have a clue about the subject and have been trying to read about it on the Internet, which seems to be the only source of information here.” I promised my mother that I would pass on whatever I read on the subject to her and got back to finalising my report. Her unstinting support was a burden off my head. I didn’t realise it then, but I had just conscripted the first member of the team for ‘Sagar Parikrama’, as the project would be called.

More than a month went by and I still hadn’t submitted my project report. One reason was a fairly busy work schedule that allowed me to read up on the subject only after dinner at home; the other, a total lack of knowledge about the subject. It would be an understatement to say that I was groping in the dark. The more I started reading, the more I started realising that this was not something romantic and poetic as I had initially thought but would involve a lot of hard work and would be far more difficult than what I had imagined. Surprisingly, though, that increased my excitement and determination to make it happen.

By Jul 2006, I managed to submit my project report to Naval Headquarters (NHQ) and decided that if I had to do a circumnavigation it had to be a proper circumnavigation under sail, going through the Southern Ocean, round the three Great Capes, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. I could have proposed following the route taken by the previous Indian sailing expeditions in Trishna, Samudra and INS Tarangini through the Suez and Panama canals, called it a circumnavigation and no one would have been wiser, in the country at least! In fact, on hindsight, things would have turned out to be much simpler as I could always have pointed at ‘precedence’, something that opens many a door when dealing with the bureaucracy. I could have had a whale of a time stopping at 40 to 50 ports over a period of a year or two with a smooth sail through the Trade Winds! But then that wouldn’t have been the real thing. Even if the Navy, and the taxpayer who was essentially funding my trip, didn’t realise it, I would, and it just would not be right!

A month went by after I submitted the report. I was still clueless about what exactly to do. While I continued reading on the subject and sending the odd email enquiring about suitable second-hand boats, the whole idea had started getting a bit fuzzy and unrealistic as I got caught up in day-to-day activities.

For probably the first time ever, I had planned a nice holiday in Aug 2006; I had invited a close friend to the Andamans to explore the islands, booked my tickets to go to the mainland after that, handed over my duties at work in time and was all set to have a good time! My friend arrived as planned – and so did the calls from NHQ and a certain Vice Admiral Manohar Awati (Retd)! I was told that I was to go and work with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who apparently was the first person to have sailed solo and non-stop around the world. I had no idea who he was or what his achievements were. I did download information about him from the Internet but didn’t get much time to read with a house full of guests. All I knew was that he was trying to get ready to take part in a solo round-the-world race called the Velux 5 Oceans Race and had resigned from the chairmanship of his company as the company was conducting the race. When asked for his advice on my project, his response had been simple and characteristic: “Send him to work with me and he will know all there is to learn!”

The frequency of calls and the things I was supposed to do ‘as of yesterday’ increased so much that I was sitting in my office almost as much as on any working day. I finally got myself recalled from leave, little realising that that was the last, albeit short, holiday I would get for the next five years!

I left the Andamans before my friend – still at my home and now exploring the islands alone – and headed for the mainland. I was to go and meet the ever enthusiastic Vice Admiral Awati before heading for Delhi to complete my deputation formalities. The 80-year-old admiral had been egging on the Navy for years to undertake a solo circumnavigation. He lives with his wife in a remote village called Vinchurni, about 320 km from Mumbai, which with a population of 500 is small even by Indian standards! I landed in Mumbai, borrowed a friend’s car and went searching for the village few had heard of, finally making it by afternoon. I had interacted with the Admiral in passing some 10 years ago and he obviously didn’t remember me. We talked about the project, which wasn’t much really as it was more of an idea at that stage. He and his gracious wife made me feel at home instantly and when they insisted I spend the night with them instead of heading back to Mumbai and driving past midnight, I agreed without much fuss. As I was to stay for the night, I went for a nice long walk with the Admiral in the evening and had a sundowner with his wife while he retired to bed at 1900 h. The conversation was both interesting and varied. I enjoyed their company and left for Mumbai early the next morning. Much later and I am not sure how, I started getting a feeling that I had been under some sort of a probation and under observation during my stay! Two years into the project, when I had developed a good rapport with him, I finally asked him if what I suspected was true. He very calmly told me that I was indeed under observation and that after I had gone to bed he woke up and discussed me with his wife! While he had formed a favourable opinion about me, he wanted to take a second opinion from his better half as he relies on her gut feeling more than his own. Apparently, she told him that I seemed alright and should be able to take on the project!

“What if either of you had thought that I was not the right person for the job?” I asked.

“I would have asked the Navy to send me another guy!”

The next day, I drove up to Mumbai and met Capt Soli Contractor (Retd), then Commodore of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. He had represented India at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and was to be the technical advisor for the project. While talking to him, I realised that not only was I to be the first Indian to undertake this project but that the trip was to be undertaken in an Indian built boat. Never mind that India has virtually no yacht building industry to speak of! The whole idea was sounding crazier by the day and thus more exciting.

The next stop on what was fast becoming a voyage of discovery was Delhi. I was quite unfamiliar with the city in general and NHQ in particular, having steered clear of any appointment there so far. It was a whirlwind visit getting the paperwork ready for my deputation and for the project that was to follow. The Chief of the Naval Staff wanted to meet me before I left.

The first question he asked me, in humour and with a smile on his face, when I walked into his office was, “Dilip, have you gone completely mad?” I grinned, “Looks like that, Sir!” I had served on his staff 11 years back when he was commanding the Eastern Fleet and he knew me well. He wanted to know if I was under any sort of pressure and understood what I was getting into. Once he was satisfied, we got talking about the project. He was retiring within a month and promised to get the ‘Approval in Principle’ from the Defence Minister before retiring. He also insisted that I draft out a letter giving an outline of the project, addressed to all the naval formations. I was a little sceptical; we knew what we wanted to achieve but had no firm idea as to how we were planning to achieve it. When I naively pointed this out to him, he explained that he wanted the project to happen and the best way to ensure that it did not get scuttled after he retired was to leave his successors no option! He had already thought of an appropriate name for the project, ‘Sagar Parikrama’, literally meaning circumnavigation of the oceans in Hindi. No other name could have summed up the nature of the project so well and in simpler words.

While doing the rounds of NHQ and within an hour of the government approving my deputation to go and work with Sir Robin, I landed up at the personnel directorate. The ‘Sea Board’ for my course to decide the list of eligible officers to go to sea had been held the previous day. Not making it in the Board means the end of your career as you have virtually no chance of making it to the next rank. I bumped into an old friend who worked there. “I have made it in the Board, but unfortunately you haven’t,” he informed me, pulling a long face. “Cheer up mate, I’m quite glad!” was my reply. “Now I can concentrate on my project full time!”

Chapter 10

Training Sortie That Wasn’t

Sometime in the afternoon of 07 Nov 2007 I got a surprise call from Commander Bram Weller of the South African Navy. I had met him a month ago during the World Military Games in Mumbai and he had promised to do whatever he could to help me.

“Dilip, would you like to do a delivery trip from Cape Town to the US on a catamaran?” he asked, getting straight to the point. “You will need to be in Cape Town by next week. I know it is very short notice but it may be worth it. See if you can manage.”

Bram had kept the promise he made when we talked about my project over a drink at the Naval Sailing Club during the World Military Games. He had spoken to some of his friends in Cape Town and managed a berth for me on a brand new, 46 ft catamaran that was to be delivered in Florida. It would be a 7,000 nm trip with one stop, a chance to get the necessary sea time I had been trying so hard for. It was a win-win situation for everyone. I would get my sea time, the catamaran manufacturer would get a free crew, and the Navy would only need to pay for my air ticket, instead of spending a fortune on buying a training boat. The tight timeframe was the only concern.

“That is great news Bram! I will be there for the trip; let me start working on NHQ right away,” I said, barely containing my excitement.

By the end of the day, I had managed to convince people at NHQ, pre-empted possible delays owing to bureaucratic inertia by emailing the necessary file notings that would be needed to process my case, and finalised my plans to head to Delhi. I had less than a week to sort out my paperwork with the government, arrange the necessary funding, get visas for South Africa and the US, and reach Cape Town. It was an ambitious timeline but this was an excellent opportunity and I was desperate.

I rushed to Delhi the next day and started running around, yet again, getting my clearances and visas. I was trying to finish a job in a day or less that would otherwise have taken a week. Richard, the skipper with whom I was to sail, had started getting anxious as his company was asking him to leave as soon as possible to enable delivery of the boat to the client before Christmas. The drama that unfolded can best be captured by the emails we exchanged over the next few days.

Tue, 13 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

How are things going your side? Hope you are managing okay. Please let me know. The people in the office are getting a bit nervous if you can make it. They want me to leave Monday or Tuesday latest. If you think the time is too short l will have to find other crew. Hope to hear from you soon.

Richard

Wed, 14 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

Going full steam ahead and trying my best to hasten things up. Will let you know by Fri.

Dilip

Wed, 14 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Good to hear from you. Hope things are going to plan. Please tell me you can be in Cape Town Monday latest. I took over the yacht and the factory and Stewart Marine want me to leave ASAP. I could hold them till Monday latest, but if you are being delayed they want me to find other crew so I can leave soon.

Really sorry for the pressure, but it is up to the ‘powers that be’ who call the shots. Let me know if you can meet the deadline. If you get here on Monday we will clear the yacht straightaway and leave ASAP. Unfortunately you won’t get to see much of our beautiful city. Once again sorry for the short notice.

Richard

Thu, 15 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

I am trying to get all the paperwork done before the weekend, which includes the two visas. Definitely should get one of them by tomorrow. Trying to put pressure through NHQ and Military Attaches to get the other one too. If that does not work, can only leave by Mon night and be there by Tue afternoon. The government has approved my visit already and is paying for the air tickets.

No problems about hopping on the boat straight from the aircraft and sailing off. Sightseeing can happen later at leisure.

Will keep you posted on a daily basis. Sorry for keeping you hanging like this but as you said, the powers that be call the shots!

Dilip

Fri, 16 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Good to hear you are making progress. If you manage to get all the visas will you be able to fly earlier? Will tell the office you will be here on Monday to keep them happy. If you arrive later, I will make some excuses. Good luck for tomorrow. Keep me informed.

Richard

Fri, 16 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

Got the South African visa. Running for US visa. Unlikely to get it over the weekend. Trying my best for Mon. Will let you know.

Dilip

Sat, 17 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

Booked my air ticket today. Will leave Delhi 2030 h on 19 Nov and arrive Cape Town 1410 h by SA 333 on 20 Nov via Dubai and Jo’burg. This is if I get my US visa by 1800 h on 19 Nov. If not, should definitely get the visa by 20 Nov and I arrive on 21 Nov by the same flight. I have a full fare ticket so changing dates at short notice is not an issue. We can sail the evening I arrive. Hope you can sweet-talk your office till then! You need to give me the directions for reaching the boat or, if possible, we can meet at the airport and head for the boat.

Buying an open ticket from Fort Lauderdale to New Delhi for the return trip.

Dilip

Sun, 18 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Good to hear you are making progress. When you know which flight you are on let me know. You will have to book a flight from Jo’burg to Cape Town. I will need to know what time you will land so either me or Kirsty will meet you at the airport. Really hope you leave on Monday as we must get going to keep everyone happy. I must order some meat for the trip. Do you eat chicken and steak? Must it be halaal? The fish we will eat we have to catch, so some fun coming up.

Richard

Sun, 18 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

My flight from Jo’burg to Cape Town is SA 333 arriving Cape Town 1410 h. Will confirm the day tomorrow depending upon the progress at the US Embassy.

I have no problems about any food or meat except that I avoid drinking milk as it gives me a stomach upset. As far as I am concerned the only categories of food are edible or non-edible! So feel free to get whatever you like.

Dilip

Mon, 19 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Hope you got it all together. Good luck, enjoy the passage.

Bram

Mon, 19 Nov 2007

Dear Bram, Richard,

Not quite yet, I am afraid. Unlike the SA High Commission, the US Embassy wasn’t so cooperative. When I went to collect my visa at 1630 h today, they told me it was not ready yet and will be ready by 1630 h on 20 Nov. Had to postpone my ticket three hours before departure. So I start from Delhi at 2030 h on 20 Nov and reach Cape Town 1410 on 21 Nov by SA 333 via Dubai and Jo’burg.

Really sorry for all this chaos.

Richard, I will call you before boarding the flight tomorrow.

Dilip

Tue, 20 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Sorry to hear about your visa. Good luck for tomorrow. Give me a call when you land in Jo’burg. We will meet you at the airport. My no. is 0824725942.

Richard

Tue, 20 Nov 2007

Dear Richard,

After all this running around, the US Embassy seems to have put a spoke in the wheel. They asked me to send my CV, list of publications, itinerary, etc., to them by today evening and will give clarifications only by tomorrow afternoon. This is really unusual for an official visa which is processed within 24 hrs. Regrettably, that means I am stuck and not even able to give a reasonable assurance to you.

It may be a good idea to start looking for a standby crew as you must be finding it difficult to hold your company too long. Let me know when you will be leaving if you get another crew. If the Yanks give me a visa and I can make it before that, well and good, otherwise I miss the trip. I feel really embarrassed to keep you hanging like this but I really don’t know what more to do or what’s bugging the US Embassy.

Dilip

I was at my wits’ end by now. It was clear that there was some bureaucratic mix up at the Embassy. Why else would someone ask for a list of publications and itinerary from a sailor on a boat delivery trip? All I wanted was to be allowed to get off the boat in an US port and catch the next flight home. I decided to keep trying nevertheless, becoming quite a pest in the bargain, bugging anyone and everyone who could talk to someone at the US Embassy and sort out this mess.

Wed, 21 Nov 2007

Hi Dilip,

Really bad news. I will see if I can get other crew in the meantime. See what you can do and let me know if there are new developments. Hope you can sort it out today. Good luck.

Richard

Wed, 21 Nov 2007

Richard,

Thanks for the encouragement. Should come to know in a couple of hrs.

Dilip

My South African friends had been so considerate, I decided not to give up and keep trying. At 1630 h, the US Embassy handed me my visa instead of the clarifications they had promised to give me! They probably figured out that I actually was a harmless sailor and not some scientist in disguise hiding state secrets. In less than an hour, I was sitting in the Air India office, trying to book myself on the first available flight to Cape Town. The lady doing the booking didn’t seem too convinced about my plans, not surprising given my record of changing plans at the last minute!

“Are you really ready to go?”

“Yes, this time I am, and in a tearing hurry!”

“Okay, be at the airport in six hours; unfortunately you will have to spend a night at Johannesburg airport and we cannot give you a hotel booking.”

“No problem, as long as it is the earliest I can make it.” “You can’t make it any faster.”

“Okay, give me the ticket, don’t worry, this time there won’t be any cancellation,” I assured her confidently.

With the ticket in hand and a sense of relief I walked out of the office, mentally ticking off my checklist for departure. Okay, two tasks left before departure, call up Richard at Cape Town and confirm arrival details, then run to the mess, pack up my stuff and head for the airport!

More relieved than excited, I called up Richard from a public phone right next to the airline office.

“Hi Richard, this is Dilip from India, I will be catching a flight in the next couple of hours and reaching Cape Town tomorrow. I can hop on the boat straight from the airport and we can sail out.”

“I am sorry Dilip, but I will be sailing out tonight. I have managed another crew and cannot hold on any longer.”

“One more day, please! Can’t you take an extra crew, look I am ready to sleep on the deck and don’t even need a bunk!”

“I am really sorry but I can’t wait any longer. I will ask the company to let you know if there are more such trips in the pipeline.”

“Well, okay, have a safe trip and thanks a lot for being so patient.”

Richard had been more than patient with me. He had gone out of his way to help an unknown sailor from a different country even if it meant sticking out his own neck and putting his reputation on the line.

Within 30 minutes of assuring Air India about my intention to board their flight, I was running after them to cancel my ticket, this time for good. My trans-Atlantic training trip was over even before setting foot on the boat. I was in a state of shock.

“So, what next?” I asked myself.

“Nothing! Let us get back to the mess, have a nice stiff drink and call it a day. Tomorrow, we sort out the paperwork for cancelling the trip and head home the day after. Let us forget about training for a while and concentrate on building a boat,” replied my exasperatingly stoic alter ego.

Chapter 11

A Womb for the Boat

While running after training boats that had little chance of becoming available or trying to sail old boats to get some ‘sea time’ was fine, the core activity of the project was to build a suitable boat and it was important to maintain focus. As mentioned earlier, the paperwork for the process had commenced at NHQ in 2007 once my rough specifications were ready and a capacity assessment team had been appointed to shortlist boatyards from across the country.

The team shortlisted four boatyards they thought had the potential to build the boat we wanted. I was not a member of the team but was told to render any assistance they required as none of the team members had any experience of yacht building or sailing. I was naturally very curious about their results. The success of the project and, to an extent, my life depended on the quality of the boat. I had already visited Aquarius Fibreglas at Goa and formed a favourable opinion of the boat builder Ratnakar Dandekar. The yard did not have a shed large enough to build a boat of the size we wanted but Ratnakar had promised to set up the necessary infrastructure if he got the contract. He, of course, did not have any experience of sailing, building a sailboat or building anything for the Navy!

The second prospective boat builder came to visit me in my office at the Naval Sailing Club in Mumbai. I briefed him about the project and started showing him all the material I had, including the design plan, specifications and budgetary quotes. He cut me short soon enough with the information that his family had been boat builders for the past 150 years and he was confident about building whatever we wanted.

“So what can I do for you?” asked the builder, looking a bit disinterested with my lists of specifications and design plans.

“Like I told you, build a strong boat that will get me back alive!”

“You need not worry about that, sir! My family has been building boats for so long and it is no big deal building another one for you. So tell me, what more can I do for you?”

“Well, give me a good price!”

“Sir, the boat will get built and you will get a good price, which is no big deal! But what more can I do for you?”

I just didn’t understand what he was getting at and blurted out, “Make sure you deliver the boat in time, or earlier if possible.”

How dumb, the guy must have thought! “Sir, don’t worry, boats get built eventually. But what can I do for you?

And then the penny dropped, ‘You’ being the operative word! I suddenly realised what he was getting at and wasn’t sure whether to get angry at his audacity or laugh at my dumbness! I needed to get out of the situation diplomatically.

Trying to look as nonplussed as possible I told him, “Look, my life depends on the quality of the boat you build. If you build a bad boat, I won’t be able to get back to enjoy whatever you are trying to offer me. The Navy pays me well and I am quite content with what I get. Now if you would like go through the specifications in detail...”

I happened to be in Kochi, where two of the four yards were located, when the assessment team decided to pay a visit. I tagged along to have a look. We visited Praga Marine Pvt Ltd, who had been making fibre glass dinghies for the Navy for many years. The boat builder liked the idea of the project but seemed reluctant to undertake the boat building owing to an overflowing order book. Out of the four yards, he was the only one who understood sailing and it was a bit disappointing to get an outright ‘no’ from him.

A visit to another yard nearby was interesting. The yard had previous experience in building and supplying power yachts, used as Admirals’ barges, to the Navy. They seemed to be well equipped to build fibre glass boats and had perhaps the most impressive facility amongst the four shortlisted yards. The manager, who came to take us around, didn’t seem too interested in us nor have any idea about a sailboat. We were carrying the study plans received from the designer and some photos of sailboats to explain our requirements. The total lack of interest shown by the manager was a bit unnerving. I told him that the boat may cost well over a million dollars, which warmed him up a bit and he finally agreed to have a look at what we wanted to build! As I was showing him the photos, he pointed his finger at the boom of a sailboat and asked, “What is that horizontal white line in the picture?”

“Why, it’s the boom!”

“Oh, okay! What is that for?”

Eventually, the capacity assessment team recommended all the four yards for issue of a tender. No one was perfect but we didn’t have a choice. I was worried by what I had seen of the yards and the experience or rather inexperience of the boat builders. There wasn’t much I could do about it. The Navy was going to stick to the government procurement procedure, which meant all four yards would be asked to submit their offers and the lowest bidder would eventually bag the contract. I wanted a top quality boat but I did not have any say in selecting the yard. Even if I had, I could not find any particular reason to be partial to one over the other. On a personal level, I had developed the most favourable impression about Ratnakar. It was just a gut feeling that this straight talking guy would deliver whatever he promised, but gut feelings are not acceptable in government procurement procedures.

While drafting the terms and conditions of the contract, I insisted on at least three visits by the boat designer’s representative to the yard during various stages of construction. This was my attempt at ensuring quality of construction in the absence of any expertise in the country. On hindsight, this turned out to be the most important and beneficial clause in the contract, both for the project and Ratnakar.

The draft tenders did their rounds on the files at NHQ and were eventually despatched to the four boatyards. Only two yards responded and the bid submitted by Aquarius Fibreglas was substantially lower. I went to Delhi to finalise the contract. A few minutes into the meeting, Ratnakar was asked to give a discount on the price quoted by him. This is an archaic and, at times, absurd way of working in the Indian Government where the establishment is only worried about bringing down the price once the technical conditions have been finalised, often at the cost of quality. Ratnakar, working with the Navy for the first time, was taken by surprise.

“You asked me to give my lowest quote, which I have given. How can you ask me to go lower than the lowest quote? I am sorry but I can’t go any lower!”

“But we have to bring down the price,” insisted the representative of the financial advisor, secure in the knowledge that he would never need to step on the boat.

The Commodore chairing the meeting saw a standoff developing and asked Ratnakar to step out of the room and wait. Once Ratnakar went out, the Commodore asked me what I thought of the pricing

“Sir, the pricing is very reasonable. At this price, he can forget about any profits and should consider himself lucky if he manages to break even. I think we should instead concentrate on ensuring that we get a quality product and not fight over small change.”

“How can you be so certain?” asked the Commodore, aware of my inexperience in these matters.

“Well, I did the costing for the boat while making the specifications and have a fairly good idea how much it would cost. Ratnakar’s quote is as close to rock bottom as one can get.”

Ratnakar was eventually called back in the room and the deal was sealed with the financial advisor’s representative extracting a 1 per cent discount for the construction of a ‘yacht’ for the Indian Navy. It would have been so much better for everyone if that person had instead advised us on the wording to be used in the contract. As we were to discover over a year later, under Indian excise laws, a yacht is categorised as a luxury item and attracts considerable duty.

It took another two months for NHQ to draft the boat construction contract. Admiral Awati and I had started getting restless with the delay. There wasn’t much time left if I were to start on 15 Aug 2009. Ratnakar was being given a year to complete the boat construction. All of us were aware of the tight deadlines we had set for ourselves. Ratnakar finally decided to start the construction on Christmas of 2007, a day before he was to go to Delhi to sign the contract.

I had not taken any leave for the past two years and decided to use this opportunity to have a few days’ break before I got too busy with the boat construction. The plan was to drive down to Goa a few days before Christmas, stopping for a day or two at one of the many scenic places en route before finally arriving for the so called ‘keel laying’ ceremony of the boat. As I was sitting in my car at a toll booth on the outskirts of Mumbai, waiting for my turn to move ahead, my car was rammed from behind by a trailer that made the car jump and wedge itself under a trailer ahead. I managed to escape unhurt but the car was badly damaged and there ended all my plans for one last, albeit short, holiday. I towed the car back to Mumbai and flew down to Goa barely in time to attend the ceremony. It is only natural for people to get a bit superstitious on occasions such as these. While everyone was glad I had escaped unhurt, I could see lines of worry and ‘bad omen’ written on many a face. I laughed off the worries by saying, “Good we had the accident! The quota of bad luck has been expended there and the boat we are about to start building is going to be extremely lucky!”

I tried my best to look composed and confident to everyone but personally I was extremely apprehensive. This boat was going to be my sole companion on a voyage of discovery, her strength and quality would make the difference between disappearing at sea and coming back alive. She better be a good boat, strong to withstand the punishing Southern Ocean and large hearted to forgive my inexperienced handling. I think that was when I started talking to the boat – and I have never stopped since. She didn’t have a name yet, I just called her ‘boat’ or ‘girl’.

“Let us go on the biggest adventure of our lives sweetheart, let us sail around the world, just the two of us and let us come back to tell the stories. Be strong; be good, we are going to learn to look after each other, there isn’t going to be anyone else!” I kept talking to the soon-to-be-constructed boat while going through the motions of the blessing ceremony (puja) and meeting people, most of them for the first time.

Admiral Awati, Capt Soli Contractor and his family were present. So was Ratnakar’s family, including his parents, sisters and their families. Everyone seemed excited about the project. It felt good. The boat we were going to build had already started gathering a fan following. She was not going to be a just another piece of hardware, she had already started developing a personality and a group of people who cared for her. She was going to be the best boat in the world! She was going to be my boat.

Chapter 12

Finally, Some Sailing

I returned home to Mumbai from the keel laying ceremony and sailed out to Kochi within a week on a J 24 boat. The aim was to participate in an offshore sailing rally from Kochi to Kavaratti, the administrative capital of the Lakshadweep group of islands 200 nm west of the Indian mainland. Usually, a couple of J 24 boats would be carted by road from Mumbai to Kochi for the rally, sailed and then again carted back. Now, I was desperate for all possible offshore sailing I could do, so I suggested sailing the boats to Kochi some 600 nm away to participate in a 200 nm rally. The J 24 boat is essentially a day sailing boat used more for keel boat racing inside harbours than for ocean cruising. Being a harbour racing boat, it did not have any amenities to live onboard nor any provision to shorten sail if the wind picked up. Getting a crew to sail the three boats proved more difficult than expected. While many were keen on participating in the rally, few were interested in delivering the boats to the start line and none in getting the boats back after the rally. Finally, after a fair bit of coaxing, cajoling and coercing we managed to get two sets of crew, one to take the boats to Kochi and participate in the rally and another to get the boats back. It was an interesting trip for more than one reason.

The Navy, wary of any possible mishap, insisted on deputing a ship to escort us and drew up plans to make us sail in a proper naval formation with elaborate communication plans and reporting procedures. However, within hours of setting sail, the poor escort ship saw her herd break ranks and disperse, each trying to follow their own course at varying speeds. By next morning, all the boats were out of sight and radio communication range, with the hapless escort trying out all possible search patterns to locate them. The winds were very light and we were mainly relying on the land and sea breezes, often drifting over a windless sea. The escort would get restless during such calms and try to take us in tow, at times creating some excitement in an otherwise dull sail, as noted in my diary entries.

08 Jan 2008

0730 h – About 40 nm from Kochi, nil winds. Towing rope of escort snagged in the first boat’s keel while being taken in tow. The boat was dragged athwartship and almost capsized while the other two piled up on the first one. Tow cut off by the first boat. The ship had had enough and sailed off in a huff.

0900 h – All three boats sailing in over 20 kts of winds and squally weather.

1800 h – Alongside at Kochi.