Commodore Sanjay Panda, the commanding officer of INS Mandviche, arrived today from Goa to Mauritius. The mission is being undertaken by a six-officer (including three women) crew from Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini. The fleet will have to cover a distance of nearly 2500 nautical miles (approx. 45000 km) one way. During the 20-21 day period, they are expected to face extreme weather conditions and rough monsoon seas. In addition to sailing in these conditions, they have to perform tasks such as maintenance of the boat, machinery and catering. Once they leave Indian shores, they want to travel non-stop. The Indian Navy has six Inland Naval Sailing Vessels (INSVs) namely Mhadei, Tarini, Bulbul, Hariyal, Kadalpura and Neelkanth. These boats regularly go on sea missions with small contingents of naval personnel. Seafaring crews are selected from among volunteers who have sufficient sea sailing experience.
Ocean sailing is a very tough adventure sport. These ocean sailing expeditions help in developing a sense of adventure, increasing the ability to take risks. These voyages are used to enhance essential seamanship skills including navigation, communication, technical operation of engines and onboard machinery, operation of Inmarsat equipment, logistics planning etc. Ocean circumnavigation and the Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro race, Participating in the IONS and Bay of Bengal sailing missions provides an opportunity to showcase the Indian Navy’s capabilities around the world. Tarini completed the ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ of the world in 2017 with an all-women officer corps. She is also known for that. The current campaign has an equal number of male and female officers.
Three male and three female officers each are participating in the campaign. Captain VD Meherishi, one of the most experienced sailors in the Indian Navy, is commanding the ship. The crew members include Commander Vikas Sheoran, Lt Commander Payal Gupta, Lt Commander Kaushal Pednekar, Lt Commander Dilna K and Lt Commander Roopa A.