JAY JOSHI
When you are passionate about something, you feel driven to put everything on the line for it, and solo circumnavigation of the earth is a rather exciting idea. In 2009, Captain (retd) Dilip Donde, then a commander in the Indian Navy was working in Andaman Nicobar, overseeing diving activities. However, his passion for sailing drew him to jump at the opportunity when the Navy approached him with the idea of solo circumnavigation around the globe.
Captain Donde became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe after he sailed from Mumbai on August 19 2009 and returned to Mumbai after four stops on 19 May 2010. The voyage was undertaken using INSV Mhadei, a sail training boat of the Indian navy. He is scheduled to deliver a talk about the adventure at Museum of Goa in Pilerne on March 17 Speaking to TG Life about the adventure, Captain Donde outlined the highs and lows of the trip, which he chose to begin in August, right in the middle of monsoon.
“I needed to cross Cape Horn, which was the southernmost point of my trip. It is near Antarctica. It is best to cross it during the peak of their summer, which comes in January. Considering this, starting in August works out pretty well,” explained the naval veteran. “Secondly, for a sailboat, you need the wind. If you start in September-October, in the Arabian sea, your progress will be very slow. These are the months of seasonal transitions and there’s hardly any wind. My idea was to make use of the monsoon winds to reach the equator.”
Apart from unfavourable weather and waves of upto 9 metres-that is as high as a three-storied building- the sailor faced a number of issues during the trip including damage to the ship, bureaucratic hurdles to get the project started, and last but not the least, armchair advisors. “My sailes tore, the ship’s steering broke, the autopilot broke, the generator malfunctioned, and whatnot. In fact there were a number of people sitting on the compound and predicting that I was going to ie within a month. I just wanted to prove them wrong!” the captain quips. “Such issues are normal on a trip like this, and you just learn to sort them out as you go.”
Commenting on the question of loneliness that one faces during these trips, Captain Donde stresses that there is a fine line between loneliness and solitude. “I never felt lonely during the venture. I had my boat as a companion. I used to talk to my boat, listen to some good music, cook myself a nice meal, and just keep going.”
The trip was commissioned by the Indian Navy. From a layman’s perspective, the Navy’s duty is to guard our nation’s seas. How would commissioning a solo circumnavigation of the globe help? “Well, firstly, sailing is like learning the alphabet of the Navy. The navy’s job is to fight in all kinds of weather, and such things train an officer for that. As more and more naval officers undertake sailing, it helps them become comfortable with the sea,” says Captain Donde. “It is also a good advertisement for recruitment, and stresses that there is more to the navy than just battle.Lastly, we are making a statement to the world as to what we are capable of, and it earns us global prestige.” Underlining how his venture has given an impetus to circumnavigation in India, the sailor notes that a decade ago, there was not a single Indian who had circumnavigated the Earth, and now there are eight such people.
After undertaking this adventure, Captain Donde has worked tirelessly to grow the creed of adventurous sailors and circumnavigators in India. Six months after his own circumnavigation, he sailed out again with a fresh young crew for a race from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro. He undertook two such trips within a span of four years, and in between also helped Commander Abhilash Tomy with the latter’s own non-stop circumnavigation. He is currently overseeing the construction of a sailboat in Goa, which will be used to offer sailing experience to interested clients.
