Indian Navy Solo Circumnavigation

Across the Prime Meridian

2011-01-22T03:24:00.000+05:30

This afternoon while some of the crew was enjoying a siesta, Mhadei quietly sailed across the Prime Meridian and entered the Western Hemisphere. The second time in less than a year for her. Last year this day she was at Falkland Islands, licking her bruises after rounding the Horn and getting ready for her first Atlantic crossing.

Compared to the last crossing when she and her skipper got thumped nicely in the Southern Ocean, the present crossing has been a pleasure cruise so far. Moderate winds & seas, temperature in the 20s, pleasant company, clear moonlit nights, the conditions can almost be described as idyllic! Except that we are racing and need stronger breezes to compete against the lighter boats in the fleet. The weather forecast doesn't seem too optimistic on that count so far! For now the crew has settled down nicely in the peaceful rhythm that only a long sea sortie can bring!

Off to Rio

2011-01-17T03:19:00.000+05:30

All good things have to come to an end and so did our stay at Cape Town as we crossed the start line along with 16 other boats for the Heineken Cape to Rio race at noon on 15 Jan. The stay at Cape Town, the second in a year, was memorable both for the boat and the crew. While the crew could re-charge their batteries at the "Tavern of the Seas", meeting up old friends & making new ones, the boat was treated to some TLC in terms of minor repairs and maintenance.

It was great to be hosted by the Royal Cape Yacht Club who are also organizing the race. Info about the race and the club including photos & a tracker to see the positions of all the boats is available at www.rcyc.co.za & www.capetorio.heineken.com

Looking forward to a good race and a fast passage to the much talked about city of Rio de Janeiro across the Atlantic.

South of Madagascar

2010-12-21T01:02:00.000+05:30

Mhadei crossed about 150 Nm South of the Island of Madagascar this morning and is now rushing for the South Eastern tip of the African continent in good following winds and seas. The winds are predicted to remain Easterly for the next two days which should translate into some fast progress as we get closer to the fast moving Agulhas current and a fast passage to Cape Town in time for New Years! Bets are on, on board, whether we celebrate the New Year's in Cape Town or at Sea! A bit too early to predict yet. We will get a better idea in the next few days!

Across the Tropic of Capricorn

2010-12-16T23:58:00.000+05:30

Off Mauritius

09 Dec 10

2010-12-10T00:38:00.000+05:30

Across the Line yet again!

2010-12-04T02:50:00.000+05:30

Mhadei crossed the Equator and got back in the Southern Hemisphere at 0258 on 03 Dec 10. This crossing, the fifth in eighteen months was rather interesting. A rouge minion of Neptune in the form of a nasty squall was waiting to ambush her within minutes of entering the Southern Hemisphere. Luckily the same had been detected on the radar and the boat was well prepared for it when it hit. All it could do in the end was to send her a bit off course at a fast clip while giving plenty of cool fresh water to the crew to have a shower and wash clothes!

We have been getting good steady winds since the last two days, translating into good progress on a Southerly course. We will continue heading South till we meet the South Easterly trade winds which will help us shape a straight downwind course to the South African coast.

As I write, it is a beautiful starlit night outside with a sky so clear and stars so bright that the horizon is visible by starlight alone! Mhadei is sailing along merrily on a cool steady Westerly breeze. A perfect time to lie out on the deck and do some stargazing!

Posting some pics by Gautam Khajuria, on his first trip with Mhadei.

In the clutches of Doldrums

2010-11-30T23:04:00.000+05:30

The wind gods still seem to be paying little attention to us, thus we continue to sail whenever we can and motor the rest of the time. The last three days we were experiencing almost 3.5 kts of current against us! That and the light winds have made the progress painfully slow. The equatorial line squalls have not relented though and keep us company for a couple of hours, mostly at night, sending gusty winds and of course some refreshing cold showers for the crew.

Sighting some of the islands of Maldives was probably the only event through an otherwise dull day. Well, so I was thinking, lying down on the deck after sunset, gazing at a clear sky when suddenly I heard the unmistakable sound of a Dolphin exhaling close by. Jumped to take a look at it in the dark night and was greeted with an absolutely stunning sight! Since it was dark, the Dolphin itself was not visible but its motion was creating a streak of bio luminescence in the water as it moved! The Dolphin kept racing with the boat creating eerie blue streaks after itself and splashes accompanied by the “whoosh” sound of it exhaling when it surfaced. The streaks would become dull as it went deeper and brighten up as it closed the surface. What a sight! It’s a pity that we couldn’t capture the moment on a camera. Well I suppose some sights of the sea can only be enjoyed at sea!

Back to the Sea!

2010-11-27T16:18:00.003+05:30

After a short rest of 06 months and lots of TLC lavished on her by Ratnakar, her builder, Mhadei set sail again from Goa on 25 Nov 10 for Cape Town. Unlike the virtual crew of the last voyage she has a real crew this time in the form of Dilip Donde, Abhilash Tomy, Gautam Khajuria and Pankaj Kumar. The idea is to take part in a race from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro commencing 15 Jan 11, being organized by the Royal Cape Yacht Club of Cape Town. This is the first time an Indian boat will be taking part in a trans ocean race thus continuing Mhadei’s habit of trail blazing! Info about the race can be obtained at the RCYC web site www.rcyc.co.za

We were seen off at Goa by Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, Flag Officer Commanding Goa area who has been a fan of the boat and has taken her under his wings, since the time she was discovering her sea legs. The others included all officers of INS Mandovi, her new home, along with their families. After making good progress under a gennaker, the largest of the sail with us, in a light breeze, the wind gods decided to take a break leaving us in a flat windless sea since yesterday. This being more of a delivery trip for the race and since we do not have much time in hand we have been motoring for the past 24 hrs which isn’t all that exciting as far as sailing goes. There have been other exciting moments though. A bunch of whales frolicking at a distance, jumping completely out of water! A couple of sparrows taking passage on the boat, the usual schools of dolphins crossing our path and a pair of turtles & sea snakes basking on the flat sea…….

Things are definitely easier for the skipper compared to the last trip! For example on leaving Goa all he had to do was steer the boat while the sails got set as if by magic! Wow, what luxury! It is good training for the crew. While Abhilash had sailed the boat from Goa to Mauritius last year, others are still learning their ropes. By the time they reach Cape Town they will probably be more at home on Mhadei than what they have ever been at their homes on land! Well thats a long way off and while there will undoubtedly be exciting times during the passage, the crew, like all seamen wishes that the passage is as uneventful as possible! Will keep the readers posted as we move. For now a picture of the Mhadei casting off at Goa in her namesake river.

Back to the Sea!

2010-11-27T16:15:00.000+05:30

Back Home!

2010-05-31T19:32:00.000+05:30

This blog is way overdue and my sincere apologies to all the readers for such a long delay. It is amazing how hectic life can become once you finish a trip such as this and just when you badly need a long break!

We reached Mumbai and completed the circumnavigation at 0030 hrs on 19 May, exactly 09 months after setting off. Till the afternoon of 18 May we were heading for Africa instead of Mumbai, thanks to light Northerly winds. Luckily by about 1330 the wind backed and freshened up allowing us to sail straight towards Mumbai harbour. The uncertainty of the ETA proving once again that "Sail Boats do not have ETAs, they have destinations and that they go towards a destination and not to a destination". Owing to the uncertainty of the ETA even 12 hrs before arrival, making arrangements for a formal welcome proved difficult. We thus quietly slipped in the Naval Dockyard, from where we had started 09 months back, and were received by close family, friends and the top brass of the Western Naval Command. We slipped out again at first light on 22 May to make a formal entry and were received in right royal style by the Vice President of India Shri M Hamid Ansari, the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command and a host of other dignitaries. It was good to be back home! The celebrations unfortunately were marred by the news of a horrific air crash of an Air India aircraft that morning at Mangalore.

The week after arrival went in a whirlwind of press briefings, interviews and most importantly in making sure that Mhadei is well looked after and cared for. She has taken me around the world safely without any major complaints, has been the most forgiving & trusty companion through moments that I cannot share with anyone else and has earned all the TLC I can shower on her and more! Thus though the trip is over, the work goes on till we manage to put some system in place for her upkeep and utilization in the future.

Ending this with some photos and links of our arrival. Also a big thanks to all the readers of the blog for the support extended by them which came in very handy in keeping up the morale of the crew throughout the trip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp5_qRiKat4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3D4XijwC18&feature=related

And the most important and cherished! A link to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's blog on becoming the 175 th member of the exclusive Solo Circumnavigators' Club! I can't think of a greater honour than being personally welcomed by Sir Robin to this elite club!

http://www.robinknox-johnston.co.uk/da/20103

The Last 100 Miles!

2010-05-17T22:41:00.000+05:30

We crossed Goa, Mhadei's birth place last night and as I write are crossing the port town of Ratnagiri 30 miles to the East, famous for its Alphonso mangoes which will be in season now. A little know fact about the town, which I discovered quite late, is that the last Emporer of Burma was exiled here till his end in the last century. That leaves another 100 miles to Mumbai and the finish line!

It is a clear night outside with a crescent of yellow moon and cool breeze. Enjoying probably the last night of solitude with Mhadei for some time to come, listening to the local radio station. By tomorrow night we will be too close to to the coast to relax.

Read about the fabulous and well deserved welcome for Jessica. I think she has really earned all the accolades being bestowed on her and it will be an honour for us to follow her into the exclusive club of Solo Cicumnavigators!

500 Miles from home!

2010-05-13T22:40:00.000+05:30

The doldrums did finally catch up with us with a couple of windless days. One night it became so bad I finally dropped all sails, lashed up the boom and went to sleep letting Mhadei drift around. The next morning turned out to be as windless so had a refreshing swim in the sea, the first time in this trip, and started sailing again once a little wind picked up by noon. Been getting light North westerly winds since then making slow but some progress.

The cooking problem has been sorted out to some extent by using warm water from the water heater which heats up water to about 60 C using the engine coolant. So idling the engine, instead of the generator, to charge the batteries and also for getting warm water once in a few days. A bit of food rationing is being resorted to as the supply of ready to eat food, which I usually used to keep for bad weather days, is limited and with the unreliable winds, predicting an ETA even 500 Nm away is a bit tricky. The ready to eat food is well supplemented by knickknacks like Cereal & chocolate bars, Billtong, crackers, canned fruit etc so really no cause to worry. In any case the heat really kills ones appetite and what you really need is plenty of fluids which are available in plenty. The progress in the next few days should give a better idea, at least about the likely day if not the time of crossing the finish line!

Across the Equator

2010-05-06T23:38:00.000+05:30

We bid goodbye to the Southern hemisphere today after spending eight eventful months in it and crossed into the Northern hemisphere at 1639 local time. This was our fourth Equator crossing in less than a year so Neptune's sentinels let us pass without even giving us a second glance! So far the progress has been better than expected though the doldrums must have shifted North with the Sun and we may yet encounter them as we move North. Since last two days, contrary to all weather predictions we have been getting strong Westerly winds. If these are an indication of an early SWly monsoon setting in, we should be extremely lucky because in that case the doldrums will be in a disturbed state and we can get out of their clutches easily.

It is getting increasingly hot by the day with the temperature inside the boat refusing to come down below 32 C at any time! All the water that evaporates from the sea during the hot day comes down at night as thunder showers with strong gusty winds and sheets of rain! So we are settling into an interesting routine of staying awake during the night controlling the boat and unable to sleep during the day due to the heat!

The chef suffered a bit of a setback today with the discovery or rather non discovery of any butane gas in the gas cylinder. That definitely is the end of any cooking on board and the chef will need to be at his creative best to make unheated canned food taste palatable till we reach home 1200 Nm away!

Cruising in the Trade Winds

2010-05-01T22:33:00.000+05:30

We crossed the beautiful island of Mauritius on the morning of 27 Apr. Passing less than 5 Nm from the Island, it was really tempting to stop by and meet up with friends from the last visit less than a year back. Last year on 09 Jun I had sailed out of Port Louis, Mauritius for Mhadei's last trial before the circumnavigation and my first solo sail and here we were back to the same place from the other side of the world! In a way this completed the Circumnavigation though we still need to get back home 2000 Nm away!

The elusive SE trade winds finally showed up after crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and since then Mhadei has been cruising along at a clip heading straight for Mumbai. This blissful state may last for a day or two before we hit the frustrating Doldrums and start playing cat & mouse with the shifty and light winds. North of the Equator the wind seems to have slowly started shifting West as the SW Monsoon season approaches. Hoping that it will set in by the time we cross the equator in a weeks time for a nice downwind leg home.

The tropics are making their presence felt in more than one way with the temperature inside the boat remaining above 30 C almost all the time which makes life a bit uncomfortable. So a lot of time specially at night is spent sitting out enjoying the cool breeze under a clear moonlit sky!

Searching for Trade Winds

2010-04-22T15:29:00.000+05:30

It has been over ten days since we said our good bye to the Southern Ocean and landed under a High Pressure system which seemed very reluctant to move in the usual Easterly direction and give us some decent wind. A couple of days of light winds were welcomed by the crew after the fury of the Southern Ocean and duly enjoyed lounging on the deck in the cool breeze having good food, doing a bit of maintenance and catching up on "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The cook got into action serving a wide variety, from the quintessential Bombay fare of Bhelpuri, to Thai curries, Pasta & Risotto! While the crew was having a whale of a time the Skipper was wondering about over 4000 Nm of Indian Ocean yet to be covered!

As the High pressure system slowly inched Eastward, the wind started picking up, unfortunately from North North East which is exactly the direction we want to go in. Thanks to the direction of the wind and the resultant swell we have been sailing close hauled for over a week now barely managing to do either a NNW or ESE course with frequent tacks, sail changes and the boat pitching all the time. While we are still about 300 Nm from the Tropic of Capricorn, the weather has already started showing signs of the tropics with day temperatures in the 30 Cs and occasional squalls which give gusty winds from any direction while they are around and take away most of the wind when they move on leaving us with a nice swell for company! The ever present Albatross have parted company and we should be entering the territory of Dolphins & Flying Fish soon.

The weather forecast is predicting NE winds for a few more days till we meet up with the steady SE Trade winds for making a dash to the Equator!

Been reading about Jessica and the weather she has been facing. Despite the slow progress we are making I don't envy her much for that! Looks like she is in for a fast run home!

Goodbye to the Southern Ocean

2010-04-12T02:43:00.000+05:30

Having crossed the Agulhas Bank and current without getting into the Roaring Forties and seeing a big system moving in from the West we decided against going any further South and avoid getting into the Southern Ocean. No such luck! The Southern Ocean decided to move up a little and give us a last bit of hiding lest we forget it in a hurry! That meant almost three days of gale force winds with big seas that pushed us well to the North East. No complaints of course as things could have been worse had we stuck to the earlier plan of getting in the Forties. The shackle securing the brand new Stay sail to the furler decided to part company despite all the securing just as the gales started picking up and it was pointless trying to put a new one in those conditions so the sail was furled and Mhadei sailed with just the smallest size of main sail possible. I was surprised how well she managed to hold course at a brisk pace on a broad reach. After sailing her for over 25000 Nm I am still learning to sail her! The gales got us right under a High pressure system and vanished leaving us with very light and shifty winds. For a while the calm was good as it allowed things to be put in order both with the boat and the galley but now again we are looking out for some wind!

Back to Sea - Homeward Bound!

2010-04-05T23:47:00.000+05:30

We are back at sea again having left Cape Town at 1030 h on 03 Apr. Both Mhadei and her crew thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and pampering lavished on us by the warm "Cape Townians"! Both of us would definitely love to come back here some day.

The plan was to head well to the South before turning East to keep clear of the Agulhas bank which is notorious for its West flowing Agulhas current and freak waves. As often happens, things didn't go quite as per plan with Southerly winds right after leaving Cape Town, that pushed us to the South West for the first day and night actually making us move in the direction we came from, that of Port Stanley! By Easter morning, the Skipper had had enough of slamming in the wrong direction and decided to head East taking advantage of light SE winds. The winds have remained a comfortable 10 to 15 kts SE through the day making slow but stead progress to the East. At this rate, in a couple of hours, we should be crossing Cape Agulhas, the Southernmost point of the African Continent and saying good bye to the Atlantic Ocean.

Greetings from Cape Town

2010-03-18T15:19:00.000+05:30

I suppose the only way I can start this post is by apologizing to all the readers for going missing for the past 20 days! Blame it for being busy, lazy and an erratic internet connection!

Time seems to be flying by in sunny Cape Town with repairs to Mhadei and a bit of R & R keeping us busy. Most of the repairs fall in the “desirable” rather than “essential” category which means I could have sailed back home without undertaking them but decided to get them done here due to better availability of spares and skills. Hopefully in the times to come the necessary spares and skills for Yacht repairs will become readily available in India. Also since we bought the Mast and Rigging from Cape Town it made sense to get the same serviced at Cape Town. With Ratnakar, the boat builder, dropping by for 10 days we managed to get most of the small repair jobs out of the way. Presently awaiting the replacements for furler foils from France, routine repairs to the sails by the local North Sails loft and fitting of the generator post servicing. Planning to sail out on 29 Mar so as to reach Mumbai around 16 May. Another reason for the longish stay at Cape Town is to avoid the Cyclone season in the Southern Indian Ocean which usually lasts till end Apr. Starting in end Mar would ensure that we enter the trade wind zone, where the tropical cyclones mostly occur, by end Apr. It will also mean crossing the Equator around early May with a hope that the Doldrums will be in a disturbed state due to the onset of the SW monsoons. If the Monsoons set in slightly earlier than usual, last year they were really late, we can have a fast downwind ride all the way home!

Though this is my third visit to Cape Town, I am still in awe with the spectacular beauty of the City and the surroundings. The high point of the R & R was a walk up the Table Mountain which made me regain my land legs quickly! I think anyone who is reasonably fit and has a day to spare in the City should give it a try!

In addition to the Seals in the harbour we also have some more interesting for company in the form of Phoenicia, a replica of a Phoenician Sail boat trying to recreate the first circumnavigation of Africa by the Phoenicians in 600 BC. You can read about the project on their web site www.phoenicia.org.uk

Ending this post with some photos as usual.

Entering Cape Town

From Chapman's Peak Drive

Cape of Good Hope

Lion's Head, Signal Hill & Robben Island

The Cape Peninsula

Mhadei & Phoenicia

Reached Cape Town

2010-02-26T04:44:00.000+05:30

Mhadei reached safely at Cape Town at about 1030 local time on 25 Feb 10 to a fine welcome organized by the South African Navy and the Cape Townians! Got introduced to the interesting night life of the City on the first night itself when I visited Mhadei to check on her and found her to be the center of attraction of a rather loud group of admirers. Too bad I can't post the noises but as you will be able to appreciate from the pictures she is in good company getting ready for the next leg to Mumbai!

Back to the Eastern Hemisphere

2010-02-19T04:01:00.000+05:30

We crossed the Prime meridian at about 2253 tonight and are back in the Eastern Hemisphere after a little over two months. Another great day of sailing! Not very fast but absolutely peaceful with a flat sea, gentle breeze and clear sky. Little wonder that the cook finally got inspired and whipped up a delicious Rissoto con gamberi e funghi. A nice lunch under the blue sky without wearing any woolens, washed down with a bottle of "Monsoon" beer from New Zealand followed by the mandatory siesta. Can life get any better! Tomorrow will be the last of the peaceful days after which the weatherman has fixed up a date with the Cape Town Doctor which would mean strong head winds and seas all the way to Cape Town!

Out of the Roaring Forties

2010-02-17T02:51:00.000+05:30

After experiencing a last big roar of almost 36 hrs of Gale force winds we finally seem to be out of the clutches of the Roaring Forties. The roar did push us a little more to the North than expected though not enough to get into a High pressure system and risk getting becalmed. Sailing at the edge of the system and getting good Westerly winds since morning. With a moderate following sea Mhadei is cruising along under clear sunny skies! The forecast looks good for the next couple of days after which the wind is expected to turn SE which would mean head winds and slamming into the swell till Cape Town. Well, we will see when we reach there! Presently enjoying the sail with the weather getting warmer by the day. No more woolens or boots required during the day and the morning cup of coffee can be had sitting out on the deck rather than standing as close to the gas as possible!

A year and 23000 Miles

2010-02-14T09:53:00.000+05:30

Mhadei completed one year of service with the Navy on 12 Feb 10 completing almost 23000 Nm in her brief lifetime. Not too bad for a Yacht that is the first of her kind in the country. Had she been a Naval ship the crew would have been celebrating her anniversary, maybe cutting a cake etc. We celebrated doing some smooth and fast sailing eating up over 170 Nm in a day! Its been good sailing the past few days. Not always very smooth, with the winds regularly touching 30 kts, but fairly fast with sunny days and starry nights that you can sit out and enjoy as it is not that cold anymore. The swell is lesser than what we had been experiencing in the Pacific and that really helps. The forecast for the next few days is predicting winds over 20 kts with the inevitable gales thrown in. We are already at the edge of the "Roaring Forties" and getting pushed North with a strong South Westerly wind. Would like to remain here a little longer though, to take advantage of the good winds and avoid slowing down in the high pressure systems further North. Ending this with Valentine's day greetings from the middle of South Atlantic! Have a great day!

Clear Sky! After many days!

2010-02-11T07:38:00.000+05:30

After over three days of non stop gales, today was the clearest sky I saw since a long time. The sun was up and warm and it was great working on deck bare feet and without any woolens. Can't remember when I did that last, probably not since leaving Australia in November! The wind has stayed a steady 10 to 15 kts from WNW and with a comfortable Westerly swell Mhadei has been doing a NE course almost on her own. Its strange how the mind forgets the misery of the bad weather days and starts enjoying the good ones. There is a star studded night outside, as I write, with a gentle 12 kts breeze and a following current making us move at over 7 kts with hardly any bouncing around. I think we used to bounce around more while tied alongside at Port Stanley! A cold front is expected to pass us later tonight so the winds will pick up and it will be time to shorten sail. Till then enjoying the moment!

Riding a Weather system's tail!

2010-02-08T05:27:00.000+05:30

Since this morning we seem to have stepped on the tail of an East moving weather system. So big seas, strong winds and a nice following current translating into almost 100 Nm through the day! Bit of a wild ride but the boat's holding well and miles are being eaten away so well worth getting tossed around. Lets see how long we are able to hold on to it! We have finally left the "Furious Fifties" behind and are trying to cross the "Roaring Forties" in a hurry before the next system, already forming to our West catches up with us. It is definitely getting warmer with clearer skies and a sun that actually warms you up.
Since a lot of readers have written that they don't understand much of the sailing jargon, attaching a simplified version of the Beaufort wind scale to make things easier. This was given to me by my hosts Pip & John at Fremantle, both experienced sailors themselves. I actually find it more realistic and easy to relate to than the real Beaufort scale!

Off again!

2010-02-03T07:55:00.000+05:30

We are back at sea after a memorable send off by the Governor of Falklands and HMS York, among others, at 1000 h on 01 Feb 10. Thanks to the hospitality of the Falklanders and the British armed forces, the crew though busy with repair work on board, had a great time ashore and is back to the task of finding their rested sea legs. Mhadei is moving along nicely with a much lighter steering post repairs and considerably less swell than that experienced during the last leg. Apart from a couple of hrs of gusty winds touching 40 kts as a front passed over us yesterday it has been good sailing so far with clear skies and moderate winds. In fact as I write there is a beautiful yellow moon rising ahead of us leading the way to Africa, 3000 Nm across the Atlantic. Gales are predicted for the next two days but we will see when we meet them, presently its time to enjoy the sail on a calm moonlit night.

Friends in Falklands

2010-01-28T05:46:00.000+05:30

It has been over a week since we reached Port Stanley and time seems to have flown by. The repairs are progressing well and looks like we will be able to sail out on 01 Feb as planned. A short sortie to test the autopilots this morning went off well except for the tricky coming alongside in gale force wind, which seem to to be a norm here rather than an exception! As mentioned in the last blog, we were in time to meet up with Ocean Watch of "Around Americas" fame and see them off on their next leg. The local populace here has been really understanding. Realizing that we were extremely short on time and couldn't do much sight seeing, some of them decided to visit us and were captured on camera by my shutterbug crew Abhilash. Talking about friends, working in the harbour, my thoughts are often with Jessica, battling the South Atlantic Gales and nursing EPL from her knockdowns. In fact every time a gale passes over Stanley, more of a daily occurrence in the past few days, I tend to look up and tell the wind, " Hey! Ease up as you go, there is a brave girl sailing that way!" While Jesse was celebrating Australia day on 26 Jan talking to Kevin Rudd and screaming up the South Atlantic, me and my crew spent the 60 th Republic day of India by putting in a couple of hours of extra work to fix up my steering and the generator! I doubt how many know that the two countries celebrate these days together!

Greetings from Port Stanley

2010-01-22T06:21:00.000+05:30

Looks like many are wondering about our disappearance after rounding the Horn almost a week back! Apologies for not updating the blog earlier but things moved a bit too fast after the Horn and the crew kept getting busier as we entered the Port and got on to the most important task of turning around Mhadei for the next leg. We are presently berthed at Port Stanley, getting the steering and generator fixed while also pampering Mhadei by meeting her small little demands which while not critical, are best attended to when there is a little shore time. She has weathered the Pacific at a trot and deserves all the attention! Meanwhile the crew, self and Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy who landed up a day after I reached to help me with the work, are being looked after by the British armed forces and the friendly Falkland Islanders. This is perhaps the first time an Indian boat has touched the shores of the Islands so we are quite a novelty here. We landed up in time to meet "Ocean watch", and her crew. It was great to exchange notes with her skipper Mark Schrader who has two solo circumnavigations under his belt. Taking heed of the old saying that,"a picture is worth a thousand words," I will stop writing for now and let the viewers see some photos of the trip from rounding the Horn till reaching Stanley. Hopefully this will make up for the silence of the last few days to some extent!

The Horn!

Cape Deceit

Sentinel of the Islands!

Sunset off Falklands

A Royal Escort!

Port Stanley

Past the Horn!

2010-01-13T00:26:00.000+05:30

Mhadei crossed the Horn at about 1500 GMT on 12 Jan in a howling gale that seems to be going from bad to worse! Presently trying to maintain a NE course. More later.......

Good wishes work!

2010-01-10T09:21:00.000+05:30

Thanks to the good wishes of so many, the sea and wind seem to have been kind to us for the past few days. The wind has been light and shifty which means frequent visits outside to adjust the wind vane and the sails but we are moving which is what really matters. The swell is much less and we have been sailing upwind most of the time which puts less stress on the wind vane and the creaky steering. A good current of upto 2 kts has been compensating for the lack of stronger winds to some extent. Jessica seems to have run ahead to meet up with her parents at Cape Horn! As per her last position she was about 90 Nm ahead so looks unlikely that we will be able to catch up, with a little over 300 miles to the Horn!

A welcome respite!

2010-01-06T13:28:00.000+05:30

The gales of the last 2-3 days subsided today and so did the swell. There was thick fog all around with intermittent drizzle dropping the temperatures but the absence of wind chill more than compensated for the extra cold! It was good to have three hot & rather heavy meals through the day, shake out a reef or two, go around the boat tightening everything that is not supposed to move and spraying WD 40 on everything that's supposed to! In the morning for a while it looked as if the wind will die out completely but luckily it was just changing direction and started blowing a steady 10 to 15 kts from NW, as against WSW of the past three days, making us do a ENE course at a comfortable 6 kts while keeping the wind vane happy. The forecast for the next few days is not predicting any gale force winds. Keeping my fingers crossed as at sea, specially in remote areas like the one we are in, one tends to take forecasts with a pinch of salt!

One Gale gone waiting for next!

2010-01-04T09:10:00.000+05:30

It blew through yesterday and night building up big seas and keeping Mhadei's crew on tenterhooks with the steering groaning. By morning the wind had come down, the swell reduced marginally and we were moving well again. At the end of my tether with the groaning of the steering, took a can of WD 40 and sprayed it in every nook and cranny of the steering system without any conviction that it will work. An hour later I was so happy to have been proven wrong! No more groaning! Not sure what exactly was the problem but the solution seems to have worked which is all that matters!

The weather forecast is predicting another gale in the next couple of hours so waiting and watching the wind. It is really cold now with the temperature dropping below 4 deg C at night and not much better in day time thanks to an overcast sky.

A soak in the Southern Ocean

2010-01-01T14:40:00.000+05:30

Last night as I was checking up various things on deck I realized that one of the two bolts holding the Wind Vane together had gone off. This was serious specially with the autopilots already on strike! Rushed with a spanner and as I was sitting on the transom putting on a new bolt a couple of waves washed over me soaking me to the inside of my boots! Exquisite agony is probably a good way to describe it!  Managed to put on the bolt without loosing the spanner as my hands had already started going numb, got inside and it was straight in the sleeping bag for a couple of hours after a quick drying up and change of clothing. Got up grudgingly only when my boat builder, Ratnakar, rang up to wish me a happy new year and discuss a solution to the problems on board. He was celebrating New Years with friends & family at Goa but by all indications his mind was on the boat in the Southern Ocean!

   Midnight of New Years eve, just as I was getting out to change the wind vane with the wind dropping, the phone rang. Finding it a bit odd to receive a phone call close to midnight, picked up the phone and what a pleasant surprise! Jessica calling to wish New Years! So very thoughtful of her! Amongst all the new years wishes I have received in all these years and at various places I think I will cherish this, from this gutsy girl 350 Nm away and the nearest human being to me, as the most special! With wishes like these how can 2010 not be anything but great!

   As we sail into 2010, here is wishing all the readers, from Mhadei & her crew, a great year ahead and good times to come!

Murphy Strikes!

2009-12-29T15:11:00.000+05:30

I tend to get a little wary when things start going too smoothly and sure enough, just as I was congratulating myself in the morning on finally getting out of the Easterlies by slamming NE through the night, both the electronic autopilots went off in quick succession! Hove to, had a quick breakfast of Oats & coffee and got down to finding a remedy. Four bolts holding the Starboard autopilot motor have sheared off making the motor rotate around itself instead of steering! By end of the day managed to lash up the motor as changing the bolts will involve dismantling the entire steering gearbox and make it impossible even to use the Wind vane. Not sure how long it will hold specially in stressful conditions, for the autopilot that is, so will keep it for using in an emergency. Looks like the rest of the leg will have to be done using the Wind Vane or hand steering. No more comfort of push button steering from inside! The wind played truant through the day so we were more or less drifting around till midnight. Finally started getting a 15 kt NNW breeze and we are back to an Easterly course with the Wind Vane maintaining course.

Oh these maddening Easterlies!!

2009-12-28T14:12:00.000+05:30

For the last two days we have been getting strong Easterlies forcing us to head South instead of East. This is something totally unexpected for these latitudes where the normal wind direction is supposed to be Westerly! By evening we had almost reached the latitude of Cape Horn, and the end of the Skipper's patience! So tacked and now making slow NE progress against a swell. Not the most comfortable way to sail with the boat falling off the swell and hammering in the troughs every now and then, but there didn't seem much choice unless the destination was Antarctica! It has been drizzling throughout making everything damp and cold. Hoping for the wind to shift, well it has to eventually, in any direction but the East!

Since Jessica mentioned my blog on hers there seems to be a sudden increase in comments and questions. While it may be difficult to answer all from a bouncy boat, here are answers to a few common ones. I do not have any HF communication so all communication is by normal e mail using Fleet Broadband. I started from Mumbai on 19 Aug and stopped at Fremantle & Lyttelton enroute. Plan to stop at Port Stanley and Cape Town before heading home so one can say I am around the half way point of my trip. My boat Mhadei was named after the old name of the river she was built on. The river is called Mandovi these days and runs through the state of Goa on the West Coast of India.

A memorable Christmas!

2009-12-26T13:18:00.000+05:30

This year we are bringing up the rear as far as Christmas goes with the rest of the world barring Polynesia, Hawai and Alaska having already passed on to boxing day as I write. One can be a little flexible with dates at sea, specially so close to the date line and alone. Jessica Watson, the youngest solo circumnavigator, sailing 600 Nm ahead of me and the closest human being at this moment confirmed that she was planning to celebrate Christmas on 24 Dec, local date, as it would be 25 Dec at her home in Australia. Deciding to follow suit on Mhadei, some excellent cake, so thoughtfully handed over just before departure by Mrs Fitzgerald of Lyttelton, was cut and devoured for breakfast. A good lunch and dinner should logically have followed but with Mhadei bouncing around in 30 kts winds the cook wasn't really feeling upto something elaborate. He did make up for it today though, serving some excellent Thai curry with dried prawns and hot steaming rice. No prizes for guessing the desert! Christmas cake naturally! And so shall it be so for the next couple of days!

Looking back, it was just two years back on this day that we had a little ceremony at the Aquarius boat yard to start the construction of Mhadei. I had barely made it to the yard having had my car smashed up a few days back while attempting to drive down to Goa from Mumbai. The building contract was yet to be signed and Ratnakar flew down the next day to Delhi to sign the contract with the Navy! It may sound funny now but I had never seen a boat being built, Ratnakar had never sailed or worked with the Navy, I dare say the powers be at the Naval Headquarters who were paying for the construction had no idea about either! Warship construction and dinghy sailing yes but Yacht construction and Ocean sailing most certainly no! And here we are, two years later, merrily sailing half way across the world as if it is the most normal thing to do!

Sailing in the Fearsome Fifties

2009-12-23T12:58:00.000+05:30

The unexpected Easterly and North Easterly winds in the last couple of days pushed us South earlier than expected but after being becalmed for over two days moving anywhere was welcome! The wind is still oscillating between North & NNW making us sail a narrow reach to run the longitudes. Today was an exceptionally good day with a clear sunny sky and 15 kts of Northerly breeze propelling us almost dead East at a healthy 7 kts. Lets see how long the good times last and the Fearsome Fifties start showing their true colours!

Finished reading "A voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichols which is an account of the Sunday Times Golden Globe race of 1968, the first Solo round the world race! I think sailing today is a cakewalk compared to what the participants of that race went through! After reading such a spellbinding book almost without a break, it was time for some light entertainment so watched "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", that evergreen musical comedy with Marlyn Monroe!

Stuck in High Pressure!

2009-12-19T14:21:00.000+05:30

The last two days have probably been the most sedate so far. Unexpectedly, we are stuck in a High Pressure area with very little winds and it feels as if we are just drifting around! Luckily there isn't much swell and clear skies so it is fairly comfortable though we would rather be moving along! The cook is having a field day cooking Dosas, Bhepuri, Prawn Curry, the works! While the skipper spends sleepless nights looking for every whiff of wind and hand steering often when the autopilot gives up due to very slow speeds and erratic wind direction.

Finished "The Glass Palace" by Amitav Ghosh. Excellent book and the second I have read by the same author on Mhadei. Coincidentally I was wallowing in the doldrums near the equator on my way back from Mauritius earlier this year while reading the first one! It does help having a good book to read to keep your mind off the frustrations of wallowing around on windless days. Wondering which one to start next, though the wind seems to be picking up slightly. Heading on a more Southerly course in an effort to get out of the High pressure system and also reduce the distance to destination by sailing closer to a great circle route.

Goodbye Lyttelton - A Little Town with a Large Heart

2009-12-14T15:33:00.000+05:30

Mhadei sailed out of Lyttelton harbour at noon on 12 Dec 09, exactly a year after she was floated in her namesake river a year back. She was seen off once again by Adm Sureesh Mehta, this time as the Indian High Commissioner in New Zealand and a number of well wishers. I am saying a number of well wishers as there are far too many to name! We couldn't have chosen a better Port for a stopover than Lyttelton. This large hearted little town looked after Mhadei and her crew so well and made us feel at home that it became a bit difficult to say goodbyes. The Indian Navy tried to enlist the services of an agent in the Port to look after the boat & the crew but landed up getting a godfather in Capt Peter Rea, a Master Mariner & experienced Yachtsman who took it upon himself to ensure that both the boat & the crew were well prepared for the journey ahead! The Port waived off all the fees, the boat was blessed by a minister, stocked up with fresh fruit & goodies for Christmas, the crew honoured with a traditional Maori welcome at Christchurch .........the list goes on! But then all good things have to come to an end and it is the lot of boats and seamen to move on! Giving some links of the departure below meticulously collected by the Indian Naval advisor Capt Jatinder Singh who went out of his way to look after us both at Fremantle & Lyttelton.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/indian-naval-commander-sailing-mission-3285233/video

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3155774/Solo-yachtie-bound-for-Cape-Horn

http://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/7/624/New-Zealand/Indian-solo-voyager-reaches-New-Zealand

http://www.mastermariners.org.nz/?p=338

http://infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=0&id=45872

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0912/S00165.htm

Crossed the International date line today 14 Dec thus making it the longest day! A full 48 hrs as we will continue with 14 Dec tomorrow too. Suddenly from being 13 hrs ahead of GMT we are 11 hrs behind! The sea has been kind so far with about 15 to 20 kts of breeze, sunny days and clear nights. In fact almost got becalmed a few times! We are heading in a ESE direction and should cross Chatham Islands tomorrow, the last bit of land till South America almost 4000 Nm away.

Mhadei chased by a Seal

2009-11-20T18:09:00.000+05:30

I was told to look for mermaids before I started and today we were actually chased by a creature that would come closest to being described as a mermaid! A seal kept chasing us for over 15 minutes, coming quite close, stopping, taking a good look with its head bobbing above the water and as it fell behind, chasing us again. The sea was calm and we were doing an easy 6 kts. It was quite a sight, seeing it jump out of water and also swimming underwater when it would come close to the transom. A totally different experience than being followed by a dolphin.

Looks like this will be the last post of this leg. As I write we are about 30 Nm from Lyttleton harbour and need to reach there by 0530 to meet the pilot and our agent for the Port. The Defence advisor has planned some photography etc as we enter, so will show off a bit around the harbour and then enter by 1000 h. Judging by the links below we are more than expected in the harbour and looking forward to it!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/lpc-welcomes-indian-solo-round-world-sailor/5/30728&ct=ga&cd=94pPkOTW3Ho&usg=AFQjCNHqZh5Pygz5WXZQ-SguXHXiWm2hhA

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/first-indian-sailing-solo-around-world-arrives-christchurch/5/30822&ct=ga&cd=oWdbdw4pjPE&usg=AFQjCNHNAWIXtyUdICK2e98_-FeAtWLJAA

This will be the end of leg II, the shortest of the legs. We would have covered over 3200 Nm in 20 days across the Great Australian Bight and the Tasman sea. Barring a few days while crossing the Tasman sea where the Southern Ocean showed a hint of what it can throw up, I must say we have had exceptionally good weather through out the leg. Trying to remain awake tonight as this if the first time since leaving Mumbai that we are sailing so close to the coast at night. Luckily it is warmer than the last few nights so easy to stay on deck all bundled up alternating between regular cups of hot soup & coffee.

Land Ahoy after 18 days

2009-11-18T20:20:00.000+05:30

Sighted Snares Islands, a small group of Islands and rocks at the Southern tip of New Zealand, this morning. Very barren, thanks to the harsh weather they are exposed to throughout the year, but teeming with bird life I am sure. Small wonder that they have been declared a wildlife reserve. So this is where the Albatrosses & Petrels that have been following me come to nest! Started heading North East after crossing the Islands, the first time we are heading North in this trip. The next time will be after rounding Cape Horn and all the way home!

Good following breeze and seas today translating into good progress. The winds are expected to start heading and easing from tomorrow which will slow us down so trying to make as much progress as possible while they last. Spent the better part of the day making list of work to be done during the stopover. Unlike Fremantle, the planned stop is for two weeks so will need to get the work done quickly. The sun came up nicely in the afternoon and it was nice to just sit out and watch the birds putting up magnificent displays of their flying skills. Another 300 Nm to go but with a forecast for light and head winds difficult to figure out if we will be able to cover the distance in two days and one night or will require two days & two nights.

Heading for Southern tip of New Zealand

2009-11-17T18:15:00.000+05:30

The gale that really rattled Mhadei and the crew for the last few days finally subsided. The winds reduced first and it took another day for the swell to come down so by morning it was fairly calm with about 2 mtrs of swell. The winds have started picking up again to about 25 kts and so has the swell, about 4 mtrs. But both are from behind making us do good speed towards the Southern tip of New Zealand. We need to go round Stewart Island off the Southern coast and then start heading up the coast in a North Easterly direction for the next two days to reach Lyttleton, the port for Christ Church.

Made use of yesterday's calm weather to open up the broken steering assembly and put it back. While it will require work in the harbour presently it seems to be holding with an adhoc arrangement of securing with a bolt and some good rope. Also managed to have the first hot meal in the last few days with a menu of Sarson ka Saag, steaming hot rice and generous quantities of homemade Mango pickle! It is getting increasingly cold by the day. There were reports of sightings of Icebergs about 200 Nm South while we were going through the Gale. Usually I would be very curious to see an Iceberg but on a pitch dark night with the boat screaming downwind I would rather stay as far away as possible.

Giving two photos of the different moods of the Southern Ocean taken in a span of less than 24 hrs. We were becalmed in glassy seas and then in less than 24 hrs struggling with 9 mtr swell and 50 kts winds!

Surviving the First Southern Ocean Gale

2009-11-15T17:46:00.000+05:30

Since the last three days winds gusting to 55 Kts, Swell - 8 to 9 mtrs, temp below 10 deg C. Stay sail came down yesterday probably due broken halyard, waiting for winds to reduce to put it up. Starboard wheel had to be disconnected as the base holding its ram connection to the rudder broke in heavy weather so one electronic autopilot less and no Wind Vane autopilot. Port, and only, autopilot groaning badly and threatening to rip its base out! Doing over 8 kts with just 1/3 of main sail, 03 reefs, and still getting overpowered at times! Forecast predicts winds to reduce after tomorrow, keeping my fingers crossed!

Pumps & Pancakes!

2009-11-09T22:39:00.000+05:30

The day started with a nice sunny morning, putting the cook in a creative mood after a long gap. A grand menu of hot "pan to plate" pancakes & honey, fresh orange and freshly brewed coffee followed. The best part was sitting out in the sun and having it, bare feet & without any woolens! The calm following sea with a light breeze enabled the cook to cook in relative comfort and the Skipper to enjoy the breakfast without worrying about spilling things. The catch, and there always has to be one, was that despite buying the smallest of the ready mix bottles, the quantity of batter was enough to last for a couple of breakfasts! So a bit of experimentation followed for lunch, different combinations with cheese, chutneys, pickles etc! No prizes for guessing tomorrow's menu either, weather permitting of course!

One of my bilge pump seems to have gone "Whacky" and I mean literally. Realized it was not working in the morning so checked all electrical connections, strainer and everything that could be checked without any luck when finally gave it two good whacks out of sheer frustration, rather than any technical competence, and it came to life! So till the next port the starting procedure includes, in addition to putting the switch on, opening the floor boards and whacking the pump while muttering a silent prayer! Having been somewhat lucky with the bilge pump, the confident electrician decided to tackle the fresh water pump next which had stopped working soon after Freo. Found a blown fuze that needed replacement, but then Murphy started acting and every fuze except the required 15 Amp one could be found. Confidently used a 30 Amp one as a substitute, started the pump and saw a wisp of black smoke rising near the pump! The supply to the pump was promptly switched off and the electrician sacked even faster! So no watermaker, which isn't a problem really as I have enough for more than a month, but the worse, no hot water baths! Which in this cold effectively means no baths till New Zealand! Looks like the Indian Defence Attache who has promised to be at Lyttleton before me will be able to sniff me out before I get alongside!

One Week since Freo

2009-11-08T20:40:00.000+05:30

Completed one week since leaving Fremantle. I have found the first week to be the hardest to pass, letting go of the land ties, after that the days start passing faster. Unfortunately one needs to go through the first week afresh after every halt!

Another calm day of sailing. Less than 20 kts of following breeze and a following sea making the boat move sedately, sometimes so much that one forgets that she is moving at all! Very glad that the preventer is working otherwise I would have been at my wit's end trying to stop the boom from thrashing about in these conditions!

Watched a movie after dark and got out to see a nice starry sky. The first time in the past week! Can't sit out and admire it for too long though, due to the cold. Nice sunset earlier. Not often that you get to see the sun going down in the sea all the way!

A nice calm day in the Southern Ocean

2009-11-06T20:58:00.000+05:30

Looks like a Cold front coming from the South met a Warm front from North not too far from us today. The result was a foggy day with intermittent drizzle, light winds and fairly calm sea. The wind didn't die down completely as I feared it would and we managed to keep moving at a leisurely 6 kts on a beam reach. The preventer rigged at Fremantle proved its utility as now even in light winds with a quartering sea the boom does not thrash and the boat keeps moving. I had tried rigging it up during the earlier leg but ended up without much success and a mangled snatch block! The flaw in my arrangement was pointed out by Jon Sanders, a veteran at Solo circumnavigations, at Fremantle and looks like he was spot on!

A sedate day, some quick cook Rissoto for dinner followed by a movie on the laptop. A far cry from being hosted by Pip & John last Friday to a dinner of gourmet Pizzas at a fancy place in Perth followed by a nice drive through the King's Park Botanical garden!

First Night in the Roaring Forties

2009-11-05T20:35:00.000+05:30

We crossed 40 Deg S latitude today, home of the "Roaring Forties"! The wind has slowly backed from being Easterly last night to Northerly through the day and is now blowing from the NNW about 20 to 25 kts. That gives us a nice fast reach to sail onto the Southern Tip of New Zealand. It also means that we are not thumping into the swell any longer but cork-screwing about due to an almost quarterly swell. It has been raining on & off since morning with a thick cloud cover making for a cold gloomy day and a colder dark night.

Saw a Ship's AIS icon on my chart plotter after lunch at about 3 Nm. Couldn't sight him visually and realized that I was yet to fix the VHF MMB set that had stopped functioning the day after leaving Freo. If the Ship wanted to call me or warn me there was no way he could, so got down to figuring out the loose wire that was the culprit. Not so easy on a jumping boat and with my terrible skills as an electrician! First managed to shut off the Chart plotter by pulling some wire, cause for real concern! Then managed to create enough sparking to panic and switch the mains off only to switch off the auto pilot with them! Ran out to get the boat under control, got the auto pilot going and spent the better part of the day sorting out the connections. Thankfully everything came on line by evening. Just another day on board!

Rounding Cape Leuwin - Finally!

2009-11-04T19:39:00.000+05:30

As I write this we are crossing the longitude of Cape Leuwin thus effectively rounding the first of the three "Great Capes" that make for a Circumnavigation. The next will be Cape Horn followed by the Cape of Good Hope. It has been a fairly uneventful day with a decent breeze that has been backing from ENE to NNE making us sail in the direction we want to go at a healthy pace. The wind has been picking up for the last couple of hrs and is expected to back further which will allow us to gradually starting reaching and picking up speed without slamming around too much.

The mystery of the broken clew of the Genoa and subsequent shredding was finally solved by John Sharpie, our good host at Fremantle and an experienced sailor. He reckons that a big wave must have hit the Genoa as we were slamming through the waves making the clew part. We were, when the incident happened, sailing upwind in a fairly large sea and had waves washing over the boat. One wave too big and that was the end of the sail!

On the day I left Fremantle I met an old friend Timothy Ettridge. We had worked as part of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's support crew during his Velux 5 Oceans race in 2006. It was quite a coincidence that he arrived at Fremantle the night before I was leaving and was there to see me off! Giving a link to his blog (here) for some photos & philosophy!

Goodbye Fremantle

2009-11-03T20:13:00.000+05:30

Mhadei left Fremantle as planned on 01 Nov at 1030 local time on a nice sunny day after a sojourn of 05 weeks. The stay at Fremantle proved to be an excellent break for both the boat & the crew. However, it was time to move on before the land legs became too strong and the sea legs started fading from memory!

We ran into head seas soon after rounding Rottnest Island North of Fremantle. It was almost a beat for the next two days in winds between 20 to 25 kts. The first night the Clew of the Genoa parted making the sail flog uncontrollably. By the time I could furl it the poor thing had shredded itself! The winds finally eased today and I managed to take down the torn sail and replace it with the spare one. Luckily we bought the sails from New Zealand and the repairs can be carried out at the loft it was made. Survived on some scrumptious Bologenese sauce so thoughtfully packed by Pip Sawyer till today's breakfast . I was supposed to have it with pasta but the boat was bouncing around so much it was much easier to have it with bread instead! Tasted as good!

We seem to be sitting in a High pressure system since morning which means light and shifty winds. For once I am not complaining as otherwise it would not have been possible to change the sail. The weather forecast is predicting backing of the wind to Easterly and then NE direction which should start taking us towards New Zealand our next destination.

One Week in Fremantle

2009-10-04T11:17:00.000+05:30

It has been little over a week that Mhadei sailed into the Fremantle Sailing Club escorted by a powerboat bigger than herself with the wind blowing over 35 kts. She was well received by representatives of the club, the Australian Navy, the Boat's agents and the mandatory Customs & Quarantine officials who finished off their inspections in no time and made us feel at home. Mr Jon Sanders, with four Solo Circumnavigations under his belt dropped by to check us out. Next afternoon we had a little reception at the club with the Hon Counsel General of India, the Indian Naval Attache, CO HMAS Stirling and a host of retierd Indian Naval & Army Offrs in attendance. My crew & lone support team Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy fetched up the next day by air. Mhadei had beaten Air India by a good two days! Giving a link to an article published in the main newspaper in Western Australia.

http://thewest.smedia.com.au/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=V0FOLzIwMDkvMDkvMzAjQXIwMjgwMg==&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

We are presently enjoying the hospitality of the club & the City of Fremantle with Mhadei at a secure alongside berth and self at a serviced appartment not too far away. The club is planning to have their Opening season event on 11 Oct and we are invited for the sail past. Probably the first time an Indian boat will be taking part! Started working on the boat, cleaning up, changing chaffed lines, sending sails to the loft for minor repairs, a mast climb to check the fittings on top and a dive to check the bottom. Like the old adage,"a housewife's work is never over", the work on a boat is never over either, you always find something that needs to be done!

Apart from working on the boat there are small pleasures to be enjoyed! Like sleeping on a bed for the entire night instead of a bunk & a sleeping bag, making a cup of coffee and breakfast in the morning without bracing yourself for the next roll, having a hot water bath daily without having to worry about the watermaker, going to a vegetable market and buying fresh fruit, taking a long brisk walk without running out of walking space and the list goes on.........! Funny how many things we take for granted on land! Staying in a serviced appartment means I can mess around in the kitchen and my crew is the only & obvious guinea pig who eats whatever is served to him with a smile including some juicy Kangaroo steaks two days back!

Looking forward to attending a concert by Jagjit Singh in the evening at the invitation of the Hon Counsel General!

Land Ahoy!

2009-09-24T17:15:00.000+05:30

Mhadei got alongside safely at Fremantle Yacht Club Marina at 1630 (GMT + 8). More later as it is difficult to do "Elbow Bending" and blogging at the same time!

Over 5000 Miles Sailed 225 to go!

2009-09-23T00:35:00.000+05:30

Looks like we are close to Fremantle finally! While 225 miles is almost the distance between Mumabi & Goa, after 5000 miles it does seem close! The wind continues to play its games so still not sure about the time it will take but two more days should be a fair guess. If the wind holds tonight this will be the last quite night before reaching as by tomorrow we should start encountering some traffic and would mean keeping a watch to avoid collision. Didn't write anything for the last two days. While the main reason was pure laziness, there was also little happening with light and shifty winds, an overcast sky and a feeling of heading nowhere! Kept myself entertained watching old Holywood moves so thoughtfully stocked by my crew Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy. While I am enjoying my vacation on the boat the poor chap is running around from pillar to post in Delhi getting his deputation arranged for joining me in Fremantle as the support crew. The plan was for him to be present before we arrived so that things could be tied up better, but looks like we will beat him to it! The boat builder, Ratnakar is leaving aside his business and planning to drop by to get the boat ready for the next leg, which is when me and Mhadei will have our first brush with the Roaring Forties. So far it has been smooth sailing but things will get serious once we enter the Southern Ocean.

As I write, the Sun would be crossing the Equator and entering the Southern Hemisphere. It is the Autumnal Equinox today, the beginning of summer in this part of the world. One of the considerations for starting in Aug from Mumbai was to get maximum summer time in the Southern Hemisphere and we seem to have achieved it, just a day or two late!

Tried clicking snaps of my feathred companions, without much luck! Difficult to capture their grace on a camera. Looks like there is no substitute but being at sea to really admire them! When I started writing and uploading the photos, I was keeping an eye open at the shifty and light wind which was barely able to hold the boom from thrashing and making us sail almost 40 degrees away from Fremantle. By the time I finished writing the wind had crossed 25 kts, making me run and put a reef in the main and I am still wondering if I should have put another reef! Looks like it will not be as quite a night as I thought, not complaining though as the wind is making us head straight for our destination at a healthy 8 kts!

One month at Sea

2009-09-19T22:23:00.000+05:30

It has been exactly a month since we left Mumbai which needless to say is a distant memory. Feels almost unreal thinking about it! There have been so many changes! For one when we left Mumbai it was so hot I couldn't wait to get my T shirt off, now I think twice before getting out of my clothes to go to the loo! The doldrums have been replaced by the "Coldrums" and the equatorial squalls by the cold fronts. We have covered over 4600 Nm so far and still need to cover about 750 Nm. Not really in a hurry, not that it would make any difference if we were, since our progress entirely depends on the winds. Good winds of 25 to 30 kts through the day with a large following sea making us do almost 90 Nm through the day. Another front passed us couple of hours back. Getting used to them now, which helps in reefing and getting ready to face them so much easier. The day was duly celebrated onboard with a "Bhelpuri Brunch"! Looks like another long night ahead with the winds regularly touching 40 kts and a large swell following us. the last time that happened, we were becalmed for the whole of next day! Lets see what tomorrow has in store for us. For now enjoying the fast progress towards destination!

Encounter with a Cold Front

2009-09-17T22:45:00.000+05:30

We had our first encounter with a Cold Front last night. Having lived in the Tropics all my life this was my first experiece. Luckily I had read about the various stages of approach of a front in the morning so could understand what exactly was happening. I was watching a movie on the laptop late at night when suddenly the boat crash gybed with the boom slamming on the windward runner and the autopilot gave up. Realised that the wind had suddenly shifted making the boat gybe on her own. Got the boat under control, setting her on autopilot again, this time on the wind vane option to avoid any more accidental gybes. We were already sailing with one reef in the main and the Genoa, enjoying good speeds through the day. My wishful thinking that the wind shift was a one off occurence and that we will continue to enjoy steady winds came to a naught as the wind kept rising and shifting direction. By around 3 AM the wind was blowing over 35 kts with gusts of 40 kts, while backing slowly, making us head North instead of East with the boat almost out of contol! No choice but to reef, furl up the Genoa and then Gybe to get back to an Easterly course! By the time all this was over, dawn was breaking and I was desperate to get in the sleeping bag! The night had just gone by!

My feathered visitor of yesterday had managed to get inside the boat during all this and must have been quite petrified what with me jumping around every now and then and the boat moving around changing her heel making it go skidding from one corner to another. Got the bird out at noon and helped him climb up the cockpit as sitting inside the boat, though safe, it would have starved to death. It spread its wings as if stretching itself in the sun, went to the stern and when the next wave lurched the boat, was gone! There were other birds around so couldn't make out which one was our visitor. My best guess is that it accidently landed in the boat at night instead of landing on the water and then couldn't take off as it needs space to do that. Or was it a real smart guy who sensed an approaching gale and rode it out in absolute comfort! We will never know!

Passenger on board!

2009-09-16T23:36:00.001+05:30

Another good day of sailing! With a 25 to 30 kts of NWly breeze and 2 to 2.5 mtrs of SWly swell, Mhadei cruised along through the day clocking almost 100 Nm since morning. If only these conditions last for the next couple of days! Though the forecast is for lighter winds for the next two days and already the wind seems to be reducing in strength. Its amazing how much difference sailing downwind makes as opposed to upwind. With similar conditions upwind we would have been slamming around as we did in the Trades, now, going downwind, anything below 20 kts is suddenly a cause for concern!

This evening as I was making dinner, I heard a loud thrashing in the cockpit such as I have never heard before on the boat. After almost a month of solitude it made me jump, so left everything and took a look outside, only to find a passenger onboard! Not sure if the bird is hurt, tired or just missed water and landed onboard. Being a hospitable boat had to offer him something so in the absence of fresh fish, which I presume is its only diet, tried some dried prawns but it does not seem to be interested. Doesn't seem to be too scared of me as I discovered when I patted it a little and took these snaps. It tries to go out of the cockpit once in a while, needs a bit of help to climb up but then comes back instead of flying away. Not sure if it is unable to fly because it is hurt or it requires a running start to take off as I have seen them doing when they land on water. These type of birds have been following us for days now and we have developed an unspoken companionship so they are always welcome to hitch a ride! I think I will just let him be for the night. Will need to watch my step if I need to go out at night if the wind shifts or dies out lest I step on the poor thing. Maybe Adm Awati will be able to figure out what bird it is!

Surprise Visitor!

2009-09-14T22:44:00.000+05:30

Another good day with decent progress towards the destination. The 15 to 20 kts South Westerly wind made us head straight for Fremantle at a steady 7 to 8 kts through the day. Unfortunately that seems to be dying as I write. There is a Cold front couple of hundred miles to the South causing gale force winds, the swell created is rocking us nicely, unfortunately there is a huge High pressure system advancing on us from the West which will stop all wind. So we are going to have a deadly combo of swell and light winds. Really bad for the boat!

Had a surprise visitor this morning in the form of a large fishing boat. I was on deck repairing some of the blocks that had got deformed due to the wallowing in the "Coldrums" when suddenly on the port beam saw this large fishing boat, less than 100 yards away! I had been working on the deck for over an hour, making trips to the mast etc but just didn't notice him till he was that close! It is the first ship or boat of any kind sighted since over a week and I had grown complacent about keeping a watch as there was no one to watch for nor did I expect to find anyone over 1500 Nm from the coast away from shipping lanes. Will need to start being more careful again. With the winds dying out, tonight seems to be another night of frequent trips out to take in or ease the main sheet. It is quite cold now so every time I go out I need to be dressed in warm clothes with shoes and by the time I get out of them and get in the sleeping bag it is time to go up again! What an exciting way to spend a night!

Out of the Coldrums finally!

2009-09-13T22:25:00.000+05:30

The last three days in the High pressure system were probably the worst since we crossed the Equator! The sky used to be completely covered with clouds, no sun in sight, virtually no wind and enough swell to keep the boat rocking and the sails thrashing about. The nights were the darkest I have seen! Despite a half moon somewhere in the sky, its light just wouldn't pass the thick clouds. Difficult to sleep as either you are going up and tightening the main sail to prevent it from thrashing about or easing it as soon as you feel a whiff of wind. The autopilot would keep getting confused and start beeping every now and then leaving no option but hand steering. The auto pilot needs the boat to move to be able to steer her, once she stops moving it suddenly doesn't know what to do and starts calling your attention. Also in such light winds with swell the wind vane sensor keeps moving in all directions due to the rolling of the boat, the autopilot tries to follow it for a while and then gives up! These nil wind conditions are definitely more taxing to the boat and the crew than the blustery Trades, as I have started realising from the damage that has been inflicted on the boat in the last three days.

Amongst all the frustations of the "Coldrums" something interesting happened late last night. It was drizzling slightly and I had stumbled out in the cockpit yet again, barely awake, to tighten the main sheet as the boom had started thrashing about. Suddenly felt as if a live 230 V wire had touched my face and I almost jumped out of my boots! How on Earth could I get a shock so strong with the whole boat wired for 24 V. Lightening? But I hadn't seen any lightening since the Equator! Fully awake by now, it slowly dawned on to me that it was static electricity! There is a small strop that keeps hanging from the end of the boom. I keep it there as it comes in handy to hold myself when the boat is healing. The strop was wet with the drizzle and had been swaying around due to the thrashing of the boom, developing a large amount of static which it promplty discharged the moment it touched my face! What a jolt!

After the three dull days, today turned out to be an excellent day of sailing. The clouds cleared and the sun came out finally. The sea was calm, light cool westrely breeze just enough to make the boat move in the right direction and the sun just right to warm oneself sitting on the deck. It was an absolute pleasure to shed the woolens, sit in the sun and do some minor repair work. Plenty of birds around, counted atleast four different types. Its fun to watch them come and sit on the water. As they are about to land they lower their webbed feet and skid on the water almost like a waterskier. While taking off they almost start runnng on the water till they are airborne. Its a pity that it is almost impossible to capture them on camera in a moving boat.

Whales Ahoy!

2009-09-11T22:35:00.000+05:30

Yesterday was another windless yet busy day. Changed and reset some chaffed ropes in the morning, cleaned and arranged the boat a bit after the bashing of the trade winds. In the afternoon when it looked as if the wind was picking up a bit went up and as I was easing the mainsheet saw one of my worst nightmares coming true! The Padeye holding the mainsheet block had uprooted itself! This strong fitting basically attaches the boom to the boat and if it gets uprooted there is no way to control the boom which would start thrashing about causing serious damage including a possible dismasting in strong winds. Tried to tighten the padeye only to realise that two out of the four bolts attaching it to the boat had sheared off. Immediately shortened the sail and temporarily attached the boom to another padeye on the Port side. Consultations with the Boat Builder over the phone followed, with a conclusion that the only way to carryout any repairs was to cut a large hole under the Roll bar on which the padeye was attached. Sailing was stopped forthwith, the Shipwright summoned who spent the next couple of hours drilling a large enough hole in the roll bar to approach the padeye. That done the broken bolts were removed, new bolts fitted and all bolts secured with nuts to keep them in place. Thanks to Ratnakar's foresight all the necessary tools and spares were available and by midnight we were ready to sail again. The Shipwright with bruised fingers and glass fibre all over himself, with the resultant itching, had managed to do a fairly decent job and salvaged an otherwise tight situation for which he was duly awarded an "On the Spot" commendation and more importantly a hot bath past midnight!

Another sleepless night followed in the shifty and light, often non existent, winds. Getting up and easing the main everytime the wind picked up and securing the boom to prevent it from thrashing once the bit of wind died out. We are close to a High pressure system and this is expected, the strong Westerlies lie to the South of this area. I have started calling it the "Coldrums", a colder version of the Doldrums! Thankfully the squalls are missing. The sky has been completely overcast since the last two days and it is getting colder by the day. The warm clothing is out and shoes are being worn at all times except the rare occasion when inside a sleeping bag. As I was having my morning cup of coffee Mhadei was greeted by the local residents! I counted atleast four whales who came quite close and I could hear them snorting. Thankfully they didn't want to play around with Mhadei, lost interest after giving her a lookover and went their way! Just a curtsy call perhaps!!

Goodbye to the Tropics

2009-09-09T22:32:00.000+05:30

Mhadei crossed the Tropic of Capricorn at 0742 this morning saying goodbye to the Tropics and warm weather for the next six months. The sea has calmed down so it was a pleasant day onboard with fairly good progress in light winds. The only worry is that we are still drifting too much to the West and will have to cover all this distance once we get Westerly winds which may still be about two days away. We are also heading for the permanent High Pressure system in this area which would mean light winds till we manage to dodge it. Not complaining much though after the bashing in the Trade winds! Good to take it easy for a change because the present forecast shows the Westerlies blowing at 35 kts, about 10 kts more than the Trade winds! Hopefully we will have to negotiate them down wind and down swell so things should not be that bad. We will just have to see as it comes as this is uncharted territory. Will need to start taking out cold weather clothing from tomorrow as its already becoming quite cold as soon as the sun goes down.

The comments on the blog indicate a fair amount of curiousity about Mhadei's crew and their metamorphosis over the last three weeks at sea. Posting some snaps of the Skipper, Cook, First Mate, Publicist etc etc lounging on the deck, satiated with a heavy "Dosa" lunch and enjoying the good life aboard a Million Dollar yacht in the middle of South Indian Ocean!

Had a new type of bird for company in the evening. So far the ones that have been following us were dark brown with a yellowish beak. This one was greyish white with a much longer wingspan. Difficult to click good snaps as they keep moving constantly, often a hair's breadth from the water even in the worst of sea conditions. Makes a land based human mind wonder as to how they survive as the nearest land presently is over 1000 miles away! Posting some photos of sunset which are nowhere close to the spectacular ones we saw at the Equator but then it gives an idea as to why the Equatorial ones are so special. My gmail account which should have received my plotted position by now is refusing to open so will just have to wait for the next blog. Very roughly we are about 80 miles South of the Tropic of Capricorn and almost exactly below Chennai!

20 Days and 3000 Miles

2009-09-08T22:20:00.000+05:30

It has been 20 days since we left Mumbai and we have covered over 3000 Nm so far. Not too bad! More or less what was expected. Though we still have over 2000 Nm to cover once we get in the Westerlies and start making some Easting. As I was making my position report in the evening, I realised that despite covering almost 80 Nm through the day, the distance to Fremantle had remained constant at 1900 Nm miles since morning! It may actually start increasing if we don't make any easterly progress soon! Well such are the ways of Sail boats! Covering these 3000 miles also means that Mhadei has sailed over 10,000 miles in her brief service with the navy since 12 Feb 09. Thats 10,000 miles in less than 07 months with hardly a whimper! I think the credit entirely goes to her builder Ratnakar Dandekar and his team at Aquarius Fibreglas, Goa. I hope atleast now the "Great Indian Bureaucracy" will relent and pay up the rest of the money due on the boat!

As we near the Tropic of Capricorn the seas have calmed a bit and the wind has reduced. At the cost of coming down in speed a little I am still keeping the two reefs and stay sail on through the night just in case the wind decides to change its mind and starts blowing again. While we have done sail changes and reefing at night it is always avoidable & uncomfortable, specially now that it has also started getting cold. I think we are away from the opperesive tropical heat till next year! In fact henceforth the sun will be welcome, as I discovered this morning when I saw a cloudy sky and remarked to myself that its going to be a cold day and it would have been nicer if it was a clear sunny day! 20 days back I would have said the exact opposite!

The covering of the 3000 miles passage was duly celebrated with an impromptu recepie of Corned mutton garnished with Onions and Gherkins. When the cook decided to serve the same fare for dinner because he doesn't like wasting food, the Skipper had had enough and decided to wash it down with some soup first followed by the last can of Phoenix Beer from Ile Maurice from the last trip. No more beer on board till Freo but a good stock of South African Vines and Cognac for the special occasions!

The improvement in weather was also celebrated by the screening of the movie Chicago! One of the crew's all time favourite! Since morning all that has been watched are the promos & and behind the scenes sections etc. The actual screening is scheduled on completion of this blog when the battery charging will be over, the engine cut off and there will be silence on board to enjoy the fabulous soundtrack!

And the Battering continues..................

2009-09-07T21:43:00.000+05:30

Its been four days since we headed into the trade winds and started thumping South South West. We are still at it and if the weather forecast is anything to go by will continue for the next couple of days! The winds have remained a steady SE about 20 to 30 kts gusting to about 35 kts. Normally we should be able to sail a Southerly course with such winds. Unfortunately the winds have also whipped up a swell of over 4 mtrs. Trying to sail closer than about 50 degrees to the wind means heading right into the swell, making the boat to stop dead with each wave while making her slam hard which may cause avoidable damage. So we are heading SSW aware that we are actually increasing the distance that we will need to travel eastward once we get out of the trades and into the Westerlies.

The cook has finally relented and started doing limited heating so we had hot coffee in the morning and some hot soup and ready to eat Biryani for dinner.Yesterday was some homemade heat & eat Upma with dry fish. Absolutely delicious! I think my mom seriously needs to apply for a patent for her dishes before someone steals the ideas!

It has started getting cold after sunset reminding us that its the winter season in this part of the world. At present course and speed we should be crossing the Tropic of Capricorn (23 1/2 Deg S) by tomorrow night and will remain South of it till next year when we are back in the Indian Ocean heading home! So as much cause for celebration as the Equator crossing I suppose!

My tracker for the project seems to be busy tonight so giving this morning's updated position. Have a good night.

Romping turns to Battering

2009-09-04T23:57:00.000+05:30

Since this afternoon Mhadei is being battered by strong winds and big seas. The winds are blowing to 20 - 25 kts with regular period of gusts beyond 35 kts. This has build up a large sea of over 4 mtr and Mhadei is heading into all this mayhem! The weather forecast is predicting the conditions to last for a couple of days more so we seem to be in it for the long haul! The cook has flatly refused to do anything with fire because while the gimballed gas oven keeps utensils steady against rolling, it does not have any solution to keep them on when the boat thumps itself on a wave and the pots tend to fly off vertically! So the skipper is left to scrounge for himself by nibbling various tidbits in the galley! Mhadei bashes on regardless and all the skipper can do is sit and give her that sagely and time tested advice,"this too shall pass!"

Out of the Doldrums Romping in Trade Winds

2009-09-03T22:01:00.000+05:30

Yesterday afternoon, becalmed after going through yet another squall, we drifted across an invisible line and finally stumbled into the Trade Winds! The wind picked up in a matter of minutes and stayed with us. In fact by midnight it became a bit too much for comfort necessitating another reef in the main and replacement of the big Genoa with the smaller Stay sail. While the trades make you move they also build up the sea. Also since they are blowing from exactly the same direction we need to go, we have to sail close to them and the resultant swell. The result is that Mhadei has been tossing and slamming around as if possesed! Needless to say everything onboard has to be done slowly, mostly with one hand, the other being busy holding on to the nearest handhold. Often the waves wash over the boat so all Port holes need to be closed, making the insides warm & humid and you get drenched with salt water sitting on the deck.

This state is likely to continue for a week atleast with the weather forecast promising 26 kts of breeze and 5 mtr waves in the next two days! We are also getting slowly pushed to the West due to the direction of the wind and the waves which means once we are South of the trade winds we will need to travel that much more to the East. Well as of now there is nothing much we can do about it but grin and bear it or on the tossing Mhadei it should be "grip and bear it"! Though this is anyday better than the wallowing around in the doldrums. The squalls have reduced in their frequency and intensity. Also since we are already moving with reduced sail, when a squall hits it cannot do as much damage as when under full sails. The cook has started serving quick fix meals of almost ready to eat food instead of the elaborate menus of dosas and hot "Dal - Chawal"!

Tonight, as I write, there is a glorious full moon up in the sky. We left B'bay on a new moon. Its been 15 days and 2200 Nm so far. Wondering whether we will make it by the next new moon!

Doldrums still clutching Mhadei

2009-09-02T00:30:00.000+05:30

The doldrums made their presence felt again with a squall last night and then very light winds through the day. I had let down my guard and kept the full mainsail up at night with the Wind Vane steering the boat. Got up past midnight for a routine check and found a squall almost on top of us! Hectic activity of reefing the main and getting the Wind Vane off followed and we just about made it through! Need to remember that we are still very much in the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) commonly known as doldrums. Another day or two and we should be out hitting the trade winds. Light and shifty winds through the day which died out completely by afternoon. The sea was also fairly calm so made use of the opportunity to change the two broken battens from the Main sail. That involved getting the entire sail down, climbing about 3 mtrs up the mast a number of times to remove the pieces of broken battens, and finally sitting on the boom and mainsail to insert the replacements. I think my horse riding skills, unused since passing out of the Academy 21 yrs back, came in handy in trying to sit on the boom of the rolling boat and working with both hands. But that was a task that required to be done before getting into the stronger trade winds. The broken pieces have already damaged the sail a bit and in sustained strong winds the damage could only increase. The battery monitor, an instrument that tells me the amount of battery capacity I have and when I need to charge them seems to have gone off finally. It had become erratic since

yesterday so thought of removing its connections and cleaning them. But having done so its just refusing to revive itself! Now I don't have any idea how much battery I am left with or when I charge whether they are actually charging. I think I will just run the generator every 12 hrs to ensure that they never run out of charge. May increase the diesel consumption marginally but with an efficient generator that should not be a cause for concern. Started the Watermaker for the first time during the trip as one of the tanks had become half empty. Not bad for 13 days of sailing! Another round of spectacular sunset in the evening with an already bright moon to the East. Looks like another sleepless night ahead as the wind keeps dying out every now and then. When it dies out you need to get on the deck and tighten the main sheet to stop the boom from thrashing around and when the wind picks up you need to rush and ease the mainsheet as otherwise the boat starts healing too much! Its also been a warm and clear day so a lot of moisture must have gone up which will eventually come down as a squall during the night and knowing our penchant for getting under every squall in the area we better keep our guard up!

Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere

2009-08-31T22:43:00.000+05:30

On the morning of 31 Aug 09 at 0848 hrs, Mhadei crossed in the Southern hemisphere at longitude 090 Deg 23' E! King Neptune who resides at the equator took one look at us and remarked,"You two! Not again!" This being our third crossing since May this year. Slightly North of the Equator the wind shifted to SSE making us head North East so it was time to tack and head SSW, a course we will maintain till almost 35 Deg South, then turn East for the home run to Fremantle. Looks like we found the South east trade winds right from the word go as we have been getting a steady breeze since morning. It takes us back to West a bit but atleast we are moving. What a change from the last 11 days! Both the wind and swell are against us so we are bouncing nicely but thats better than wallowing around in light winds and worrying about squalls. It was good to cross the line finally! Changing tack on a long passage involves certain lifestyle changes. For example for the last 11 days I was doing everything leaning to the right, now my leanings have shifted a distinct left! Not unlike our politicians I suppose! My galley being to the Port side and the boat leaning on the same side I could leave one odd cabinet open while cooking, this morning while preparing breakfast the contents tumbled out because the boat had started leaning to Starboard! While the doldrums near the equator drove us nuts with the squalls and shifty winds they also showed us some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The beauty of the human mind is that the bad memories get erased quickly while the good ones stay on. So the bad weather is already a distant memory while the vividness of the sunrise on 30 Aug will remain in my head for a long time.

Abbreviated Blog from Mhadei

2009-08-30T23:20:00.000+05:30

We seem to have sailed into the heartland of squalls and all of them seem to be curious about us and intent on checking us out. Need to be on deck all the time. Looks like tonight is going to be spent in Rain gear!

Good night

Ten days and 1500 Miles

2009-08-29T22:30:00.000+05:30

We have been at sea for ten days and have covered exactly 1500 Nm . Not too bad considering the slow start. The grand flag off at Mumbai, the hectic activity before that, all are distant memories as if they happened in a different world! This state of bliss after a few days of sailing is really interesting, because then you stop worrying about the distance to be covered, the speed you are doing and the creature comforts of a land based life. Suddenly you are not in a hurry to go anywhere. Today was another perfect day! Just as I was having a cup of coffee, admiring the equitorial sunrise, a school of dolphins dropped by. Decided to use the video camera instead of the still and managed to get some good footage. Starting the day by saying hello to dolphins seems to be becoming a habit. They generally play around for about half hour or so before going their own way. The sunrises and sunsets close to the equator can be quite spectacular. The visibility is excellent, the sea appears flatter than usual and the sky is coloured with vibrant shades. A steady wind of between 10 to 15 kts through the day with a following sea meant Mhadei cruised along through the day on a beam reach with the Wind Vane auto pilot steering her. Even the squalls let us be today! Two of them did come close but passed us by without disturbing us. A grand breakfast of suji halwa, rice cooked with dried prawns and dal for lunch, soup and curried tuna for dinner all interspersed with helpings of the last of the fresh fruits and siestas after every meal! Can there be a better holiday! Its a beautiful night outside as I write, a bright moon, cool breeze, gentle sea, good music on the national service of AIR. I think I will sleep outside tonight, doze off watching the moon. Lets see how long these blissful days last since as we cross the equator and get into the trade winds, we will need to do some serious sailing in strong winds and big seas. But till then let us enjoy the moment!

The Perils of Sailing a good looking boat

2009-08-26T22:48:00.000+05:30

I have been complimented about Mhadei's good looks and seen her attaract crowds in a Marina but never thought that this ability will extend to attaracting squalls! Saw it first hand last night when I would see a number of cloud patches on the radar, slowly they would gather together right on top of us, stay there and vent their contents on us with a vengence. The contents are mainly 30 to 40 kts of gusty winds and tons of water. It is a nightmare to have this happen to you several times on a pitch dark night near a shipping lane. Luckily I had put in a reef in the main sail and furled the Genoa to minimise the damage. Still no choice but to be up on the deck in your raingear trying to control the boat. The entire night was spent like that and by day break I was absolutely worn out. The wind had died out almost completely so instead of taxing the autopilot and myself anymore, locked the rudder and went to sleep. Must have slept for a couple of minutes and was woken up by the boat healing over 30 deg. Another squall had hit and Mhadei was going all over. Started hand steering to control her when probably due to lack of sleep or poor judgement the boat went into an accidental gybe, the boom crashing on the starboard runner and the boat behaving even more awkardly. Tried to rectify my mistake and the boom slammed back to its correct position but in doing so the mainsheet got snagged with the boat compass uprooting it. The compass is undamaged but its stainless steel mounting has broken. One job for the next port. Also noticed that the top two battens have broken probably due the continous flapping of the sails in nil wind conditions. Though I have spare battens it will be quite a task changing them at sea so will probably do it in port. May affect the efficiency of the sails while going upwind but thats better than messing around things at sea. Things improved by afternoon and I even managed to get

some badly needed sleep. In the afternoon my old friend Cdr Paresh Sawhney came visiting with his ship. We had served together in the Eastern Fleet in 1995 as Lieutenants and it was nice to see him commanding a fleet ship. The truth that good things have to follow bad ones has been amply demonstrated tonight. As I write, its a cool, clear night outside with a brilliant half moon, the wind is blowing steadily at about 20 to 25 kts and Mhadei is cruising at 8 kts on a broad reach in a folllowing sea. Absolutely perfect sailing conditions!

Dosa special on Mhadei

2009-08-26T00:19:00.000+05:30

Late last night we crossed the Indian penninsula and by morning had crossed the Gulf of Mannar. That and the fact that we had covered the maximum distance of 182 Nm in 24 hrs so far, called for a celebration. The skipper ordered the Chef who in turn decided to do away with the usual fare of rice and canned stuff for the day and instead serve hot Dosas and Kapi! So "Pan to Plate" piping hot dosas was the menu for B'fast & lunch. Washed down with some fresh coffee brewed in the Italian Coffee maker fondly gifted by Ottavio and Pai! Absolutely delicious! Another reason to feel good was that the Wind Vane autopilot was put to work for over six hours in the morning and worked without a whimper even with following wind and sea. Thats good news because now I can conserve my diesel and also have something to fall back on in the absence of electricity. Its quite a nifty gadget which uses only the force of the wind and water rushing past the boat to keep her at the desired angle to the wind. The day progressed nicely, big ships passing by, rainbows and all till in the evening saw the first of the equatorial squalls approach. Some sixth sense prevailed and I furled in the Genoa. It was too late to put in a reef in the main. The squall hit, strong winds of about 30 to 35 kts first but Mhadei responded to hand steering, then heavy rain, not too bad, I was planning to have a bath anyway! Just when I thought we had weathered this one the strongest of the winds slammed in. Mhadei almost went over and then turned into the wind and got stuck for good. It was strange, with the main sail fully out and the rudder hard over the boat was just standing there facing the wind on an almost even keel. A new experience for me! These were followed by two bone crunching gybes as the boom slammed into the runner and it was with some difficulty that we managed to get back downwind again. I was soaked and on the edge when suddenly felt the sun warming by back. Looked back in surprise to see an almost clear sky with the sun shining as if the squall never happend! First thing I did was to put in a reef in the main as that experience is not something you want to go through after dark. Found four dead baby squids washed up on the deck. Took a long time to clear up the mess inside the boat as a lot of things had taken flight during our violent manouevers. Its past midnight now and I am sitting in front of the radar keeping an eye on the squalls. Two seem to be closing in so I better stop this and get ready to face them.

No Monday morning Blues on Mhadei

2009-08-24T21:44:00.000+05:30

One good thing about sailing alone for longer than a week seems to be the total absence of the so common " Monday Morning Blues"! Either everyday is a holiday or there are no holidays, whichever way you look at it, though I am inclined to go with the former. A fairly good day after a long night thanks to regular squalls followed by very light winds. We made good progress last night and somehow kept moving through the day. It became unusually cool through the night and I actually had to get my sleeping bag out. We are travelling through a shipping lane so a bit of company of big guys passing us. I would anyday prefer them to the unlit fishing boats. Most big ships have the AIS, paint well on the radar and so far seem to respond to a VHF call keeping clear of our erratic course. Not much fishing traffic as we are over 75 Nm from land. In fact as I write we are passing Cape Comorin, more commonly know as Kanyakumari, the Southernmost point of the Indian penninsula. The last time we passed this route was in May on the way to Colombo with Abhilash for company. Hard to believe that it was just three months back. It was our first trip abroad and I can still remember our apprehensions as the wind started going over 20 kts. The wind is going over 20 kts again but I am confortably sitting inside writing this. Both Mhadei and me have sailed over 7000 Nm since then and the mutual confidence has grown by leaps and bounds! Today's day though truly belonged to the Autopilots. The Raymarine autopilot started working after sulking for the last two days. Its steering the boat now and I am keeping my fingers crossed. The wind vane autopilot, probably the least used equipment on board so far was put to use for a couple of hours and worked well. Plan to use it through the day tomorrow to reduce my electricity consumption. The day ended with a sail past by INS Bangaram who had come to check us out. The whole Ship's company had lined up on the deck to wish fair winds to Mhadei! Its almost 2130 now. After a rather heavy dinner of a large Tuna, Potato, egg and onion salad washed down with some hot soup its time to get into the daily cycle of catnaps through the night. Looks like another long night ahead as the wind is picking up intermittently, some squalls are visible and the shipping traffic needs to be watched out for. Started picking up the radio transmission like every night, Goa AIR of all the places, which is really nice if one has to stay awake!

Post from Mhadei 22 Aug 09

2009-08-22T22:00:00.000+05:30

Its around 2130, the crew has been well fed on a diet of brown rice and dehydrated spinach while Mhadei is enjoying a cruise on a broad reach in over 20 kts of steady breeze with a following sea. Rain through the day has brought down the temperatures and the radio is still picking up songs. Almost perfect! Makes you wonder if last night actually happened!

Last night soon after I wrote the blog, the wind died out making the sails flap around violently. Furled the headsail and lashed the boom and the wind picked up to 30 kts. Got up and set the sails and the wind decided to vanish again. The cycle of squalls with shifty winds continued through the night making me forget the number of jybes I made just to stay straight. In the middle of one such jybes the Raymarine auto pilot decided to strike work! Luckily the Jeffa autopilot held fort and we managed to come through. The extra winches fitted at the last minute came in handy. Looks like the trouble of clearing them from cutoms and fitting them was well worth the effort. As if the wind wasn't enough, the moths struck with a vengence. The constant shifting of sails must have disturbed them, so when I was not struggling with the sails and getting wet outside, I was honing my shooting skills with a can of insect repellant inside the boat. These shifty and light winds can drive one absolutely nuts. It also tends to damage things as I discovered in the morning. The mainsail clew shackle, and its a real heavy duty SS shackle, had come off. The siezing wire had broken off and the threads worn out probably due to the constant slatting of the mainsail. Luckily a pare was available. One lazy jack was off and entangled with the starboard runner; was lucky to catch it before it was too late. Will see whats wrong with the Raymarine auto pilot tomorrow.

Morning was absolutely windless with some swell. In a way that was good as I could check out the damage of the night and replace the shackle etc. Been getting good winds since afternoon. Started with a squall but the wind has continued, from North West! And I thought it was the season for South West Monsoons. There are regular squalls passing over but they don't seem to go over 30 kts very often, well within the capabilities of my most important crew member, the Jeffa autopilot.

Covered over 50 Nm in the last 6 hrs, crossed Mangalore about 65 Nm away from land and now passsing the Kerala coast 67 Nm to the East.

Late night post from Mhadei 21 Aug 09

2009-08-21T22:49:00.000+05:30

Through the day I was becalmed, since 2100 cruising at over 9 kts in 20 kts of wind. There is a huge cloud mass on me almost moving with me and its pouring buckets outside. The rain screen designed by Abhilash and Ratnakar has already proved its worth keeping me and the insides of Mhadei dry. Looks like another long night ahead but atleast we are moving!

The Sausage Pulao was delicious and should keep me going through the night!

Post from Mhadei 21 Aug 09

2009-08-21T19:02:00.000+05:30

SAGAR PARIKRAMA - FIRST TWO DAYS

19 Aug 09 - Finally left at 1645 from Mumbai. After all the chaos the media created at the flag off, frankly was glad to get off. By 1720 the sail was up, I was panting like a dog with the effort of putting up the main sail but Mhadei was sailing nicely on a broad reach in NWly winds, a bit unusual for this season with the SW monsoon still supposed to be around. The wind kept increasing and for a while we were doing a healthy 10 kts with plans being made to cross Goa in 24 hrs! The wind kept shifting through the night. That and the fishing fleets signalled goodbye to any sleep. By early morning the wind died out completely.

20 Aug 09 - Thanks to almost non exsistent winds, serious sleep depravation while on land and painfully stiff neck, "Sunday routine" was declared after making the mandatory position report at 0800. Didn't even need to cook breakfast as Manjiri, wife of my Tarangini shipmate Lt Cdr Atla Mohan had packed up some excellent "Halwa". A cocktail of Brufen & paracatamol took care of the neck. After having slept the whole day, plans of a good night's sleep were again dashed by shifty winds and most unusally, an attack of large sized moths over 50 Nm from the coast. The first one came around sunset and I was wondering about his sense of navigation when slowly more started descending. Obiviously attaracted by light they were allover committing "Harakiri" on the Chart plotter, Nav equipment, lights etc. Finally switched off the chart plotter and slept outside as the one's already inside couldn't find a way out. There was not much wind anyway andthe boat was hardly moving.

21 Aug 09 - Realised it wasn't fair to blame the wind yesterday. It could have been worse as I discovered today! A couple of hours of light North Easterly breeze and then quietness! The sea slowly turned glassy. Nothing you can do but furl up the Genoa, get the main fore & aft to reduce its flapping, switch off the autopilot and lock the rudder. In fact I switched off all the Nav equipment as it seemed pointless keeping it on with us drifting around. Made a nice lunch of Dal & Rice followed by the mandatory siesta. Out of habit went on deck between my naps to find Dolphins lounging around. Thanks to absolute stillness around could clearly hear them. Posting some of their snaps clicked using the fancy new camera on board. Its almost 1900 as I write. A NW wind seems to be making some efforts at moving Mhadei. In the morning I was "Off Goa", by dusk I am still there! Lets see where I reach tomorrow! Till then celebrating passing off Goa by having some "Goa Sausage Pulao", a favourite of my crew Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy during our past trips, and listening to AIR Panaji.

Laminating Mhadei

2008-05-26T16:53:00.000+05:30

Indian Navy Circumnavigation - SAGARPARIKRAMA

2008-04-25T15:29:00.000+05:30

May the Ocean Gods .....