PM meets all-women crew of Navika Sagar Parikrama (INSV Tarini)

Six women officers of the Indian Navy, who are due to circumnavigate the globe on the sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.
This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. They will begin their voyage later this month from Goa, and expect to return to Goa in March 2018, after completing the circumnavigation. The expedition has been titled Navika Sagar Parikrama. The Parikrama will be covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).
INSV Tarini is a 55-foot sailing vessel, which has been built indigenously, and was inducted in the Indian Navy earlier this year.
During the interaction, the crew explained details of their upcoming voyage to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister wished the women crew well, and said he would keep track of their progress around the world. He exhorted them to project India’s capabilities and strengths across the world. He also encouraged them to write and share their experiences, after the successful completion of the voyage.
The vessel will be skippered by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lt. Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.

INSV Tarini, All Woman Crew, to Sail her Around the Globe From August 2017

The Indian Navy’s second ocean going sailboat Tarini was inducted at INS Mandovi Boat Pool on Saturday with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff present to wish the boat and her crew success in their endeavors.

INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa and it is being inducted into the Navy and is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy.

Admiral Sunil Lanba announced that the extremely challenging expedition by the All Women Crew is slated to commence in August 2017 and said the team has logged over 10,000 Nautical Miles on INSV Mhadei, including a voyage from India to Mauritius and back and Goa to Cape Town braving through rough monsoon seas and heavy wind.

The visitors were briefed on its advanced features, including improvements, based on experience of operating INSV Mhadei, which have been incorporated.   On completion of the ceremony, the crew sailed the boat out of harbour displaying its agile handling capabilities.

Tarini the second of the Mhadei class ocean going sailboats. Its team of ‘Women in White’ are currently preparing themselves and their sailboat Mhadei participated in the Cape to Rio race in December 2016.

Tarini, First All Women Vessel, to be Inducted into Indian Navy

The sail boat Tarini is being inducted into the Navy and is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy. Tarini will be inducted at a ceremony scheduled to be held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool on evening of 18 February 2017.

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff will also be present on the occasion. INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa. The boat has been built to a stock design by Van de Stadt, Netherlands called Tonga 56. The hull is made of wooden core fiberglass sandwich construction for a better performance than aluminum and steel. INSV Tarini carries a suite of six sails including a Main sail, Head sails (Genoa and stay sails), Downwind sails and Storm sail.

Her mast is 25 meters tall and has been custom built by Southern Spars, Cape Town, for sailing in extreme conditions. She boasts a Raymarine navigation suite and an array of latest satellite communication systems through which she can be contacted anywhere in the world.

The trials of the newly built INSV Tarini were successfully completed on 30 January 17 and all the learning experience from INSV Mhadei has been incorporated in this vessel right from the start. The keel of the vessel was laid by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 27 March 2016 at the Aquarius Shipyard.

The construction was overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team, Goa and the vessel is being delivered before the scheduled date of delivery by the boat builder. The successful construction of both the Mhadei andTarini in Goa are a tribute to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy, said a statement.

INSV Tarini is almost identical to her illustrious predecessor, the iconic Mhadei which has sailed over 115000 nautical miles in the past eight years. This includes voyages like the first Indian solo circumnavigation undertaken by Capt Dilip Donde (Retd) in 2009 and first solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation by Cdr Abhilash Tomy in 2013.

The boat draws her origin from the famous Tara-Tarini temple of Orissa’s Ganjam district. The word Tarini means a Boat and is also a Sanskrit word for Saviour. Tara-Tarini is a patron deity for sailors and merchants and is worshipped for safety and success at sea. Tara-Tarini of Orissa is known to have historical linkages with the river Goddess Mhadei- the exclusive boat deity of the Mhadei river of Goa. Both the deities Tariniand Mhadei have sculptural similarities.

In order to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women, the Indian Navy conceptualized the idea of the First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe. A team of six women Officers led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi was selected for this project. These officers have done basic sail training courses at INWTC Mumbai followed by Navigation, Seamanship, Communication and Meterology courses at various naval training schools at Kochi.

Following that, they sailed the boat on a grueling voyage to Cape Town in Dec 16.  The boat is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi and crew members include Lieutenant Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, Lieutenant Patarapalli Swathi, Lieutenant Sh Vijaya Devi and Lieutenant Payal Gupta.