Discussing the adventure that they undertook on a podcast show, the duo said that it was a “huge responsibility” that they had to carry on their shoulders.
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Indian Navy officers Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa, who successfully completed Navika Sagar Parikrama II, a circumnavigation expedition aboard the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini, a few days ago, shared their experiences of having been on the sea for nearly eight months, saying, “It feels great to be back”.
Discussing the adventure that they undertook on a podcast show, the duo said that it was a “huge responsibility” that they had to carry on their shoulders.
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“We had the responsibility to keep the legacy going. It was challenging sailing Tarini,” one of the officers said, adding that she made all the difference between the cold water of the sea and us.
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The duo, who were trained by Commander Abhilash Tomy, a former Indian Navy officer who himself has been on similar voyages, expressed confidence in the whole process of training that they went through, saying it proved really helpful as we were able to deal with the issues, which cropped up during the journey, without must hassles.
“We had an issue with the electronic systems in the boat and it took us three to four hours to rectify it,” they said, adding, “It was the moment when we didn’t know where we were in the sea”.
Talking about their life in the boat, which they said was built with a sound design, the women sailors said they celebrated occasions such as birthdays and marriage anniversaries on the boat, treating themselves with some ‘gulab jamuns’ and other food items that they had with them.
“These 8 months have been a great learning experience, a completely life-transforming experience. It’s a journey of a lifetime, and we faced a lot of challenges, but we had good moments, too,” said Lt Cdr Roopa.
They also expressed happiness that their efforts were recognised by the people world over, especially the Australian Parliament acknowledging the voyage undertaken by the Indian women officers. It was satisfying to see that people across the world took note of our efforts and talked about the journey, they said.
Talking about the Point Nemo, the most remote location on Earth which is also known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, they said it was a great and proud moment for us as we could fly our Indian flag and the Indian Navy’s flag at the point.
“To reach Point Nemo, we had to face a lot of challenges because there was an approaching storm on the same route, and we had to make a decision whether to go to Point Nemo and make a record or avoid the storm and go away from it. But we made a decision that we will go to the Point and fly our flag there,” said Lt Dilna K.
Summing up their journey they in one voice said that challenges help people learn in life, and one must take them head-on.
Earlier on May 29, when the women officers reached Goa with their boat after completing their voyage of circumventing the Earth in a boat, Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh welcomed them.
The Defence Minister lauded the bravery of the Navy officers, saying that to travel 45 thousand kilometres while facing the ocean is a feat of its own.
The Indian Navy Sailing Vessel (INSV), Tarini, arrived on the coast of Goa on May 29. The expedition was flagged off from the Naval Ocean Sailing Node, Goa on October 2, 2024.
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