Western Naval Command Golden Jubilee Celebrations

WNC Golden Jubilee Sailing Expedition Concludes at Mangalore

As part of a range of activities to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Western Naval Command, a Sailing Expedition onboard LC 40 Class sailboat, INSV Bulbul, was undertaken between 26 September to 08 October 2018. The Sailing Vessel successfully completed the Expedition and proudly entered the port of New Mangalore around 5:30 PM on 08 October 2018. The expedition covered the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka on the Western Seaboard. During the expedition, ‘Bulbul’ made stops at the ports of Porbandar, Mumbai, Goa and Mangalore. Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command, a keen yachtsman himself, also embarked the sailing vessel on the leg from Mumbai to Goa to motivate the crew.

Whilst at sea, the crew spent approximately 3 to 4 days per leg. They were exposed to the vagaries of nature and were required to sail the yacht using only winds for propulsion. Due to the limited space onboard, the crew survived on dry provisions and a limited quantity of fresh water. The non-availability of bare necessities like electricity, fresh water for taking bath or fresh provisions for meals made the voyage challenging for the crew. Further, encounters with rains, thundershowers at sea and strong winds generated by passing weather systems added to the complexity of survival at sea which the crew handled with aplomb.