SOLO CIRCUMNAVIGATION UNDER SAIL
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. -- Robert Frost SOLO CIRCUMNAVIGATION UNDER SAILS
Should start and finish in the same Port
Should not pass through any Canals or Straits
Should cross all meridians at least once
Should cross the Equator at least twice
Should be more than 21600 Nm
Should go round the three great capes viz Cape Leeuvin, Cape Horn & Cape of Good Hope SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS
Number of people gone in Space – Approx 600
Number of people climbed Mt Everest – Approx 5000
Number of Solo Circumnavigators – 170
No Indian
Building the Yacht
HULL OUT OF AC TENT FOR UPRIGHTING
First boat of her kind in the country, constructed by Mr Ratnakar Dandekar of Aquarius Fibreglas, GOA
Length – 17.1 m Beam – 5 m Draft – 2.7 m Air Draft – 25.1 m Displacement – 23 T Material – Wood core epoxy Sails - 06
Goa-Mauritius-Goa May 09
GETTING READY FOR MAURITIUS Goa-Mauritius-Goa May 09
OFF TO MAURITIUS Goa-Mauritius-Goa Jun 09 MHADEI RETURNS TO GOA AFTER 14 DAYS OF SAILING AND 2400 NM FLAGGED OFF BY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF ON 19 AUG 09 LegMumbai I - toMumbai Fremantle to Fremantle Aug – Sep 09 5400 Nm & 35 days
Erratic winds before the Equator and in the subtropical high
Equatorial squalls
SE Trade winds forcing a course towards Africa instead of Australia
Mainsheet padeye uprooted Mumbai to Fremantle Aug – Sep 09 EQUATORIAL SUNRISE Mumbai to Fremantle Aug – Sep 09
EQUATORIAL SUNSET Mumbai to Fremantle Aug – Sep 09
UNEXPECTED VISITOR Mumbai to Fremantle 31 Aug 09
MHADEI UNDER SCRUTINY………. Mumbai to Fremantle Aug – Sep 09
………BY THE ENTIRE FAMILY! Leg II - Fremantle to Lyttelton Nov 09 3100 NM & 19 Days Genoa shredded on the first night due to a large wave hitting it and snapping the clew ring while negotiating big head seas
Stbd steering gear uprooted in 9 mtrs swell and 55 kts winds
Worst weather in the entire trip south of Tasmania
Introduction to the Southern Ocean!
Iceberg warning LANDFALL AFTER 18 DAYS – SNARES ISLAND! FAN FOLLOWING! ARRIVAL AT LYTTELTON PORT OF CHRISTCHURCH TRADITIONAL MAORI WELCOME – A RARE HONOUR … ADM MEHTA NOW AS THE INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER HEADING STRAIGHT 1200, 12/12/09 INTO A GALE 12 months after the boat was launched Leg III - Lyttelton to Port Stanley Dec 09 – Jan 10 5100 nm & 34 days of Pacific crossing
Both autopilots failed within 30 mins of each other
Genset unserviceable, no heater without genset
Frequent uprooting of windvane wheel attachment causing crash gybes & damage to vang
Strong easterly winds few days before Cape Horn forcing a course towards Antarctica
Roaring 40s, furious 50s & Cape Horn lived up to their reputation! ROUNDING THE HORN – THE EVEREST OF OCEAN SAILING A ROYAL ESCORT - HMS YORK SAIL PAST OFF THE WATERFRONT SAMMY THE SEAL FALKLANDERS! ESCORTED OUT BY HMS YORK LegPort Stanley IV - Port to Cape Stanley Town to Cape Town Feb 10 3700 nm & 24 days of Atlantic crossing Big weather systems forced a more northerly course than desired
Strong SE winds & Agulhas current short of Cape Town made getting to port difficult
Water paddle of Windvane fell off at night in bad weather
Genoa & Stay sail tore before entering harbour
Main halyard damaged forcing to sail with one reef or more RECEIVED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN NAVAL YACHT DENIZENS OF CAPE TOWN THE MUCH FEARED CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AU REVOIR CAPE TOWN LegCape TownV - Cape - Mumbai Town to Mumbai Apr – May 10 5800 nm & 45 days
Genoa & spare Genoa tore in freak gales
Onset of winters made the roaring 40s roar louder & till 35 deg South!
Nil winds followed by strong head winds in the subtropical high south of Madagascar
Cooking gas leaked out
Light - shifty winds & extreme heat North of Equator OUT OF THE ROARING 40S CROSSING MAURITIUS YET AGAIN! WITHIN A YEAR! ROMPING HOME! RECEIVED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT ENTERING CAPE TOWN FOR CAPE TO RIO RACE - 2011 RACE PREPARATIONS – JAN 2011 MENTOR FOR SAGARPARIKRAMA II – NOV 2012 CAPE TO RIO RACE – JAN 2014 ANDAMANS – DEC 2014 TRANS ATLANTIC RACE - 2015 TRANS ATLANTIC RACE - 2015 FIRST ALL WOMEN OCEAN SAILING TEAM - 2016 Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain While the questions pop up .....