Nov 19 - Jan 20 VOL. 24 No.99

Empowering Women in the Maritime Community

Nuclear India - The Maritime Dimension Chinese in the Indian Ocean - 15th Century Magellan - First to Sail Around the world ? The Vasa Museum - Stockholm

Vol XXIV No 99 33 November 19 - January 20 Letter from London By Paul Ridgway FRGS FRIN

4 36 Letters to Editor Empowering Women Traffic Separation in the Maritime Community Scheme – Kerala Coast. Courtesy : Tolani Maritime Institute By Cdr GVK Unnithan. 5 39 Nuclear India – Letter from Canada The Maritime Dimension By Cdr. M S Randhawa (Retd.) By Cmde Anil Jai Singh (Retd)

23 8 40 International Coastal Clean-up Relevance of Life Saving Skills The Legend of Vasa by IMF, Oct 2019 on Health and Daily Lives” Cdr Mukund Yeolekar (Retd) Report on Seminar By Cmde JJ Varma (Retd) 26 42 10 World Maritime Day 2019 Gallimaufry IMF Annual Seminar 2019 Advances In Naval Aviation In The Last Decade And Their Impact On Naval Operations, Future Trends 28 44 Report By Cmde Ajay Chitnis (Retd.) Captain Sujit Chaudhuri Looking Forward to Going Ashore 29 by Captain Manjit Handa 15 Common Unmanned Surface 45 Chinese Forays In The Vehicle US Navy Makes Indian Ocean In The 15th Century – She is Swimming Again A Major Breakthrough By Peter Neunhäuser A Case Of Missed Opportunity ? In Autonomous Weaponry By Cdr Mohan Narayan (Retd)

20 30 46 UDA Summer School 2019 Magellan Was First The Shipwreck Hunter Dr(Cdr) Arnab Das To Sail Around The World, By Capt Milind R. Paranjpe Right ? 1

The Sea Our Strength Our goal is to raise awareness of our seas and to rekindle maritime consciousness and pride. The Indian Maritime Foundation - Council Members Commodore Rajan Vir (Retd), President, Capt. A.C. Dixit (Tel.: 25656726 / 9890488242) Overall Development, Treasurer, Marine Art, Lectures in Pune President Designate, Mentor SeaGull, Lectures in Pune University, University, International Coastal Cleanup, Awards Committee Awards Committee, Maritime Research Centre, STCW Revision Underwater Technology, Museum & Library Committee, MRC Committee Committee [email protected] Tel.: 26169168 / 9823655692, [email protected] Capt. R Hajarnavis (Tel.: 25650016 / 9850094294) Senior Vice President, Mentor Advertisements [email protected] Mumbai Branch of IMF [email protected] Commodore Ajay H. Chitnis (Retd) Cmde Ajay H. Chitnis (Tel.: 26854784 / 9833265913) Vice President, Indian Maritime Foundation Vice President, Joint Editor – SeaGull, Seminars, H-403, Daffodil, Jalvayu Vihar, MRC Committee, I/C Facebook Kharghar, Navi Mumbai - 410 210 [email protected] Mob: 98332 65913. e-mail : [email protected] Mrs Nalini Kunte (Tel.: 26163927 / 9850314665) Secretary, Public Relations, Membership, Lectures in Schools & Delhi Branch of IMF Colleges, SIMA Committee, Museum & Library Committee Commodore Anil Jai Singh (Retd) [email protected] Vice President, Indian Maritime Foundation Mr Yezdi Batliwala (Tel: 9975264501/26834637) H.No. 25, Arun Vihar, Sector 28, Noida – 201303, UP Advertisements, Underwater Technology, International Coastal Tel: 0120 – 4222254, Mob: 9560155188 Cleanup, Awards Committee, STCW Revision Committee [email protected] [email protected] Cdr Arnab Das ( Tel : 9665033463 ) Director Maritime Research Centre Chennai Branch of IMF Seagull Editorial Committee, Website Administrator Capt S Krishnamurthi [email protected] Vice President, Indian Maritime Foundation Mrs. Poonam Gulati (Tel.: 26353104 / 9975518653) Office :91- 44- 2812 8468, Mob 9940500114. Museum & Library committee ( [email protected] ) [email protected] Vice President- Operations ( Technical ) Capt. Sunand Kanetkar (Tel: 26854741, 9833370041) Sanmar Shipping Limited, 9 Cathedral Road,Chennai - 600086. Lectures in Pune University, Seminars, Associate Editor SeaGull [email protected] Honorary Correspondents Cmde PK Malhotra (Tel:26852841, 9823172737) ICC Coordinator, India North, Museum & Library Committee. Auckland, NZ : Mr S.Amirapu MRC Committee Bangalore : Mr Ramesh Narayan [email protected] Houston, USA : Mr Atul Vir Mr Gopi Shetty Maliyadri (Tel: 8149450844, 27652442) London : Mr Paul Ridgway Ocean Savers of India [email protected] Miami, USA : Mr Rahul Vir Capt. Rabi Mishra (Tel.: 26165471 / 9850007753) Singapore : Capt R Choudhuri I/C Memberships & Lists, Museum & Library Committee, Sydney, Australia : Mrs Jennifer Knox Web-Site Liaison, Seafarers Memorial & Seamen's War Memorial, Toulon, France : Rear Adm (Retd) Valere Ortoli SeaGull Advertisements, STCW Revision Committee [email protected] Toronto, Canada : Cdr M S Randhawa (Retd) Capt Indrajit Roy (Tel: 27278485, 7719889353) Seagull Editorial Committee, Seminars. [email protected] Website : www.indianmaritimefoundation.org Capt Sudhir Subhedar (Tel: 9823158057, 020-25449783). STCW Revision Committee e-mail : President: [email protected] [email protected] IMF : [email protected] Cmde JJ Varma (Tel: 9599655375, 020-29703037) SeaGull Editor : Cdr Mukund Yeolekar Seminar Convener Office Manager: Julie Mathew – Mob: 9146305010 [email protected] Cdr M.N. Yeolekar (Tel: 9923343150, 9969686322) Lectures in Pune University, Editor SeaGull, SeaGull is Published by Museum & Library Committee The Indian Maritime Foundation : 1/402, Gera Gardens, [email protected] Koregaon Road, Pune- 411001. Lt Cdr Pramod Mahajan (Tel: 9422306390) Museum & Library Committee (Lectures Schools/Colleges) Tel. : +91-20-41315976 [email protected] Designed & Printed by - www.ornateindia.co.in Views expressed in this journal are those of the authors only. The contents may be reproduced with written permission of the editor.

2 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Editorial

Editorial

The last quarter saw a series of tumultuous events in India and the Middle-East. In early August India abrogated the Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir. Further the state was reorganized making J&K and Ladakh as Union Territories.

Early August and September saw record breaking Monsoon rains in Maharashtra and several other states causing heavy loss of lives and damage to property. PV Sindhu made the nation proud when she struck gold on 25 August by winning the Women's World Badminton Championship at Basel, Switzerland. Drone attacks claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck two key oil installations inside Saudi Arabia, affecting crude output and raising risk of disruption in world oil supplies.

On 29 August, IMF conducted an annual Seminar on Advances in Naval Aviation in the last decade and their impact on Naval operations and future trends. V Adm RB Pandit, Chief of staff WNC graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The seminar was a great success being attended by eminent aviators and academia. It emerged that Naval Aviation was all set to soar to greater heights and create a larger footprint in the areas of India's Maritime Interest.

The World Maritime day was celebrated with great pomp on 21 Sep 2019 under the auspices of CMMI (Pune), IME (I) and IMF at Hotel Deccan Royale, Pune. The theme for the event was 'Empowering Women in the Maritime Community', selected by IMO.

The IMF conducted a Coastal clean-up at Chennai on 21 Sep under the leadership of IMF VP, Capt S Krishnamurthi, with a commendable role by Capt G Karanjikar. On 28 Sep, as a significant milestone in indigenous development, India launched INS Nilgiri, an improved version of stealth frigates. On 05 October, the Rashtriya Life Saving Society jointly with IMF conducted a Seminar on Relevance of Life Saving Skills on our health and daily life.

In this issue I am pleased to add a researched article on China's foray in the Indian Ocean in the fifteenth century, an essay on Stockholm's Vasa Museum and a report on the IMF Seminar, besides other regular features.

NOTICE BOARD 14 Nov19 : Joint Seminar-MWC WNC, NI and IMF, Asvini Auditorium, Mumbai. 17 Nov 19 : Junior SIMA Painting Exhibition, "On the Spot Seascapes Painting Competition" and Maritime Quiz. Empress Garden , Pune. 05 Jan 20 : IMF's 26th Anniversary Lecture and Dinner, Central Park Hotel, Pune. 07 Jan 20 : IMF Trustees Annual Meeting, Pune.

3 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Letters to Editor

Letters to Editor

Dear Sir, discharged in La Spezia and were to load Clinker from Marseilles the next day. This was an Another excellent issue of SeaGull. It has varied overnight voyage. We sailed at about 9 pm in and interesting articles that keeps the reader reasonable weather but as the night wore on the abreast of what is happening in the maritime wind started blowing. It was a headwind of force world. The Letter from London was long and 5/6 but as the vessel was in ballast and old she informative. Mr. Paul Ridgway is a fine honorary started creaking with a hideous sound and after correspondent and the IMF is fortunate to have ascending the crest of the waves would crash him. I enjoyed reading Anand's article 'Memories down and shudder . I could see that the Officer on of Ashok Samrat'. The fact he points out that the watch, a youngster, was most distressed so I ship had 3 IMF Council Members in command decided to stay on the bridge. At about 2 a.m. with one after the other is indeed a remarkable a more experienced OOW I decided to go down coincidence. His first voyage in the ship, the and close my eyes for a bit. My wife was on board Atlantic crossing in 'dense fog, encountering and wide awake convinced that the ship was in icebergs off Newfoundland and navigation danger of foundering and would have none of it. through ice concentration of 6/10 in the Gulf of St. She insisted I go back on the bridge and make sure Lawrence' is described in a matter of fact manner we were fine! that an old salt would. It was not a pleasant night. But as we neared It reminded me of one of my voyages, not in the Marseilles the wind suddenly stopped blowing North Atlantic but in the far more tranquil and the sea gradually subsided. It turned out to be Mediterranean. I was in command of a very old a fine sunny Mediterranean morning. bulk carrier that those in the know said only Wallem Ship Management would agree to Cdr Sati Taneja (Retd) manage. We had a cargo of logs which we Bangalore 560029

"DSRVs Mystic provided rapid-response world. Although now retired, they remain two of submarine rescue capability to the U.S. Navy the most technologically advanced submersibles from 1970 to 2008. In the event of a submarine in the world. Here it is shown displayed at US accident, one of the Navy's two Deep Navy's Undersea Museum at Keyport, Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs) could be Washington." deployed to rescue survivors anywhere in the 4 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Defence

Nuclear India – The Maritime Dimension By Cmde Anil Jai Singh (Retd)

Introduction. The last one year has been marked uncertainty which has clearly defined the times by two significant events, both of which highlight we live in now and made the world a far more the importance of the maritime element of the dangerous place. nuclear dimension in India's national security construct. In November 2018, INS Arihant, Through this transition from the Cold war to the India's first nuclear propelled ballistic missile littoral battle-space, it is nuclear power that submarine (SSBN) successfully completed its continues to define national power. It was UK's first deterrent patrol and in March 2019, India apprehension of losing its position at the UN top signed a USD 3.3 Bn contract with Russia to lease table that clinched the argument in favour of an Akula-2 class nuclear attack submarine (SSN) continuing with its deterrent. Incidentally, the UK for ten years from 2025 onwards. This is a follow is celebrating 50 years of Continuous-at-sea on to the current INS Chakra which was acquired deterrence (CASD) in 2019. India has a more on a similar 10-year lease in 2012 and will immediate and unique challenge; it is the only probably be extended to 2025. Both these events country to have two nuclear armed neighbours clearly underline India's intent to consolidate its and what makes it worse is their adversarial nuclear capability, of which the submarine is an stance towards India and an unholy nuclear- integral part. A fully operationalised SSBN and military-economic nexus amongst themselves. SSN capability would enable India to reaffirm its China, despite being one of the Big Five has a credentials as a regional maritime power while dubious record of proliferation and actively augmenting its ability to shape the geostrategic supports the nuclearization of countries like contours of the region. Pakistan and North Korea and could possibly support Iran in the future if the present US-Iran Nuclear Concerns. Nuclear submarines came tension continues. Countries like Pakistan into their own during the Cold War which 'raged' maintain an aggressive nuclear posture which for over four decades with the main protagonists, fuels further insecurity about their provocation the US and the USSR and their allies possessing threshold. nuclear arsenals that could annihilate the world several times over. This destructive power itself India has a more immediate and unique came to define modern day strategic deterrence. It challenge; it is the only country to have two was in fact the SSBN more than anything else that nuclear armed neighbours and what makes characterised the cold war. The omnipresent it worse is their adversarial stance towards threat of nuclear attack from an unseen launch India and an unholy nuclear-military- platform and also the inability to neutralise it economic nexus amongst themselves. despite frequent standoffs ensured that many provocations notwithstanding, the Cold war remained 'cold'. Much has been written about this being the Asian century with Alfred Thayer Mahan's prophecy Subsequent to the end of the Cold War and the that the destiny of the world will be decided on the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the world waters of the Indian Ocean ringing increasingly passed through a unipolar phase with the US true. China's aggressive pursuit of its global acting as the Global policeman. However, the ambition and its 'Mahanian' approach to cataclysmic events of 11 September 2001 achieving this through maritime superiority is changed all that and ushered in an era of leading it into direct confrontation with the US in 5 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Defence

the Indo-Pacific, a strategic construct with a based element of the nuclear triad in the form of distinct maritime orientation. The growing Indo- the SSBN is the most effective. This has also US military relationship with strategic overtones been articulated in the Indian Maritime Doctrine is therefore being closely observed by China. of 2004 which states “To achieve strategic India would thus have to be wary of not being deterrence it is vital for a nation to possess nuclear compelled to take up the slack in the Indian submarines capable of launching missiles with Ocean as a US proxy but instead project itself as nuclear warheads”. It is reiterated in the Indian an independent and pre-eminent Indian Ocean Maritime Military Strategy document released in power with its own carefully calibrated China 2007 which clearly states that “the most credible policy. As the two largest economies in the region of all arsenals in a second strike is the nuclear- with global aspirations, operating in the same armed missile submarine”. waters and vying for resources from the same region, intense Sino-Indian competition in the INS Arihant's first successful deterrent patrol in waters of the Indian Ocean is imminent. India has November 2018 could therefore not have come a mandated itself as the net security provider in the moment too soon as it validated the efficacy of the Indian Ocean and is committed to ensuring the platform, its weapon load and the robust sanctity of a rules-based international order by command and control architecture which should ensuring that the high seas (also called the global have the resilience and ability to withstand a first commons) remain safe for the passage of trade strike and be able to deliver the necessary and the freedom of navigation for ships transiting directive to launch a weapon from hundreds of the International Sea Lanes (ISL) that criss-cross miles away. However, an effective second-strike the IOR. capability is fully credible only when a country can have continuous-at-sea-deterrence India has mandated itself as the net security (CASD)for which a minimum force level of four provider in the Indian Ocean and is to five SSBNs is required. committed to ensuring the sanctity of a rules-based international order by ensuring Maritime Security Concerns. China's intentions that the high seas (also called the global in the Indian Ocean are evident from the commons) remain safe for the passage of permanent presence of its ships and submarines, trade and the freedom of navigation for its economic outreach like the Belt and Road ships transiting the International Sea Lanes Initiative and the establishment of a base in (ISL) that criss-cross the IOR. Djibouti and partial control of the Gwadar deep water port on Pakistan's Makran Coast. This well- coordinated strategy is of concern to India and has India's peninsular geographic conformation been voiced by successive Chiefs of the Indian notwithstanding, strategically it is very much a Navy over the last few years. China is re- maritime state. The geostrategic imperatives establishing its credentials as a maritime power which shape India's maritime fortunes are also and highlighting the importance of the maritime critical vulnerabilities necessitating a strong and space for its emergence as a global superpower. adaptable maritime security construct. China has made no secret of its sea control aspirations and already has two aircraft carriers As a declared nuclear power with the and will possibly have five by 2030. With China's cornerstones of its nuclear doctrine being 'No expanding role in Africa as well as with other First Use' (NFU) and 'credible minimum countries of the IOR, the Chinese strategic game deterrence, an invulnerable and robust second plan is becoming increasingly evident. It is strike capability is essential. For this the sea- therefore imperative that sooner rather than later, India develops a suitable response capability to 6 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Defence

blunt the Chinese intentions in the Indian Ocean. India's first nuclear attack submarine was a A strong submarine capability led by a SSN force Charlie-1 class SSN leased from the former could be the way ahead. While conventional Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991. It was only in submarines present a formidable challenge and 2012 thereafter that the IN acquired an Akula class are an essential element of any navy with security SSN, also from Russia on a 10 year lease and it is concerns in the littoral, they suffer from the classic encouraging that the Govt has chosen to lease a limitations of speed, underwater endurance, and third submarine to ensure that these skills are not susceptibility to detection when snorkelling to lost in the time it takes India to develop and charge their batteries. Technological innovations operate its own SSNs. These submarines, once such as Air Independent Propulsion and the ability inducted will change the entire concept of to launch missiles at standoff ranges have maritime operations in the region and will not considerably alleviated these limitations but only only effectively complement the SSBNs but will within the conventional deployment envelope. be able to shape India's maritime sphere of operations besides influencing the outcome of the Nuclear propelled attack submarines, on the other battle on land. SSNs will be the spearhead of the hand provide a variety of options to deliver kinetic Indian Navy's offensive capability in an effect with devastating results. Nuclear operational scenario while conventional propulsion endows them with virtually unlimited submarines will deliver more tactical outcomes. endurance, capability to transit at high speeds and deliver ordnance with lethal precision. In the Conclusion. The addition of one SSBN (Arihant) Indian context, where naval forces will engage and one SSN (Chakra) have definitely made an essentially in supporting the war on land, the impact, but for them to fulfil their designated roles ability of the SSN to deliver precision strike on and to significantly shape the regional security land targets from long standoff ranges and the environment favourably for India, adequate ability to effect battle space manoeuvre from the numbers are essential. It is understood that a force sea will provide the armed forces a vital advantage level of five SSBNs and six SSNs are planned. even on land. The Tomahawk missiles fired from This would perhaps happen by the mid-2030s and US SSNs on land targets from seawards played no could well coincide with China's declared intent mean role in facilitating the rapid advance of of being a major military power by 2035. As of NATO land forces in Afghanistan. Against a well- now, whilst the deployment of these boats would matched adversary on land, this advantage will be perhaps be symbolic of mere presence and of even greater value. capability demonstration, it is likely to prompt the other Indian Ocean navies, particularly those with The sinking of the Argentinean cruiser General adversarial intentions, to reorient the vital Belgrano by HMS Conqueror vividly brought elements of their national security construct. home the advantages of a SSN. Operating 8000 miles from home as part of the Royal Navy Task Force, it successfully sank not only the Belgrano but also all Argentinean hopes of victory at sea. The author is a veteran submariner and Vice Such is the reach, mobility, flexibility, endurance President IMF, Delhi Branch and lethality a SSN brings to the battle space. In our context these attributes will be invaluable.

7 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

“Relevance of Life Saving Skills on Health and Daily Lives” Report on Seminar By Cmde JJ Varma (Retd)

The Rashtriya Life Saving Society (India) (I). Both episodes had occurred over water one (RLSS(I)) held a joint seminar, with IMF as their resulting in the tragic loss of the life of a child partner, on 05 October at the Navalmal Firodia because on the spot help could not be provided. Conference Halls of MCCIA Trade Centre on Noting that our country lost almost half a million Senapati Bapat Road, Pune on the very relevant lives annually due to accidents, there was indeed a subject, “Relevance of Lifesaving Skills on our very strong case for every citizen acquiring basic Health and Daily Lives”. Rear Admiral PD life saving skills to be able to help the person in Sharma, (Retd) as the Founder President of RLSS distress and save a life. Also noting that the RLSS (I), was the driving force behind the effort and (I) was doing great work in training such people, delivered the welcome and keynote addresses he formally declared the Seminar inaugurated. reiterating the need for India to awaken to the need for its citizens to learn first aid life saving The main Seminar on the topic “Relevance of skills to drastically reduce the half a million Lifesaving Skills on our Health and Daily casualties that occur annually just because prompt Lives” was moderated by Commodore Ajay help was not provided to victims on land and over Chitnis, (Retd), Vice President Indian Maritime water. Foundation, himself an erudite speaker of repute. The first speaker at the Seminar was Vice Admiral Ravi Kalra, Director and Commandant Armed Forces Medical College and a Cardiologist of repute. He brought out that only about 10 % of persons having a cardiac failure episode outside a hospital survived simply because no immediate assistance was provided to them in the first 10 mins to give oxygen to the body leading to the brain getting starved of oxygen and dying much before the heart stopped functioning. He stressed A section of audience that if some sort of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) could be provided during The Chief Guest at the Seminar was Admiral this platinum period the chances of survival of Madhavendra Singh, (Retd) erstwhile Chief of such patients increased dramatically. He added the Naval Staff who agreed to come all the way that even if rhythmic pressure was provided to the from Jaipur for the event. The Chief Guest was victim's chest at about 100 rpm the chances of introduced by Vice Admiral SCS Bangara, (Retd) survival increased manifold. In this regard RLSS who was also the Guest of Honour and had served (I) had a huge role to play in increasing bystander with the former CNS many years ago. He awareness about the importance of the platinum highlighted many anecdotes from Adm period and the need to give at least compression to Madhavendra Singh's illustrious career bringing such patients if not the full CPR. out his magnanimous and philanthropic nature before requesting him to deliver his inaugural The next speaker was Ms Supriya Badve, address. The Chief Guest spoke of two episodes in Director in the Badve Engineering Group and she his life which brought about clearly the need for highlighted how her company was able to this pioneering effort being undertaken by RLSS contribute to the effort of RLSS (I) through their 8 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

Seminar Audience CSR programmes after an episode where they lost become second nature. Finally, Dr Chandrasekhar a young team member in an accident. Ms Diana Chincholkar, of KP Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd Louis HR officer in the same Group further spoke on the huge budgets companies across the elaborated upon the CSR projects being country had for CSR and he was of the firm belief undertaken by the Badve Group which were that RLSS (I) pioneering efforts in life saving spearheaded by Ms Supriya Badve who was a education could come in the ambit of these CSR great motivator. The third speaker was Ms programmes if only they were put up in the right Sanskriti Menon, Senior Programme Director in manner. He stated that he could assist RLSS (I) in the Centre for Environment Education who this regard if desired. briefed the audience on Project Blue Flag, an international effort to designate beaches across Cmde Chitnis, thereafter, allowed question and the world with this Blue Flag tag if they met the answers from the participants and moderated a minimum cleanliness and safety criteria laid very animated session which indicated that the down. She highlighted that despite having a huge aim of the Seminar of increasing general coastline India was still to have any of its beaches awareness on the all pervasive need for life saving tagged with Blue Flag. While this effort was techniques reaching every household was aimed at making beaches tourism friendly, RLSS adequately progressed. He thanked the speakers (I) could contribute towards enhancing safety for a very interesting interaction and brought the criteria of beaches through its training session to a close. Mrs Kavita Sharma, Director programmes in life saving. Dr Cynthia Pinto of Finance and Administration at the RLSS (I) gave the Safe Kids Foundation spoke next of their the Vote of Thanks and ended the Seminar by programmes in making children safe across the requesting all participants to continue their nation and suggested that RLSS (I) could discussions at lunch. integrate with them to teach the children the basics of life saving at a very young age as then Cmde JJ Varma is a Council Member of IMF. the lessons would be imprinted in their minds and

9 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events IMF Annual Seminar 2019 Advances In Naval Aviation In The Last Decade And Their Impact On Naval Operations, Future Trends Report By Cmde Ajay Chitnis (Retd.)

The Thirteenth Seminar conducted by the The Seminar began with the welcome address Combined Study Group of the Indian Maritime delivered by Cmde Rajan Vir, President IMF, Foundation (IMF) was conducted on the 29 wherein besides welcoming everyone, he August 2019. Ten years ago, the theme for the highlighted the role and achievements of IMF and Seminar was Naval Aviation, and thus the time also introduced Vice Admiral RB Pandit AVSM, was now ripe to dwell on the happenings during Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command, the the last decade and take a look into the shape of Chief Guest. things to come. While Naval Aviation has always been an integral component of naval operations, it This was followed by the Inaugural Address has made rapid progress in the preceding decade delivered by Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha, who emerging as a huge force multiplier. Be it integral heads the Combined Study Group of the IMF, and Multirole Helicopters embarked on surface ships has been the driving force behind all the twelve or shore based Long Range Maritime Patrol seminars conducted prior to this one. In his Aircraft, Naval Aviation has become an integral inaugural address, VAdm Pasricha recounted the part of naval operations and provides a stand-off early days of Naval Aviation, from its modest capability that was hitherto not available. The beginnings, to the advances made in the last induction of Vikramaditya along with its integral twenty years. He stated, that as early as 1948, MiG 29K fighter aircraft and Ka 28/31 helicopters Naval Thinkers had projected that the Indian has further enhanced Navy's prowess in our Navy should have three aircraft carriers for domain. The use of Naval Aviation assets by effective deployment on both the Seaboards, and Coast Guard and Merchant Marine is also on the the third as a backup. He brought out the rise. Our acquisition plans have not kept pace with differences between Naval Aviation and Flying in intent due to limitations in the very nature of the the other Services, especially the role of the process and limited indigenous capability. These 'Observer'. were some of the issues that needed to be addressed, and to that end, the Convener, Cmde JJ Vice Admiral RB Pandit began his keynote Varma, had lined up an impressive array of address by calling the story of Naval Aviation as speakers – all serving Naval Officers, and super- one of remarkable triumph of the pioneering spirit specialists in their field. of man over the elements. He pointed to the

Welcome Address by Cmde Rajan Vir 10 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

extremely short span of time from the first flight While concluding his Keynote address VAdm by the Wright Brothers in 1903, to the battle of Pandit spoke of how India's geographical location Coral Sea in 1942, the first time that aircraft enables us to maintain effective surveillance over carriers squared off and dramatically changed the entire IOR, thus contributing to peace, naval combat forever in unprecedented terms. security and good order at sea, so essential to Today there are 41 active aircraft carriers in the unhindered trade and commerce and the world, operated by 13 Navies, he said. He then economic wellbeing of nations. Given that the traced the growth of Indian Naval aviation from Indian Navy is seen as a net security provider and its modest beginnings in the 1950s. He then a dependable partner in this region, it is in our highlighted the remarkable growth story interest that we are able to keep the Indian Ocean beginning from the turn of the century, and more Region under our surveillance and be ready to so since the beginning of this decade, which was respond to any developing situation rapidly. The the reference point of this seminar. The MiG 29Ks Indian Naval Air Arm has grown in leaps and have achieved dark night and full non- bounds in the last decade and has significantly diversionary capability, and this he said, has impacted the way we operate at sea and our war become a force multiplier, and along with other fighting capabilities. There are voids and recent additions to the fleet like the Kolkata Class, capability gaps, but these are in the process of has made the Indian Carrier Battle Group, a very being plugged. The IN is able to show its potent force at sea. He added that the induction of presence and be in a commanding position across P8I Long Range MR ASW aircraft has been a the entire Indian Ocean Region. With the P-8I we game changer in our Maritime Domain can keep distant points of access to the IOR such Awareness capability. He then moved on to the as the Sunda, Lombok and Ombai Straits under future and what is expected in the next few years, surveillance. The Indian Navy has come a full He spoke of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier circle from the tail hook era, through the V/STOL (IAC1)Vikrant, which is in an advanced stage of operations and back to the future to another tail construction at Kochi, the Naval variant of the hook era. The IN has drawn out an aviation LCA, the Multirole Helicopters, the Light utility capability enhancement to augment our strength helicopters and the RPAs. He also briefly from the existing about 240 aircraft to a 400 mentioned the plans for the IAC2. aircraft Navy by 2030. The growth of the Naval Air Arm has enabled the Indian Navy not only to look after India's national interests in the entire Indian Ocean Region, but also reach out to our neighbours and friends across the seas and Indian Naval Aviation in particular, provides us the necessary wherewithal to be the net security provider in the region and thus enable the Indian Navy to fulfill its primary role of deterrence with confidence and élan.

The first session I was kicked off by Cmde Varma the convener by introducing the moderator, Rear Admiral SM Vadgaonkar NM (Retd.), an experienced Naval Aviator, who has had the privilege of holding both the top Naval Aviation posts of ACNS (Air) and FONA. After thanking Keynote address by V Adm Pandit VAdm Pandit for his incisive Keynote Address,

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IMF Seminar Guests

RAdm Vadgaonkar also thanked the Convener. The title of his presentation was 'Key Inductions He then recounted his tenure as the ACNS (Air) in the MR Regime Including UAVs and Their almost a decade ago, the acquisitions they had Impact on Naval Operations'. He quoted the made and contracted for during this period, which Prime Minister; his vision of SAGAR – Security have fructified since. He then introduced the first and Growth for all in the Region, and in that speaker of the session – Capt Abhishek Ram, context the increasing role of Maritime Director of Naval Air Staff IHQ MOD (Navy), a Reconnaissance (MR) capabilities of the Indian helicopter pilot, who is an Experimental Test Pilot Navy. He traced the history of MR aircraft in the (ETP), having flown over 26 types of Aircraft. Navy from the era of IL 38s, Tu 142Ms and the Dorniers, to the induction of the P8Is, and how the The title of Capt Abhishek Ram's presentation capabilities have made a quantum jump. He also was 'Helicopter Operations Across the spoke about the induction of Remotely Piloted Maritime Domain and Its Impact On Naval Aircraft (RPA) into the Navy, and how this has Operations'. He gave a lucid presentation on the added another dimension to MR. With examples growing complexities of helicopter operations in of known operations over the past few years he roles of Low Intensity Maritime Conflict to Full- explained how the P8I has indeed been a game fledged conflicts, and how they have been at the changer. forefront right from the Gulf of Aden to the Malacca Straits. All the way from Search and The next speaker was DIG Alok Negi, CSO(AV), Rescue, they are required to undertake ASW and COMCG West, a Cat 'A' Observer, and a highly AEW missions as well as the anti-ship role. He qualified Officer of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). brought out the special needs of a naval helicopter His topic was 'Role of Aviation Element of Coast and thus the complex design. He spoke of how the Guard in Reinforcing Coastal Security Against Kamov 31 AEW helicopter in conjunction with Unconventional Threats from the Sea'. He the MiG 29K provide the fleet a potent Air started with a brief history of the ICG, and how it Defence Capability. He also spoke of future has evolved into a force capable of protecting our inductions and their impact on Naval Operations. EEZ of over 2 mn sq Km, and providing SAR Cmde Vikram Menon, CSO (Air) at HQNA, was cover over a region of 4.6 mn sq km. He then introduced by the Moderator, as the next speaker. spoke about the Coastal Security Construct, and

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how after 26/11 it had received the required flexibility in application of force to achieve the impetus, and the ICG's role and plans for the objectives. This great enabler, along with other future. He also brought out the crucial role being acquisitions that have joined the force along the played by aircraft in this role, and the growth road to modernization has transformed the way plans in ICG Aviation. the Navy operates. He highlighted the various milestones crossed in the last six years and This was followed by a lively Q/A Session, in suggested future waypoints for the growth of which a lot of clarifications sought and given with naval fighter aviation, with very interesting a high degree of confidence by the speakers. visuals. RAdm Vadgaokar summarized the proceedings and lauded the speakers for their professional and Capt Akshat Jaiswal, a sixth-generation officer of well-prepared presentations. the armed forces, a marine engineer specialized in Steam propulsion, and a Gold medalist from the Session II commenced after a sumptuous lunch. Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, was Cmde Varma introduced Cmde Ajay Chitnis SC, the next speaker. He has served on board INS NM (Retd), the Moderator for session II, calling Vikramaditya as the Engineer Officer and is him a senior and experienced aviator, and a currently the Director of Aircraft Carrier Project, pioneer in Helicopter Operations from Frigates at IHQ MOD (Navy). He said that with IAC 1 and Destroyers, especially Alouettes and (Vikrant) nearing completion, India is set to leap Kamovs. frog into a very select group of nations capable of building aircraft carriers. Though this and Cmde Chitnis stated that this session epitomizes Vikramaditya have added greatly to the Navy's the title of the seminar – Advances in the last punch at sea, the fact that they are both STOBAR Decade, effects on Naval Operations and Future (short Take Off But Arrested Recovery) carriers, Trends; with presentations by Cmde Ajay limits the type and number of aircraft they can Theophilus, Capt Akshat Jaiswal and Capt embark, as also limits the Air Surveillance Bubble Naushad Ali. He then introduced Cmde AD around the Carrier Battle Group. Having Theophilus, who was a speaker at the IMF successfully breeched the barrier of constructing seminar 10 years ago, was witness to the growth carriers, the next logical step would be to build of Fighter Aviation in the Indian Navy during the carriers which can bring an exponential increment last decade, in the air power potential of an IN CBG. The quality and capability of the air wing, the Cmde Theophilus, the first Pilot to land a MiG endurance, reach and sustenance of the aircraft 29K on board INS Vikramaditya, and the first carrier and the power projection capability of the Commanding Officer of the Black Panthers CBG, must be commensurate with the nation's (INAS 303), aptly titled his talk as: Carrier d e v e l o p m e n t , e c o n o m i c g r o w t h a n d Operations Post Induction of Vikramaditya responsibilities. The IAC 2 is envisaged to be and MiG 29K. He began saying that the IN was approximately 300 metres in length, with a no stranger to fixed wing operations from carriers, displacement of 65,000 tonnes and powered by an having been in the business since 1961, but the Integrated Full Electric Propulsion. The air wing arrival of Vikramaditya and the MiG 29K marked composition, considering mission profiles and a paradigm shift in the way carrier borne consequent sortie generation rates, is envisaged to operations are being undertaken. The ability to include fighters, AEW&C aircraft, COD / FRA operate a potent aircraft far away from our own and MR helicopters. He went on to describe shores gives a wide array of options to the ALRE (Advanced Launch and Recovery Commander at the theatre level and tremendous Equipment) comprising of EMALS (Electro-

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Magnetic Aircraft Launch System, and AAG with IAC 2, and had most of us fantasizing about (Advanced Arresting Gear), likely to be used on what this great ship would look like. Finally, Capt board IAC 2. It was a real look into the future of Naushad Ali Khan brought about the need for Carriers. India to embrace the Indo-Pacific Concept and prepare to deploy her maritime forces The next speaker was Capt Naushad Ali Khan, a accordingly, and structure force levels specialist in Navigation and Direction with appropriately, with Naval Aviation being a key several specialized sea appointments, including enabler. command of two Warships, and currently Captain Naval Operations at IHQ MOD Navy. The title of Session II, after a tea break, had two interesting his talk was, 'Carrier Deployment In The Indo- presentations. First by M/s Siemens, on Pacific Domain'. He began by explaining what digitization in ship building, and how this would make life much simpler for ship builders across the board. The second presentation was by Mr. Suresh Babu, Director Operations of Cochin Shipyard Ltd., and was titled “Challenges and Achievements in Vikrant Construction by CSL”. Everyone was eager to hear and see how this was getting along, and realized that building an aircraft carrier was something that a Shipyard, and indeed a Nation can be proud of.

Rear Admiral PG Phillipose NM, Flag Officer Naval Aviation delivered the concluding remarks. Having served as PD Aircraft Acquisition, ACNS (Air) and FONA, he has been 'hands-on', in terms Cmde Vir with FONA RAdm PG Phillipose of the growth and development of Naval Aviation during the past decade, and has in fact been the change from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific instrumental in the fructification of major meant for India and challenges of existing power projects. In this light, his concluding remarks equations in the Indo-Pacific. This region is aptly summed up the day's proceedings and becoming as important for the leading world provided the confidence that Naval Aviation was players as the Middle East region has been in the all set to soar to greater heights and a larger past. These power equations also play a huge role footprint in the areas of India's Maritime Interest. in deciding the deployments. A vote of thanks by the Convener and Questions were asked by a large number of presentation of mementos to the speakers and delegates, and answered competently by the moderators brought to an end an excellent panelists. In his concluding remarks, Cmde seminar, where all of us were transported to Chitnis thanked Cmde Theophilus for taking all higher altitudes. The Combined Study Group, and on a journey of the past decade and especially the the Convener deserve kudos for their efforts in changes that have taken place after 2013 with the organizing the seminar. Vikramaditya – MiG 29K combination became operational. An aircraft carrier is the most potent Cmde Ajay Chitnis military instrument of a maritime nation, he said. is Vice President IMF Capt Jaiswal revealed the shape of things to come

14 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

Chinese Forays In The Indian Ocean In The 15th Century – A Case Of Missed Opportunity ? By Cdr Mohan Narayan (Retd)

We have travelled more than one hundred li (forty show that China has always been a peaceful and thousand miles) of immense water spaces and benign maritime power. A little less known fact is have beheld in the ocean huge waves like that until her land frontiers were expanded under mountains rising in the sky, and we have set eyes the Qing dynasty in the 18th century, the maritime on the barbarian regions far way hidden in a blue frontier of China exceeded her land frontier3. This transparency of light vapours, while our sails, debunks the shibboleth that China was a loftily unfurled like clouds day and night, continental rather than a maritime entity. continued their course (as rapidly as) a star, traversing those savage waves as if we were It is during the Southern Song dynasty (1127 – treading a public thoroughfare………. 1279 CE) and the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE) that China metamorphosed into a major - Tablet erected by Zheng He, at Changle, Fujian, 1431 maritime power, arguably the most formidable maritime power in the world at that time. An China's maritime ambitions have been in the news interesting fact of Chinese history is that the repeatedly in recent times because of its growing interregnum between the Southern Song and the assertiveness vis – a - vis its claims over the island Ming dynasties (1271 -1368), though ruled by the chains in the East China Sea (Diaoyu/ Senkaku) continental Yuan Mongols, saw no waxing of and those in the South China Sea (Paracel and China's naval prowess. In fact, the Yuan Mongols Spratly). These claims not only bring China into repeatedly launched sea borne expeditions, albeit dispute with its near and immediate neighbours - unsuccessfully, to subjugate Japan and Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, all Indonesia4. They also sent out envoys by sea to a of whom concomitantly also stake their claims to host of states in Southeast and South Asia. these islands but also extra regional powers like However, Chinese sea faring reached its zenith the USA and India that have either a strategic under the Mings - her finest hour at sea. interest or an economic stake in the region1. Any steps initiated by the Chinese in staking its In Jan1406 (royal edict issued in Jun 1405) the military might in the South China or East China great Ming Armada weighed anchor in Nanjing, seas acts as a catalyst to a slew of discussions in on the first of the seven epic voyages it was to the electronic media and Op-Ed pieces in the print undertake as far west as the east coast of Africa: media. And invariably the discussions veer almost a century before Christopher Columbus's around to China's maritime prowess - both past arrival in the Americas' and Vasco da Gama's in and present. Predictably the references are often India5. The Commander of the Chinese Armada, used to buttress arguments either for or against Zheng He, was inarguably the most towering China's maritime activism. At one end of the maritime figure in the four- thousand year annals pendulum are cited claims that cannot be of China. Born Ma He, c 1371, to a Muslim historically verified, or that there is a historical family in Kunyang in the land locked Central precedent for an aggressive, expansionist Mongol province of Yunnan6, he was taken maritime policy on China's part. Domestically, captive as the invading Ming army overthrew the within China, references are made to history Mongols in 1382. Ritually castrated, he was either to prove the moral ascendancy2 of China's assigned to the court of Prince Zhu and trained as present irredentism or to cite her past record to an imperial eunuch7. He was renamed Zheng He

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after his exploits at the Battle of Zhenglunba, near classes, that is, treasure ships baochuan , with Beijing, that saw Zhu Di overthrow his nephew nine masts ( 400 ft long , beam 170 ft Zhu Yunwen to formally ascend the Dragon displacement 3,000 tons and a sail area of 50,000 Throne in 1402 as the Yongle (Eternal sq ft), 'horse- ships' with eight masts ( 370 ft long, Happiness) Emperor . His sagacity and beam 138 ft) , supply- ships with seven masts (280 capabilities soon won him the post of Grand ft, beam 115 ft and swiftest in the fleet), billet Eunuch Superintendent of the Office of Eunuchs ships (troop transports) with six masts (220 feet and was promoted as the Principal Envoy and long, beam83 ft), combat-ships with five masts Commander-in-Chief of the naval expeditions to (180 ft long), four- masted and three- masted the 'western' and 'southern' oceans between 1405 auxiliaries (water tankers etc) of varying length and 1433.He served three emperors as the 9.The fleet commanded by Zheng He counted as Admiral and died on the return voyage of the sixth many as 62 of these gargantuan bauchuan vessels. expedition. Scholars disagree on their actual size, but even at far more modest estimates they were surely the Ming Fleet largest wooden ships ever launched. These ships (Artists Impression) were built in the shipyards in the coastal provinces of Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guangdong. The leading shipbuilding centre was the Longjiang shipyard on the Yangtsi in the Fujian province. The Yard boasted amongst the various workshops for carpenters, sail makers, ironsmiths, seven 1,500 – foot dry docks. Dry docks first came into Europe at Portsmouth at the end of the fifteenth century; in China they date to at least the 10th century 10.

The initial impulse of these voyages was bluntly While the treasure ships were being built, the elemental - the Yongle Emperor's colossal crew consisting of the following was assembled11 ambition. The maritime build up was so massive -: in its dimensions that until recently most scholars (a)Eunuch commander as chief dismissed it as sheer myth until 1962 when that (b)Seven eunuch directors- as imperial s k e p t i c i s m w a s w r e n c h e d i n t o d a z e d representatives and ambassadors on the voyage astonishment. At the bottom of a muddy trench on (c)Ten eunuch assistant directors the south bank of the Yangtze River in Nanjing, (d) Fifty two eunuchs of unspecified rank workers unearthed a wooden steering post 364 feet long with evidence of an attached rudder The captains of the ships were specifically whose surface area worked out to a mind boggling appointed by the Emperor and given the power 'to 452 square feet- big enough to turn a vessel the kill or let live' to maintain order onboard. In size of the legendary bauchuan (Chinese for addition, the fleet had two secretaries to prepare 'treasure ships'), of the Ming Armada8. The ships official documents; one senior secretary from the used in Zheng He's voyages were known as Ministry of Revenue who was in charge of grain 'treasure ships' because they brought back and fodder supplies; two officials from the 'unnamed treasures of unknown qualities'. Ministry of Rites that took charge of protocol at According to Chinese sources, the Ming Navy official receptions, and one official astrologer and included over two hundred and fifty treasure geomancer assisted by four student astrologers ships, and these were divided into at least seven and geomancers, who would be responsible for 16 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

making astronomical observations, forecasting but perfectly in step with the prevailing ethos of the weather, keeping the calendar and interpreting Zhu Di's reign. Vast expansions of the Grand natural phenomena. Ten instructors whose official Canal and the Great Wall were completed during title was tong yi fan shu jiao yu guan, literally the Yongle decades, along with hundreds of 'teacher who knows foreign books', would be temples and palaces. In the years between Zheng onboard to serve as translators. Arabic speakers He's second and sixth expeditions (1409 – 1421), and those knowledgeable in Central Asian the Emperor would order the imperial capital languages would certainly have been among itself moved 600 miles to the north, from Nanjing them. to Beijing, commission the monumental 'Forbidden City' at its heart and a sprawling The fleet also had 180 medical officers and metropolis to surround it. More than 300 vessels pharmacologists to collect herbs from countries are believed to have sailed on Zheng He's main being visited. The majority of the regular seamen voyages to what the Chinese call Xi Yang, the and soldiers were banished criminals. Finally, Western Ocean. In all, seven expeditions were specialized workmen such as ironsmiths, organized under Zheng He's command, though he caulkers, and scaffolding builders were included did not participate directly in the second, and on the mission in the event that the ship needed returned half way in the sixth. Taken together, repairs at sea12. These are extraordinary numbers, these expeditions used 317 Chinese junks, with

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individual voyages deploying as many as 60. The and other spices, areca nuts, sandalwood, incense, sheer size of the Ming fleet is intimidating even in dye stuffs, cotton fabrics, sugar, ivory, giraffes, our times. Every voyage was decreed by a royal elephants, parakeets, buffaloes, pearls and edict of the Emperor. Invariably the main port of precious stones, rhinoceros horns, drugs , glass, departure of the voyages was Nanjing and the tin and 'western products'. The Chinese resident ships sailed along the Yangtze to reach the open abroad also participated in the overseas inter- port sea. The approximate duration of each expedition trade, and both Ma Huan and Fei Hisn specify the was two years. While the first three voyages articles which the Chinese used as 'trade goods' at reached up Calicut, the fourth reached Maldives different ports .Intangible gains from these and Hormuz, and the rest up to the Red Sea and the expeditions were abundant – renewed knowledge East African coast. From the fourth voyage of the geography of Asia and the sea routes, onwards, part of the fleet/ squadrons branched off considerable collection of valuables and rarities to areas off the main route, like Nicobar, Bengal, such as gems, minerals, drugs, plants, a range of Coromandel, Malayan coast, Socotra etc. In all, wild animals, some of which had not been seen 30 countries were visited and a number of places, earlier in China. Fresh knowledge accrued on some in the interior and away from sea, were seen tides, monsoons, cyclones, ocean circulation, and and discussed. Ma Yuan(Ma Huan), Kung Chen its seasonal shifts and reversals and navigation and Fei Hisn were the principal chroniclers of the practices of South and Southeast Asia. voyages with the travel accounts of Ma Huan Commemorative stones of the voyages at Liu (The Overall Survey of Oceans)being the most Creek (1431) and the trilingual stone of Devanura complete and authentic. (Dondra Head in 1411) bear mute testimony to the voyages. These gains would not have come to the As seamen, Chinese sailors excelled. As knowledge of the later generations of the Chinese navigators they made use of lead and line for themselves and the world at large but for the sounding, sailing directions, some form of cross- magnificent chronicles of Ma Huan and others. staff, magnetic compass and maritime diagrams. The discovery of Wu Pei Chih chart, believed to They estimated longitude by noting the number of have been composed in the first half of the ship watches elapsed in the run at an estimated seventeenth century, using the log data of Zheng speed (the world had to wait till the 18th century for He's voyages has opened a new window on the Englishman Harrison's invention of the Chinese charting of the medieval times, but accurate time keeping device, the chronometer). discussion on the chart needs a separate paper. They also used to a limited extent celestial When the Yongle emperor died in 1424, the Ming navigation methods, especially the Pole Star, dynasty had reached the apogee of its power. Canopus, Great Bear and Cassiopeia, in the north Chinese suzerainty was acknowledged by more –south sailing between the Yangtze and Java. In foreign rulers than ever before, even distant Egypt the Indian Ocean, they followed the Coromandel sending an ambassador. Representatives of sixty- technique of parallel sailing using moon seven overseas states, including seven kings, culminating equatorial stars. It is in Zheng He's came bearing tribute to render homage to the voyages that there is first hand, first time evidence Emperor, while states which refused submission of use of magnetic bearings in sailing along with were overawed by force; thus, a defiant king of precise rhumb routes on any bearing. Ceylon and Sumatran chiefs were captured and brought as prisoners to China13. In the brief period China exported silk, porcelain, lacquer-ware, art- from 1405 – 1433, China extended its sphere of objects, copper, cash, and Buddhist sutras; and political power and influence throughout the imported camphor, tortoise shell, coral, pepper, Indian Ocean. Half the world was in China's

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grasp and with such a formidable navy the other century, crushing a ragtag, truncated Chinese half was easily within reach. The Chinese knew navy and their ramshackle coastal fortifications about Europe from the Arab traders but had no was mere bagatelle for the European navies desire to go there14. The lands in the 'far west' backed by their booming canons and superior offered only wool and wine, which had little ordnance. China had allowed its sea power and appeal for them. So it was not at all surprising that maritime traditions to decline at its own peril. when Vasco da Gama and his three battered These humiliating defeats saw a Carthaginian caravels reached Africa, enroute to India in 1498, peace imposed on China that in later years would even the Africans, who sported embroidered lead to the so called 'treaty ports' with Shanghai green silk caps with fine fringe (a sartorial legacy being the most prominent. It marked the of the Ming fleet visit), scoffed at the trinkets the commencement of 'The Century of Humiliation' Portuguese offered – beads, bells, strings of coral (1839 to 1949) in Chinese history. Vasco da Gama etc and seemed unimpressed with their small and Zheng He missed each other in Africa by ships15. about eighty years. One wonders what would have happened if they had met. Seeing the 'treasure fleet' would Vasco da Gama and other Europeans, in their puny eighty five to a hundred feet galleons, have dared to proceed further? Conversely, would the Chinese been tempted to crush these snails? History may be replete with such imponderables but for sure this paper would have been written in a language other than English! References : 1,2&3. Thampi Dr M, China's Maritime Frontier and Maritime Power Through History in 'Monsoon Musings 2015', ed Maritime History Society 2015, pgs 91, 93. But the passing of the Yongle Emperor ended the 4. Levathes Louise, When China Ruled the Seas, New heroic age of imperial China; the great awakening York, Oxford University Press 1994, pg 54. was over, the spiritual vigour evaporated and 5. Ma Huan,Ying- Yai-Sheng-Lan('The Overall Survey energetic action was no longer forthcoming. of Ocean Shores',English Translation by Feng Ch'eng- China could have become a great thalossocracy a Chun) Hakluyt Society, Cambridge University Press hundred years before the age of European 1970 , pg 8. exploration and expansion, but did not. In the 6,7. Viviano Frank, China's Great Armada in middle of the 15th century following the National Geographic June 2005, pg 34. subterfuges and shenanigans orchestrated by the 8. ibid., pg 42 Mandarins at the Imperial Court, the Chinese 9, 10. Op.cit., Levathes Louise, pgs 77, 82. rulers not only recalled the treasure fleet but 11,12. Ma Huan, Ying-Yai-Sheng-Lan('The Overall ordered its deliberate evisceration. The Ming Survey of Ocean Shores',English Translation by Feng Dynasty turned their back to the sea relinquishing Ch'eng- Chun) Hakluyt Society ,Cambridge its technological and commercial advantages, not University Press 1970, pgs 31 -33. to mention its supremacy in maritime Asia to 13. ibid., pg 2. seafaring European nations embarking on their 14, 15. Op.cit., Levathes Louise, pg 10. own Age of Discovery, an euphemism for Cdr Mohan Narayan (Retd) is Former colonization. In the Opium Wars of the mid 19th Curator, Maritime History Society, Mumbai

19 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

UDA Summer School 2019 Dr(Cdr) Arnab Das

The Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) on International Relations as well who made a Summer School successfully completed the third detailed presentation on the present status of edition in a very grand manner at Goa. The third geopolitics globally and in specific the Indian edition was bigger and better in terms of number Ocean Region (IOR) and also interacted with the of participants, sponsors, stature of resource participants. persons, level of projects and more. 39 participants from all across the country joined the The UDA Summer School is a six weeks project programme that included 15 female and 24 male. based internship, with the basic agenda of The mentors included Dr. R A Mashelkar, Dr. Anil exposing the participants to the broad UDA Kakodkar, Dr. Vijay Bharkar and Dr. V K framework and the specific challenges and Saraswat. Organizationally, DRDO, CSIR, opportunities for them going forward. Each AICTE, MOES, CSL, L&T Defence, Indian participant chooses a project of his interest from Coast Guard, Indian Navy, University of multiple options made available by the mentor Mumbai, Goa University, NMF, IMF, Gateway and then develop the same based on literature House, BNHS, INSA, IRS and others who survey and interaction with domain experts, partnered and supported us in multiple ways, in policy makers and industry professions. The hosting this big event. The University of Mumbai projects include policy formulation, technology and National Institute of Oceanography hosted & research aspects and also start-up ideas. The the participants and provided all logistics support stakeholders of the UDA framework include for the Mumbai and Goa phase respectively. It has Maritime Security, Blue Economic Entities, the distinction of being the only programme of its Environmental & Disaster Management kind in terms of being a six weeks residential Authorities and Science & Technology Providers. programme with multi-disciplinary and multi- Senior representatives from the stakeholders dimensional in many ways than one. The interacted with the participants and also evaluated participants comprised of all possible disciplines their projects. starting with science & technology, political science, management, law, geopolitics etc. The The entire six weeks was structured to provide a participants also came from diverse backgrounds comprehensive exposure to the participants. The starting from students, faculty, professionals, and first week were housed in Mumbai University and entrepreneurs. The resource persons represented more oriented to academic exposure and hands- the entire spectrum of academicians, on sessions. The last two weeks were planned for professionals, policy makers, industry experts, field exposure, hosted by the National Institute of entrepreneurs, bureaucrats, politicians and Oceanography at Goa. The five days of the week strategic experts. We had two Taiwanese experts (Monday to Friday) was reserved for academic Events

activities including lectures, interactions, hands- (Mb) conducted workshops to apprise the on sessions, presentations with the resource participants to multiple aspects of the UDA persons. One day, during the weekend was for framework. Hands-on session on Matlab, Python outdoor team building activities. The first and Data Science was organized and the weekend, the participants visited Kanheri Caves, participants got an opportunity to interact with the accompanied by non-other than Dr. Suraj Pandit. best in the academia and the industry. Every The second weekend the participants visited the Friday there was dedicated project interaction and Indian Coast Ship, the Regional Headquarter at evaluation by senior faculty members from Mumbai and also the Maritime Rescue University of Mumbai. Dr. Varsha Kelkar Mane Coordination Centre. The third weekend was from University of Mumbai was the coordinator reserved for field visit to L&T Strategic Complex for the Mumbai Phase. at Talegaon. The fourth weekend was for shifting to Goa and the entire team along with their mentor travelled to Goa by bus. The fifth weekend was the icing on the cake with a unique Beach walk mentored by Dr. Prassanna Kumar, former Director NIO Goa ably assisted by Dr. Baban Ingole, Sc F. Dr. Prassana Kumar being an oceanographer and accompanied by a marine biologist was unparalleled exposure for the participants. The beach walk was a unique learning experience with visit to four different beaches with varied physical features and bio- diversity. The four beaches included Miramar, Inaugural Event at Goa with Arambol, Baga and Calungute spread across the honorable Chief Minister Shri Pramod Sawant north and central part of Goa. Tiring, but all the The Goa phase commenced at the Goa University participants showed significant enthusiasm with the Inaugural Event being Chaired by the through the day from 0800 to 1800 hrs. Honourable Chief Minister Shri Pamod Sawant. Prof Varun Sahni VC Goa University, Rear The academic phase at Mumbai had panel Admiral S Y Shrikhande (Retd), Capt Dilip discussion every Monday ranging from Maritime Donde (Retd), Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh Director Security & Strategy, Shipbuilding & Nation NIO, Dr. Prassanna Kumar Former Director NIO Building and Dredging & Underwater and Shri Jayant Sahasrabuddhe Organizing Explosions. The panellist included Admiral A R Secretary ViBha were present at the occasion Karve (Retd), IG Vijay D Chafekar COMCG along with faculty and students from University (West), Shri Atul Kulkarni, Shri N Girish Senior of Goa and Scientists from NIO. Rear Admiral S Y Vice President IRS, Shri Anil Devli CEO INSA, Shrikhande (Retd) gave the Keynote address at Dr. Suhas Pednekar VC University of Mumbai, Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni PVC UoM, and Dr. Vadala Sastri VC BATU. Dignitaries like Dr. Deepak Apte Director BNHS, Mr. R N Kalita Adviser IWT Assam, Dr. Naveen Namboothri Director Dakshin Foundation, Prof PSV Nataraj IIT Mumbai and others interacted and made presentations to the participants. Organization like NMF, Ocean Engineering Dept IIT Chennai, Dassault Systems, and Maritime Warfare Centre The Participants 21 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

the inaugural event. The Marine Science Dept at circumnavigated the globe at the Ocean Sailing the Goa University exposed the participants to Node. It was a photo moment with the beautiful multiple aspects of marine biodiversity. The NIO ocean sailing yachts lined up including INSV Goa conducted three day workshop for the Madhei, INSV Tarini, Antara (Dilip Donde's participants including lectures by senior personal yacht) and others. scientists, visit to the labs and also field visit to a marine archaeological site. Visits were organized The valedictory function of the UDA Summer to NCPOR, Goa Shipyard, Marmagoa Port Trust, School 2019, was held at the NIO Goa. The Chief Aquarius Shipyard (Boat builder who built the Guest was Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd) former naval chief and a well-known maritime strategist. Admiral Arun Prakash appreciated the entire UDA Summer School design and concept. He addressed the participants and interacted with them along with Director NIO, Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh and Dr. Prassanna Kumar.

The Vigyan Parishad Mumbai and Vidyan Prasar Goa were the main partners with MRC in organizing the entire event. Shri Jayantrao Beach walk lead by Dr. Prassankumar former Director NIO Sahasrabudhe Organizing Secretary ViBha has ocean sailing yacht used for circumnavigation) been the main driving force for the UDA Summer and the Indian Navy's Ocean Sailing Node. The School and ensured the best at every step. Shri participants spend a full day with Capt Dilip Praful Talera, MRC Adviser on Blue Economy Donde, “the first Indian to undertake solo and Director Foundation for Underwater Domain circumnavigation”. The day comprised of lecture, Awareness (Main body under which MRC interaction, visit to the yacht and visit to the functions) has been a constant source of

Valedictory function chaired by Adm Arun Prakash (Retd) boatyard where the boat was built and also inspiration and support. He spent lot of time with interaction with the boat builder. The participants the participants and got very involved with all of were fascinated to meet a legend like Dilip sir. them. A great motivator with deep understanding Achiever par excellence, but such a humble on maritime affairs and geopolitics. person full of determination. They also got to Dr. (Cdr) Arnab Das, Founder & Director MRC meet Lt Cdr Payal Gupta, member of the famous was the mentor for the entire UDA Summer Tarini team (all girls sailing team) to have School. 22 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

International Coastal Clean-up by IMF, Oct 2019

Cleaning of river banks in Ludhiana, 9 Oct 2019

Beach clean-up at Chennai, 1 Oct 2019

Coastal clean-up and cleaning of river banks carried out under the guidance and coordination of Cmde P K Malhotra and Capt G Karanjikar 23 SeaGull November 19 - January 20

Events

World Maritime Day 2019 CMMI (Pune), Institute of Marine Engineers (Pune) & Indian Maritime Foundation (IMF) Organizing "World Maritime Day" Celebrations at Pune

The World Maritime day was celebrated with “Management and Operation of Container great pomp and gusto on 21st September, 2019 Terminals and Multimodal Transport Logistics “ under the auspices of CMMI (Pune), IME (I) and and after a brief introduction of authors by Capt S. IMF at Hotel Deccan Royaale, Pune. S. Naphade (Ex-Nautical Adviser to GOI). The authors elaborated the purpose and contents of the The celebration had an overwhelming response well written book which turns out to be the only and was attended by nearly a hundred guests. The book available on this subject. It was welcomed event was graced by many dignitaries from the by the audience with a heartening applause. Maritime community. The event was a huge success thanks to the presence of the families of To strengthen the efforts on empowerment of the invitees and other guests. who boosted the women in Maritime community, the session was energy of the event with their enthusiasm. well conducted and moderated by Capt. Kiran Joshi and was aptly represented by women The International Maritime Organization (I.M.O) seafarers who represented various branches of the selected 'Empowering Women in the Maritime Community' as a theme of the event. This theme was very well appreciated by the Maritime Community as it provided a much needed platform to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to highlight the important contribution of women all over the world to the maritime sector.

Upon the initial welcome address by Mr. Sanjeev Ogale and Capt S. S. Ghokhale the function Capt Kiran Joshi addressing the meeting started with the launching of book authored by Capt. R. G. Khare and Capt. V. M. Galande titled

26 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Events

marine field. Capt Anuradha Jha, shared her experiences about empowerment of women and also gave anecdotes of her life at sea which has spanned for over sixteen years.

Ms Josephine Jennifer Lenceia, ETO, who came all the way from Chennai to attend this event, expressed her views about gender equality and

Girl Cadets Ms Shrivani Divate (MANET PUNE), Ms Ritika Singh , Ms Aditi , Ms Hrishika Nayak, (Tolani Maritime Institute) empowerment onboard the ships. Ms. Sharvani Mishra gave glimpses of her experiences about Marine industry and being a first Marine engineer from Tolani, the challenges of being a woman Capt. Anand Dixit, Capt. Sudhir Subhedar, onboard a ship. She also mentioned work and life Capt. K. G. Apte, Capt. Vilas Pimpalkhare, Capt. Talwalkar balance of women officers at sea to answer a question from the audience. efforts being made towards the same. Capt. Shashank Jahagirdar, Global head of crewing & H The girl cadets who attended the event from TMI R of Maersk Tankers briefed the invitees were Ms Ritika Singh, Ms Aditi, Ms Hrishika regarding the training and other awareness Nayak, and Ms Asha and Ms. Shronavi Divate programmes conducted in Maersk lines and the from MANET. The session evoked many queries need of such programmes to create a conducive from the audience. They were well addressed by atmosphere which will nurture women the members of the panel.

The evening had its own share of musical extravaganza and entertained the big gathering which was hosted by Capt. A. V. Tipnis and his Karaoke singing by other team members Capt. Amol Athalye, Capt. M. S. Lagu . The singers were also accompanied by cadets of Tolani Marine Institute - Mr. Atharva and Mr. Pratik Shashvat who played the keyboard and Kawaha.

Courtesy : The Company of Master Mariners of India, Pune Chapter

Ms Jennifer, Capt Anuradha Jha and Divya Jain (2nd Eng). 27 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Obituary

Captain Sujit Chaudhuri

Captain Sujit Chaudhuri, a senior and council member. After some years, he served as distinguished Master Mariner, and a respected the very fine Editor of IMF's quarterly journal, member of our team in the Indian Maritime Seagull for nearly a decade, a time-consuming Foundation passed away in Pune after a brief assignment he carried out admirably. He was illness in September 19. He was 86. Sujit had a thereafter elevated to become the Vice President long career as a Master in the Shipping of IMF. Corporation of India (SCI), he had the signal honour of commanding with distinction the only Sujit was a gentleman to the core, he belonged to foreign-going passenger ship of the Company, the the old school, becoming a rare breed now to find. MV Chidambaram, plying between Madras He was a stickler for punctuality and decorum and (Chennai) and Singapore. was always seen as an example to follow at our

Capt Sujit Chaudhuri and Mrs Suman Chaudhuri With Fellow Delegates at IMF Seminar. cutting IMF Anniversary Cake. 2002. Sujit is on the Right. 2006

When IMF was being formed in 1993 as a non- events. Sujit was a mature senior mariner, who at profit NGO to be run by volunteers who were some challenging times in our formative years former officers from the Navy and the Merchant helped to 'steady the ship'. Marine, Sujit was among the first to join us as a Sujit was a keen golfer, and an ardent team player as a council member of IMF. He was always fully supported by his charming wife Suman. In the recent past, unfortunately Sujit had to leave us as an active member due to his health and we missed his presence at our meetings and events. Sujit is survived by his son Rahul and daughter Rupa and four grand children. May God rest his soul in peace.

Cmde Rajan Vir, President IMF

With IMF Council Members. 2005

28 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Defence

Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle US Navy Makes A Major Breakthrough In Autonomous Weaponry

The U.S. Navy has achieved a major milestone in mission package to the littoral combat ship, albeit its efforts to autonomously combat one of the more than a decade late. The mine-hunting most persistent threats it faces, the service's mission package for LCS was supposed to deputy head of the Office of the Chief of Naval achieve its initial operational capability Operations' mine warfare office said recently. The declaration in 2008. But perhaps more Navy successfully demonstrated what's known as importantly, the service may finally have an single-sortie mine hunting, which sends out an effective solution to combating a threat that has autonomous boat to sweep for mines with a sonar bedeviled it for years: cheap mines. system, detect a mine-like object, classify it and then deploy another system that destroys the “In the past it has been mostly divers — we'd sent mine, according to Stephen Olson. explosive ordnance disposal teams out to go It's a significant achievement in the years long neutralize mines by putting some kind of charge effort to “get the man out of the minefield” by on it,” said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine deploying robots to perform a job traditionally officer and analyst with the Center for Strategic performed by manned minesweepers and highly and Budgetary Assessments. “It's a hugely trained divers. Beyond the safety benefits, it also complicated, multistage operation with a lot of quickens the process. The successful test opens up people involved. So going to single-sortie mine the possibility of having a small cadre of human hunting, you are really saving a lot of time, operators who can oversee whole packs of robots certainly by at least a third the time it takes to clear as they sweep minefields on their own. an area that has mines in it. “That single-sortied, detect-to-engage was a great “You can now transition to a purely unmanned example of something that would represent mine-clearance operation where I have a ship that supervisory control of unmanned systems,” Olson has the AQS-20 getting towed behind the CUSV, said. “It was a small group of people who oversaw searches for a mine and the CUSV can send out a the entire effort: Multiple systems were in mine-neutralization torpedo.” The breakthrough operation together, working together and cueing with single-sortie will mean the Navy is only each other.” “Currently the Navy cannot disclose limited by how many robots it can buy to do the any further details of the test beyond what Mr. job. Olson described,” Navy spokeswoman Lt. Brittany Stephens said. “It's big not just because it gets people out of the The systems under development in the pursuit of minefield but because it's scalable now,” Clark single-sortie mine hunting are Textron's Common said. “Once you take the people out the minefield, Unmanned Surface Vehicle, or CUSV, about the now you can search as big a minefield as I have size of a bass boat, which deploys Raytheon's unmanned vehicles, whereas in the past you were AQS-20 sonar system to detect the mines. After an limited by how many minesweepers I have and operator authorizes an engagement, the how many humans I have to operate them. Barracuda Expendable Mine Neutralizer is Scalability was constrained.” Ultimately, getting deployed to autonomously reacquire and destroy this mission right will prove that autonomous the mine. systems can have an impact on war fighting, Clark added.

'Huge vulnerability'. The Navy is also moving in Courtesy : Defensenews.com on the ability to deliver an effective counter-mine 29 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

Magellan Was First To Sail Around The World, Right ? Think Again. Five Hundred Years On, The Explorer's Legacy Is Complicated - And Contested.

Five hundred years ago, Ferdinand Magellan illegal trading and fell out with Manuel I, who began a historic journey to circumnavigate the turned down his proposal to locate a new spice globe. Simple, right? Not really— the explorer route. and his voyage are a study in contradiction. Magellan was Portuguese, but sailed on behalf of Magellan was convinced that by sailing west Spain. He was a formidable captain, but his crew instead of east and going through a rumored strait hated him. His expedition was the first to sail through South America, he could map a new route around the world, but he didn't end up circling the to Indonesia and India. So he abandoned his globe himself. His name wasn't even Magellan. Portuguese loyalty and headed to Spain, where he Nonetheless, it's clear that Ferdinand Magellan's gained both citizenship and Charles V's blessing 1519 expedition changed the world forever. His for a five-ship journey westward. The captain journey was “the greatest sea voyage ever stood to gain great wealth and status from the trip: undertaken, and the most significant,” says Charles gave him a decade-long monopoly on any historian Laurence Bergreen, author of Over the route he might discover, a cut of the profits, and a Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying noble title to boot. But he was in an awkward Circumnavigation of the Globe. “That's not position when it came to his majority-Spanish hyperbole.” crew and his royal mission. “The Castilians resented sailing under a Portuguese commander Brutal, bellicose, and brave, Magellan turned a and the Portuguese considered him a traitor,” commercial voyage into a hair-raising showdown writes historian Lincoln Paine. with a wide world few Europeans could imagine. At the beginning of his journey, his After winter weather forced his ships to wait for contemporaries suspected it was impossible to months in what is now Argentina, Magellan's sail around the entire globe—and feared that crew mutinied. One ship wrecked; another everything from sea monsters to killer fogs ditched the expedition altogether and headed back awaited anyone foolhardy enough to try. “It to Spain. The captain struggled to regain control sounded suicidal to do this,” says Bergreen. of his men, but once he did, the repercussions were swift and harsh. He ordered some of the The Portuguese nobleman was born Fernão de mutineers beheaded and quartered; others were Magalhães around 1480. As a page to queen marooned or forced into hard labor. consort Eleanor and Manuel I, he experienced court life in Lisbon. But the young man had a The voyage got back on track and Magellan sense of adventure, and took part in a string of managed to navigate a treacherous passage that's Portuguese voyages designed to discover and now named in his honor—the Strait of Magellan. seize lucrative spice routes in Africa and India. But his troubles weren't over. As the crew forged across the Pacific Ocean, food spoiled and scurvy At the time, Portugal and Spain were involved in and starvation struck. Magellan and his men an intense rivalry to see who could find and claim briefly made landfallin what was likely Guam, new territory where they could source the spices where they killed indigenous people and burned coveted by European aristocrats. In 1505, their homes in response to the theft of a small boat. Magellan joined the fight, traveling to India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. But his days in service A month later, the expedition reached the to Portugal were numbered: He was accused of Philippines. To the crew's surprise, Enrique, an 30 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

enslaved man Magellan had purchased before the Magellan swiftly claimed the Philippines on journey, could understand and speak the Spain's behalf, but his involvement in what indigenous people's language. It turned out he was Bergreen calls an “unnecessary war” was his likely raised there before his enslavement undoing. “He wasn't defeated by natural forces,” —making him, not Magellan, the first person to says Bergreen. Instead, he demanded that local circumnavigate the globe. Mactan people convert to Christianity and

Philippines- Apr1521, Magellan is killed

Spain- 20 Sept 1519

Argentina Feb-Aug 1520

SPAIN Sept. 20, 1519 Expedition departs Feb.–Aug., 1520, The ships winter in modern day Argentina. Crews mutiny but Magellan ultimately regains control. Nov. 28, 1520, The expedition sails through the newly discovered strait. Magellan and crew become the first Europeans to reach the Pacific Ocean. Philippines. April 27, 1521, Magellan is killed in battle with locals. Nov. 8, 1521, Juan Sebastián Elcano leads two ships to the Moluccas, and eventually returns to Spain with one ship. Sept. 6, 1522, Expedition returns to Spain

31 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

became embroiled in a rivalry between Humabon and Lapu-Lapu, two local chieftains. On April 27, 1521, Magellan was killed by a poison arrow while attacking Lapu-Lapu’s people.

They “all at once rushed upon him with lances of iron and of bamboo,” wrote Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar who accompanied the journey, “so that they slew our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide.” The crew left his body behind—an indication, perhaps, of how they truly felt about their relentless leader.

After Magellan's death, his crew continued in the single ship that remained, captained by Juan Sebastian Elcano, a Basque. They returned to Spain in September 1522. Along the way, they had encountered a new ocean, mapped new routes for European trade, and set the stage for modern globalism. Sixty thousand miles later, and after the death of 80 percent of those involved, the expedition had proven that the globe could be circumnavigated and opened the door to European colonization of the New World in the Lapu likely did not do the deed, he is widely name of commerce. commemorated as a symbol of Filipino resistance and pride. Now, historians are working toward a But though Magellan's name is associated with more accurate portrayal ahead of the 500th discovery by some, others shy away from that anniversary of Magellan's arrival in the word. “When I write my textbook I will state that Philippines. The government's quincentennial Magellan arrived in the Philippines in 1521,” says celebrations in 2021 will include replacing a 10- historian Ambeth Ocampo , former chairman of foot statue of Lapu-Lapu in the city that bears his the Republic of the Philippines' national historical name. A monument that shows the battle commission. “Magellan should not be seen as the itself—and the group effort that brought down an beginning of Philippine history but one event [in] epic explorer—will take its place. a history that still has to be written and rewritten for a new generation.” Should Magellan be considered a hero, or what Ocampo calls the Philippines' “first tourist”? As For the indigenous people encountered by Guam, the Philippines, Spain and even Portugal Magellan and his crew, the explorer's celebrate and question the quincentennial, the arrival heralded a new age of conquest, explorer's legacy remains as complicated as ever. Christianization, and colonization. Lapu- Lapu, the Mactan ruler whose forces killed Reference Magellan, is often credited with slaying the :https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/09/ma gellan-first-sail-around-world-think-again/ explorer. Compiled by Atul Vir, IMF'S Honorary As a result, notes Ocampo, he has become a Correspondent in Houston, USA national hero in the Philippines. Though Lapu- 32 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Letter from London

Letter from London By Paul Ridgway FRGS FRIN

The Merchant Navy Medal cadet and sailed in deep-sea oil and gas tankers, Recipients of 2019 Merchant Navy Medal for then went on to become the first female captain of Meritorious Service were announced on a Condor ferry and is now the CEO of Red Funnel. Merchant Navy Day, 3 September, when 19 from There will be an investiture at Trinity House in the maritime community were recognised across a November. range of categories. On Merchant Navy Day we honour the significant role our Merchant Navy Aid to the Bahamas has made and continues to make. RFA Mounts Bay had been in the Caribbean since June in preparation for the hurricane season and A 93-year-old seafarer who began his nautical was re-tasked on 30 August to sail to The career in 1943 is Captain Angus McDonald, one Bahamas in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, the of the 19 men and women to receive the Merchant strongest ever recorded in the islands. Navy Medal for Meritorious Service this year. McDonald served widely for more than 20 years Following arrival on 4 September Mounts Bay's and was familiar with the treacherous waters of Wildcat helicopter conducted reconnaissance West Africa as a port pilot in Ghana. flights over the islands to assess the damage and provide important intelligence to the Bahamian Another recipient of this year's prestigious award Government and the team of (UK) Department for is Captain Rachel Dunn, who started her career in International Development (DFID) experts who the Merchant Navy and later became the first were deployed to the region. They worked female Admiralty Pilot. alongside the Bahamian Government's National Emergency Management Agency and the Of these awards Nusrat Ghani, Maritime Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Minister, said: 'It is a privilege to announce the Agency, as well as other international partners, to recipients of this year's Merchant Navy Medal, for assess the damage caused by the hurricane, and to their service both at sea and on land. These plan the response. remarkable men and women have gone above and beyond their duty to provide an invaluable service An added capability of Mounts Bay was that she not only to our maritime industry, but to our was equipped with a dedicated Humanitarian and nation. Their impressive contributions to the Disaster Relief (HADR) team made up of maritime sector have boosted the heart of the personnel from the Royal Engineers and Royal industry while also paving the way for the future Logistic Corps and carried vital aid and specialist generations of seafarers – and I would like to equipment, such as all-terrain quads, dump thank them for their work.' trucks, diggers and stores. The ship was also able to provide essential medical care. It is understood Another recipient of this year's medal is Captain that the ship has the capability to transport up to Mark Meade, who found his passion for all things 3600 evacuees (in ideal conditions) to nearby maritime working alongside his father on small islands. workboats and tugs. Throughout his career, Meade worked to improve the safety and While on passage and tracking Hurricane Dorian standards of the industry and is now Chairman of from the south, Mounts Bay's HADR Command the Workboat Association (formerly NWA). Then Planning Group were preparing for the task there is Captain Fran Collins who started as a ahead, assessing the island chain's geographical

33 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Letter from London

picture and infrastructure to ensure that maximum The vessel, yet to be named, will provide and initial support was provided to those affected. service aids to navigation in some of the most With regular updates from the ship's dangerous waters, marking channels and hazards Meteorological team, the Command Planning and taking advantage of the latest technology. Group kept a watch on Dorian's advance, tracking This investment is the latest move by the its progress as it developed through the West government to future-proof the UK's maritime Indies. sector as the gateway to the world, supporting innovation and ensuring competition thrives. Mounts Bay's CO Captain Rob Anders, commented: 'The team in Mounts Bay has trained HMS Prince of Wales in HADR to be prepared for all eventualities. It is As I was putting the finishing touches to this hoped that we will not have to use those skills but column our newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of if required Mounts Bay is ready.' Wales, sailed from Rosyth Dockyard for the first time on 19 September, eight years after her first A new lighthouse tender. At the start of this steel was cut. The 65,000 tonne warship was due year's London International Shipping Week to head under the Forth Bridges in the coming Nusrat Ghani, Maritime Minister on behalf of week to begin her initial sea trials off the coast of HMG, confirmed that it will enable construction North East Scotland before arriving at her home of a new advanced ship for the General port of Portsmouth later this year. In time she will Lighthouse Authority, Trinity House, to replace be commissioned by her Lady Sponsor, HRH The the ageing THV Patricia, built in 1982 by Henry Duchess of Cornwall, and in due course will berth Robb of Leith. alongside her sister ship Queen Elizabeth.

HMS Prince of Wales, now on sea trials. Photo: MoD Crown Copyright 2019

34 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Letter from London

Piracy, Forever With Us. Peter Lehr, a maritime terrorism and piracy For many years I have kept in touch with the expert, casts fresh light on pirates and delves deep International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and into what motivates them and how they operate. received reports issued by its noteworthy Piracy He also illuminates the state's role in the Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, the link for development of piracy throughout history: from which can be found here: https://www.icc- privateers sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth I to ccs.org/index.php/piracy-reporting-centre They pirates operating off the coast of Africa taking the maintain a round-the-clock watch on the world's law into their own hands. After exploring the shipping lanes, reporting pirate attacks to local failures which create fertile ground for pirate law enforcement authorities and issuing warnings activities, the author evaluates the success of about piracy hotspots to shipping. counter-piracy efforts—and the reasons behind The narrative here illustrates some of the recent failures. I remember hearing a lecture on the a t t a c k s : h t t p s : / / w w w . i c c subject 20 years ago when the speaker said that as ccs.org/index.php/piracy-reporting-centre/live- long as life on land was tough, piracy would be piracy-report profitable, improve the lot of those ashore and there would be no need to go a-pirating.

It is unbelievable that the scourge of piracy is still with us and to set the scene past and present has come Pirates: A New History, from Vikings to Somali Raiders by Peter Lehr, published by Yale University Press, New Haven and London. With 261 pages, 20 colour and 6 monochrome illustrations with maps, this is priced at £20.00 (ISBN 978 0 300 18074 9) and tells the story from AD 700 in a well-arranged volume considering the subject in three parts: to 1500; to 1914 and to the present). There is a useful glossary (remember the Barbary Coast from our history books, corsairs, Drake, privateers and more) and a huge set of more than 500 endnotes and a bibliography of more than 300 references to books, papers, media and other sources. All this adds up to a scholarly work upon which one reviewer reflected as: '…the most comprehensive history of piracy,' he had ever read. Brexit. Here is a global account of pirates and their Parliament was suspended on 31 October. By then methods and where in our century piracy has the United Kingdom had not left the EU but had gained a central place in our entertainment thanks been granted an extension to 31 January and a to Pirates of the Caribbean. Then there is the huge general election was due to be held on 12 rise of modern-day piracy in the waters of the December. Horn of Africa, Indonesia and the Gulf of Guinea, Paul Ridgway is IMF's Honorary reports of which are the stuff of our daily news. Correspondent at London

35 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Shipping

Traffic Separation Scheme – Kerala Coast. By Cdr GVK Unnithan.

It is quite natural if one wonders whether there is a The corridors are envisaged all along the Indian need for regulating ocean traffic, as the oceans are coast- right from Kutch, Kathiawar Sourashtra, so vast, the modern vessels are highly Maharashtra, Konkan and Malabar coasts running maneuverable and effectively controllable. up to Kanyakumari keeping well clear of the However collisions between vessels are not fishing zones. The international opinion may not infrequent and majority are caused by human favor a zig zag one, but only a straight route. error. This is in spite of having elaborate rules, regulations and a prevalent well defined traffic The proposed Traffic Separation Scheme could system . There are well defined procedures to be considered emanating from a circle of diameter conduct the vessels with in sight of each other , on approx. 40 nm, centered around a point, in the radar, during adverse weather conditions and south west direction at a distance of 60 nm from when in confined waters. To cope up with this M u t t o m P o i n t L i g h t H o u s e N o r t h o f eventuality further, there is IMO introduced and Kanyakumari. This has four arms or corridors of monitored Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) at approx 20 nm width, pointing to four directions as sea. shown below:

Length Within the proximity of India, TSS is only in the Direction .nm Remarks area south of Sri Lanka and Mumbai off shore. North North West 480 a. Kollam- 58 nm to East North East Government of India ( Directorate General, - 330 degrees b. Androth Island- 30 nm to South West Shipping (DGS) has since proposed a TSS off c. Beyppur - 88 nm to East North East

Kerala coast, notified globally and invited West North West 295 d 360 Minicoy Is 35 nm to South West comments and suggestions from stake holders. South South East 150 d 60 Continuation of the main shipping route, towards Malacca Strait, via 60 nm Collisions between ocean going vessels and south of Sri Lanka fishing crafts are not new and occur in all parts of East South East 100 d a. Intended for Tuticorin, Palk Bay axis. the globe. There are umpteen causes for the b. Kanyakumari- 45 nm to North incidents both man made and God made. In the 1 nm = 1.86 km recent past, there were some notable and avoidable collisions with loss of life reported The Admiralty Sailing Directions, a reference from the South-western coast of India. book for global navigation cautions increased fishing activity in this part and advice 30 nm In this part of the sea, the fishermen accuse that distance for coastal shipping. Sri Lanka wants bigger vessels ply close to land to pick up the vessels to keep a distance of 60 nm from their TV/Telephone signals- a fact which cannot be coast, which was 200 nm earlier due to security totally ignored. At the same time the fisher folk reasons. Vessels destined for Western ports of are equally responsible for ignoring certain vital India, while rounding Sri Lanka often tend to rules at sea- fishing in the customary shipping leave Vizhinjam barely 15-20 nm only-often lanes, prolonged anchoring without exhibiting resulting in close quarter situations due to intense sufficient warning signals and so on. Despite fishing activity all along. close watch on radar as well as visual, close quarter situations do result and if they are not Features of the Route: mitigated skilfully, collisions become (a) The proposed corridor is likely to be 20 nm unavoidable wide of which 10 nm will be on the opposite 36 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 37 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Shipping

directions. coast where fishing grounds exist. However DG (b) Vessels will keep close to their respective right Shipping has come out with a recent ( early Nov sides, as far as possible, to leave the centre of the 2018) press note that the minimum distance to corridor vacant. Kanyakumari is 40 nautical miles and Kozhikode © Crossing the corridor is allowed, preferably at is 90 nautical miles which is well clear of the right angles keeping slightly inclined to oppose fishing grounds. the traffic ( not with the flow) , if required. (d) Other vessels, specially fishing/sailing vessels Modern ships normally sail in the Unmanned should not loiter inside the corridor. This Machinery Space (UMS) mode, in which the practically would deter the fishing vessels control is on the bridge and the ship run on FULL entering and fishing inside the corridor, (except AHEAD mode where no one supervises the for crossing) which remains as the most engine room. When in TSS, the ship is supposed contentious issue. to change in to the manual mode, where the engine room had to be manned in MANEUVERING There are strict regulations laid down for the mode. TSS are common and lengthy in North conduct of other vessels inside the corridor. Rule Atlantic and English Channel. Ships on lengthy No. 10 of the Collision Regulations deals with the voyages through these waters often prefer the traffic separation schemes, Rule 15 deals with earlier mode as there is 2 mile/hour advantage crossing situation, Rule 17 about action to be for the full ahead mode. A voyage of 7 days, where taken by the stand-on vessel and Rule 30 about the TSS happened to be for 5 days, the loss is thus: Anchored vessels- all of them clearly stipulates 5 x 24 x 2 = 240 miles and for speeds 12/15 knots the related requirements. the time lost is 20/16 hours which is sizable. Though comfortable to follow, due to obvious Distance Table: Consequent to the proposal, the reasons, ships often run in to close quarter distance across the West coast of India will vary to situations while entering/leaving/crossing the a great extent. Table below shows the comparison TSS. Collisions do take place due to wrong between the present and future distances in the interpretations of rule numbers 10 & 17 of order: from, destination, present distance in COLREGS . nautical miles, and future distance (approx). Considering the large number of fisher folk and Mumbai Goa 300 390 other stake holders involved, politics cannot be Mangalore 440 540 kept aside. However educating the fisher folk Kochi 640 710 over a period of time , of the necessity of safe Kanyakumari 795 865 practices at sea, observing all safety precautions South pt KK on board and prudent selection of fishing Goa Mangalore 240 445 grounds, should do well in winning their Kochi 395 480 confidence. KK 535 655 Mangalore Kochi 360 510 Commander GVK Unnithan retired from the Indian KK 405 575 Navy and served in the Mercantile Marine. Kochi KK 180 255 Presently serving as Training Faculty and as a Consultant for Shipping Companies. Was conferred The initial interpretation was that the TSS off " Life Time Achievement Award" by International Kerala coast was through 20 nautical miles off Maritime Federation during 2017-18 at Mumbai.

38 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Letter from Canada

Letter from Canada By Cdr. M S Randhawa (Retd.)

The new NJ Jetty at Canadian Forces Base, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

NJ Jetty in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is now wide variety of ship classes, both of the Royal completed and ready to welcome the first Arctic Canadian Navy as well as foreign vessels. and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), HMCS Harry Demilitarization and Disposal of the former DeWolf, which is set to be delivered later this year. HMCS Athabaskan . She was the last of the A formal ribbon cutting ceremony was held in “Tribal Class” DDH Destroyers, which were aptly end-August at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) called the “sisters of the space age”. She was Halifax to mark this success. c o m m i s s i o n e d o n S e p t 3 0 , 1 9 7 2 , decommissioned and paid off March 10, 2017, The jetty, a part of the overall AOPS project, has a and left Halifax harbour for the last time on March modern and functional design to support green 29, 2018. Her final Certificate of Demilitarization infrastructure that can “house” up to four AOPS in was issued on July 17, 2019. all-weather conditions. It includes a utility tunnel to house the services running to the jetty and is Cdr MS Randhawa is IMF's Honorary fitted with a state-of-the-art fendering system for Correspondent in Toronto, Canada vessel approaches, providing flexibility to berth a

The former HMCS Athabaskan leaving Halifax harbour for the last time on March 29, 2018 39 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

The Legend of Vasa Cdr Mukund Yeolekar (Retd)

The Vasa On a recent tour of Sweden, I was excited to know most spectacular warships ever built,” according that a seventeenth century warship was preserved to Eric H. Kessler, Paul E. Bierly III and Shanthi in Stockholm. On visiting, I was awestruck to note Gopalakrishnan in The Academy of Management that the ancient ship was 'housed' in a museum, Executive, Vasa sank within twenty minutes of safe from the elements. Vasa was the world's most setting sail, on a fine day in 1628. high-tech warship when it set sail. Today, it's a r e s o u r c e f o r n a v a l h i s t o r i a n s a n d “The warship survived the first blast of wind it archaeologists–and a cautionary tale for those encountered on its maiden voyage in Stockholm who seek to develop technology. Harbor,” writes Lucas Laursen for Archaeology. “But the second gust did it in. The sinking of Vasa The story of what happened to the ship has gone took place nowhere near an enemy. In fact, it sank down in history: despite being one of the Swedish in full view of a horrified public, assembled to see navy's biggest achievements and among “the off their navy's–and Europe's–most ambitious

40 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Maritime History

warship till date.” Engineering problems sank the ship–but this PR disaster for the Swedish navy has become a boon for archaeologists. Here's how it happened and how Vasa's influence is felt today.

The Sinking Vasa was a vast, beautifully decorated ship. It was covered in wooden carvings that told stories about the Swedish royal family, and most importantly the king, Gustav II Adolf, writes Rhitu Chatterjee for Public Radio International. It was the king who ordered the ship, which carried an unprecedented 64 bronze cannons, to be built–and who watched in horror as it sank. “Soon after, there was an inquest that concluded that the ship Model of Cut Section of Vasa had been unstable,” Chatterjee writes. “But the and management that cause projects to founder reasons behind the instability have remained a and fail–Vasa syndrome. The events of August 10, point of debate over the centuries.” An 1628 had such a big impact that the sinking is a archaeologist who has studied the remains of the case study business experts still read about. ship in great detail thinks it sank because the gun deck was far too heavy–the result of its having “An organization's goals must be appropriately been designed and built by someone with no matched to its capabilities,” write Kessler, Bierly experience building such a well-armed ship, and Gopalakrishnan. In the case of the Vasa, Chatterjee writes. It didn't help that the king “there was an overemphasis on the ship's elegance rushed the building process. and firepower and reduced importance on its seaworthiness and stability, which are more The Rediscovery critical issues,” they write. Although it was Although Vasa didn't work out well for Gustav II originally designed to carry 36 guns, it was sent to Adolf, it has become a boon for archaeologists. sea with twice that number. At the same time, the “The cold, oxygen-poor water of the Baltic Sea beautiful ornamentation contributed to its protected Vasa from the bacteria and worms that heaviness and instability, they add. These and a usually digest wooden wrecks,” writes Laursen. host of other factors contributed to Vasa's sinking “Perhaps 95 percent of Vasa's wood was intact and provide a cautionary tale for those designing when Sweden finally raised the wreck in 1961.” and testing new technologies. Although keeping the wooden structures stable The remains of the ship can be found in while raising the ship proved to be a huge Stockholm's Vasa Museum. According to the engineering feat, it was managed. Preserving the museum, it is the only preserved 17th-century ship was a process that took almost three decades, ship in the world, and the museum is a place for Laursen writes. During that time, there wasn't historical and anthropological study as well as for much room for archaeology, but now that the ship visitors from around the globe. is stable, investigators have worked to uncover why it sank. Beyond the simple engineering Reference : problems, writes Laursen, the “human question of h t t p s : / / w w w. s m i t h s o n i a n m a g . c o m / s m a r t - why it was not” seaworthy is worth discussing. news/bizarre-story-vasa-ship-keeps-giving

The Human Factor. The management world has Cdr Mukund Yeolekar is Editor Seagull a name for human problems of communication 41 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Gallimaufry

Gallimaufry

Northern Sea Route Shipping Expected to become easier to lay in previously frozen regions, Quadruple by 2024. Russia expects shipping offering a shorter route for communications along the Northern Sea Route in to increase more between the world's major economic centers and than four-fold by 2024 compared to 2018 levels. giving a competitive edge for high-frequency The outlook was presented recently during a traders, data centers and connected factories. working meeting of the Northern Sea Route Preparations for the first fiber-optic cable (NSR) Public Council held Vladivostok at the 5th stretching from Europe to China and Japan are Eastern Economic Forum. The working group accelerating after Russia's second-largest included heads of both public and private wireless carrier, MegaFon PJSC, joined the Arctic organizations from Russia and shipping Connect consortium led by Finnish state-owned companies with interest in the NSR. communications company Cinia Group Oyj in Addressing the group, CEO of Russia's state-run June. Cinia expects to make an announcement on nuclear energy company Rosatom, said he project financing soon, so construction of the expects annual traffic of 80 million metric tons 10,000-kilometer (6,200 miles) link can begin along the Northern Sea Route by 2024, more than within a year to 16 months. The cable will be four times the 19.7 million metric tons shipped in 1,500-2,000 km shorter than existing links from 2018. Rosatom was selected by the Russian Europe to Eastern Asia and promises to accelerate government to operate the Northern Sea Route intercontinental data transfers by around 100 and has estimated that the route will require735 milliseconds. billion roubles ($11.7 billion) in investments to It may also prove more reliable than cables that make it safe and viable. pass through the Indian Ocean. These have been “Under the auspices of the federal 'Northern Sea prone to disruption, especially at choke points like Route' project we have made the necessary the Suez Canal and Strait of Malacca, where ships arrangements to reach a target annual traffic of 80 occasionally break the links by dragging their million tonnes along the NSR by 2024,” said anchors. The thawing seas mean cable-laying Likhachev. “This requires the development of ships can now ply the Arctic route for as many as infrastructure, including the Arctic icebreaker six months of the year, up from around three fleet, satellite communications, accident months previously. The work will still be prevention measures, port fleet and digital challenging. The northern waters can be services for shipping. We will be able to meet dangerous even in summer, with sudden storms these challenges together, only with the and strong currents. It will require special ice- involvement of all the Council participants: class vessels that haven't been used for cable charterers; shipping companies; scientific and laying. In shallower waters, sections of the cable project organisations; business representatives must be encased in a thicker shell or buried three and the authorities,” said Aleksey Likhachev to four meters under the ocean floor to avoid ice addressing the meeting.” damage.

Melting Arctic Means New, and Faster, Subsea Shipping Sets Course for Zero Carbon Vessels, Cables. (Bloomberg) –Global warming has Fuel by 2030. Leading ports, banks, oil and opened up Arctic passages to new shipping routes. shipping companies on Monday launched an Now the melting ice is handing an opportunity to initiative which aims to have ships and marine other industries. Submarine data cables have fuels with zero carbon emissions on the high seas 42 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Gallimaufry

by 2030, in another step by the maritime sector to shipbrokers said. The United States last week reduce CO2. International shipping accounts for imposed sanctions on two units of China's 2.2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions COSCO for alleged involvement in ferrying crude and the U.N.'s International Maritime out of Iran. That action prompted U.S. Gulf Coast Organization (IMO), has a long-term goal to cut exporters to hold back chartering COSCO-linked greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 2008 vessels, traders and shipbrokers said. levels by 2050. Achieving this target will require One of the units – COSCO Shipping Tanker the fast tracking of zero emissions fuels and (Dalian) – owns and manages at least 36 tankers commercially viable ships by 2030 as these for crude and refined products, including 18 very vessels will still be part of the ocean going fleet in large crude carriers (VLCCs), according to 2050. shipping sources and Refinitiv data. In early Sixty commercial groups including shipping October, suggested rates for VLCCs from the U.S. companies, commodities players, mining groups, Gulf Coast to China vaulted to $9.8 million, up as well as banks have committed to the “Getting to from $6.2 million in early September, according Zero Coalition”. The coalition is pushing for to ship brokers. VLCCs carry around 2 million vessels and fuels to be ready by 2030 and barrels each. supported by the required infrastructure. "Maersk Could Lose Biggest Carrier Crown. A.P. Moller Maersk's chief executive Soren Skou MSC is on course to overtake alliance partner said a shift in propulsion technologies or a shift to Maersk as the biggest ocean carrier by capacity clean fuels was required, which implies close within the next two years. A new order for five collaboration from all parties. “The coalition 23,000 teu ULCVs from the South Korean launched today is a crucial vehicle to make this Daewoo yard will take the Geneva-based carrier's collaboration happen,” Skou said. orderbook to 16 vessels, for a massive 305,352 The IMO has adopted mandatory rules for new TEU, according to Alphaliner data. A disclosure vessels to boost fuel efficiency as a means of from Daewoo this week valued the order at $152m cutting CO2 from ship engines. A final IMO plan per ship, with delivery of the five by August 2021. on measures is not expected until 2023. Cruise Ship Cut in Half, to be 'Stretched' in New Low-Sulphur Marine Fuel Trade Begins Italy. Fincantieri has cut Windstar Cruise's Star in Singapore. S&P Global Platts on 25 Sept Breeze in half as part of a $250 million project to reported the first physical cargo trade for low- “stretch” three cruise ships. The final cut in the sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) with a maximum 0.5% hull of the Star Breeze took place at Fincantieri's sulphur content in Singapore ahead of a sulphur Palermo shipyard, marking the first major cap by the International Maritime Organization milestone in the process of inserting a 84-foot (IMO) next year. The milestone trade comes (25.6 meters) mid-section. Star Breeze is the first ahead of the IMO regulations that will reduce the of three Windstar cruise ships to receive the permissible sulphur content in marine fuels “stretch” treatment. Lengthening cruise ships is globally from 3.5% currently to 0.5% from the far from a new concept in the cruise industry, but start of 2020. the Windstar project is significant because it also involves removing and replacing the main engines Tanker Rates from U.S. to Asia Hit 3-Year a n d d i e s e l g e n e r a t o r s w i t h a m o r e High. Freight rates for U.S. crude tankers bound environmentally friendly propulsion system. for Asia were bid up to a more than three-year peak in October as U.S. sanctions on a Chinese Courtesy : gCaptain transport giant cut vessel availability, traders and

43 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Shipping

Looking Forward to Going Ashore by Captain Manjit Handa

Ports avoid seafarers' welfare simply because it Every seafarer, therefore, looks forward to going costs them dollars if they must give an expression ashore in port. What happens when a ship docks in to any altruistic tendencies that they might find port? A crude oil tanker may never come within themselves. In fact, ports and terminals alongside at all, loading/discharging at a single prefer using the International Ship and Port buoy mooring far removed from any city. Facility Security Code (ISPS) to deny anything Container vessels have such short port stays that that makes seafarers' life more comfortable. the time in port is just a blur of activities. In China, a bulk carrier can be discharged in less than 18 Thankfully, seafarers' centers are a different hours when they put a slew of cranes that disgorge matter altogether. These are very few, but where the cargo so fast that the crew doesn't have enough they do operate, (such as in Canada, Australia and time to fill up the ballast. For the engineers, there South Africa, and some ports of the U.S.) they are some maintenance activities possible only in provide a great service that usually goes beyond port. Then the crew must keep time aside for anyone's expectations. It is amazing how these inspections and audits too. Even if there is any centers function purely on the volunteers' time leftover to go ashore, one can frequently contribution of time, effort and money, even if expect a denial of shore passes on the pretext of they are always struggling to keep their heads security. Those lucky enough to get ashore will above water. None have yet given up though. usually have to walk to the gate, hire a taxi (which in true international style is always a rip-off) and Do seafarers deserve rest and recreation during then hope to enjoy the local sights. Then back port stay on a regular basis ? Let us look at this again quickly, to return by taxi to the gate and issue as a comparison between the life of a walk back to the vessel. All this only during a seafarer and a landlubber. On land, everyone goes seafarer's own quota of rest hours, so usually he is through their daily grind in a kaleidoscope of back to work on arrival on board. Because of these interaction with men, women and children. By the difficulties, some seafarers prefer not to go ashore end of the day, our senses have been filled with a at all. That has a detrimental effect on their mental variety of human contact. We also enjoy the health. What can be done to ease up this beauty of the nature through our view of the sky, aggravation of a seafarers' experience during port the land and maybe water too. stays? Port authorities around the world need to adopt the good practices developed by seafarer's A seafarer on the other hand gets to see only water centers and provide free transportation from the and sky, and the same 25 odd (mostly) men who vessel to the nearest high street and back, with a are both his workmates and his social club; guide if possible. This single facility will go a long cooped up in a steel box suffering six degrees of way towards resolving a whole lot of motion. The deprivation of this less-than-full impediments. sensory feed is corrosive to the human soul. (There are only two other confinements which In general, port authorities must accept the could be worse, a jail or the International Space seafarers' desire to go ashore as an absolute Station, but any astronaut at least gets to be a necessity. celebrity for the rest of his life.) From the Maritime Executive. Captain Manjit Handa is a bulk carrier Master.

44 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Shipping

She is Swimming Again By Peter Neunhäuser

The once proud training bark of the German Navy, meanwhile risen to the incredible amount of 135 the famous Gorch Fock is back in the water again million, with 80 million already spent – no one - presently without masts and rigging, though ! quite knows how ? But the German Minister of Defence, Ursula von der Leyen, has decided that the repair works on The shipyard which received the order for her the three master are to be completed. According to repair has filed for bankruptcy. The Federal Court her Ministry that will be achieved as soon as 2020. of Auditors is presently looking into the very entangled financial transactions. In the Bundestag Note : Bark, also spelled barque, is a sailing ship some members have been heard voicing doubts as of three or more masts, the rear (mizzen mast) to the Defence Minister' s qualification for her being rigged for a fore-and-aft rather than a square job. sail. Until fore-and-aft rigs were applied to large ships to reduce crew sizes, the term was often used Thus von der Leyen's out of the blue nomination for any small sailing vessel. In poetic use, a bark for presidency of the European Commission in can be any sailing ship or boat. Brussels comes in very handy. Whatever the outcome may be ! Here's a reminder: In 2016 the renovation of the ship was decided. Since then the Gorch Fock has Peter Neunhäuser is been lying in Wilhemshaven's floating dock. The IMF’s correspondent in Berlin, Germany initially calculated costs of 10 million Euro have

45 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Book Review

The Shipwreck Hunter By Capt Milind R. Paranjpe

The US nuclear submarines Thresher and meters'. The tender was won by author's company. Scorpion sank in 1963 and 1968 respectively. The ITF provided limited budget of UKP 360,000/-. US Naval Research Laboratory immediately set Mr Mearns after locating the wreck in 1994, to develop technology to find the wrecks at investigated and provided information which was oceanic depths. In 1985 the wreck of the Titanic used in the fourth inquiry held in the High Court was discovered which people saw on TV screens which absolved the crew to great relief of the in their bedrooms. That, the author Mr Mearns, a f a m i l i e s . T h e r e p o r t m a d e s e v e r a l graduate of the University of South Florida, recommendations which were implemented by confesses was the reason for his interest in IMO for all new constructions, a far reaching becoming a seagoing marine geologist. In this result for the safety of shipping. book he has narrated his struggle to search the wrecks of eleven famous ships. Mearns describes the WW II battle between HMS Hood and the mighty new German battleship The prologue begins with how after several Bismarck in the Denmark Strait. He not only months of hard work the author had anxious managed to locate the wreck of the Hood but moments of prospect of failure to find the wreck in recover her bell which was also used on earlier his very first endeavour. The M/V Lucona, a cargo HMS Hood. Bismarck's wreck was filmed in the ship chartered by an Austrian had an explosion Bay of Biscay. and sank near Minicoy Island by a bomb supposedly planted by the charterer himself to Passenger ship TSS Athenia was torpedoed by a U obtain insurance payment. Search for and boat mistakenly not realizing she was a passenger investigation of the wreck, as ordered by the ship with over 1400 persons on board on the very Austrian court in 1990 and where the judge day she sailed out of Glasgow. Geological Survey himself was present, resulted in proving the of Ireland had carried out seabed map of Irish charterer guilty and sentenced to life makes a coast. Author writes that he was very lucky to find thrilling mystery reading. Derbyshire, the 167000 Athenia's exact location sitting in Dublin and ton OBO of Bibby Line, sank in a typhoon south observing GSI's computer screens. But was of Japan, suspected due to cracking of frame 65 astonished that the BBC which had approached just forward of the bridge-front bulkhead, thought him in the first place, declined to sponsor actual to be the cause of the sinking of similar 'bridge' filming of the wreck at the site. He says he will class ships with resulting loss of life. Third film it some day 'to tell the story how her sinking inquiry of the sinking of the Derbyshire carried kicked off the Battle of the Atlantic.' out by Lord Donaldson, former judge, found 'crew negligence' but also recommended underwater Maximum pages are devoted to finding the wreck inspection of the wreck. Derbyshire Families of Sydney the iconic warship of Australians. Association was disappointed with 'crew Author had to visit Germany to look for and negligence' as a finding. Families Association search in the records of Kormoran, the raider wanted the names of their family members disguised as a merchant ship that sank the Sydney cleared of any negligence. International Transport in a ruse de guerre leaving no survivors. Sydney's Workers' Federation which was involved in the wreck was located after 12 days' eventful search inquiry, placed an ad in Lloyd's List to find the off the coast of Western Australia. Findings were 'Derbyshire deploying manned or remotely so important to Australians that they were first controlled camera vehicles at a depth of 3250 announced by the prime minister Kevin Rudd 46 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 Book Review

himself. They disproved the myth that the German cruelty on innocent Indians, their plunder and commander's (who survived with most of his their ignorance about king Zamorin a Hindu and men, though his ship Kormoran sank) reports not a Moor. Findings may throw new light on were not trustworthy and provided answers history. A question is often asked, why search for a relatives of men perished so desperately needed. wreck at all ? Apart from other reasons, author answers: 'the loss of a family member at sea, Australian Hospital Ship Centaur belonging to where there is no known location and no body to the famous 'Blue Funnel Line' was torpedoed by a be buried can be a double tragedy'. He won suspected Japanese submarine in violation of gratitude of several survivors, and relatives or Geneva Convention off Queensland in waters of descendants of victims. Memorial plaques were depth ranging anywhere from 500 to 4000 meters. lowered and placed at the wrecks of Derbyshire, Governments of both Australia and Queensland Hood, Bismarck and Centaur. 'They mean so sponsored search of the Centaur's wreck which much to the families'. because of loss of 268 lives of innocent civilians, U S D e s t r o y e r was iconic for Australians, second only to the Indianapolis (Indy) Sydney. 'A vessel of mercy was sunk without mercy delivered the atomic by a vessel of war.' Mearns not only located the bomb on to Tinian wreck but photographed many items including the Island from where it Red Cross painted on the hull. was later flown to drop on Hiroshima. In the meanwhile, the 'Indy' Chapter on Esmeralda, the Portuguese galleon was torpedoed and commanded by Vicente Sodre, Vasco da Gama's sunk. Her captain was maternal uncle, sunk off Oman in 1503 is tried by court martial for particularly interesting for India's history buffs. not zigzagging. The Her bell with numbers 498 (for the year 1498) still Japanese submarine legible, was salvaged besides many other artifacts c o m m a n d e r w h o like very rare silver coins, gold crusadoes (early torpedoed, was brought in at the trial, gave Portuguese coins of gold or silver, bearing the evidence that zigzagging would have made no figure of a cross.) and a disc thought to be an difference. Still captain was found guilty though earlier version of astrolabe (an instrument sentence was remitted. An attempt to investigate f o r m e r l y u s e d t o m a k e a s t r o n o m i c a l the wreck of Indy in year 2000 failed. Author measurements, before the development of hopes that the wreck will be found in future in sextant). Being 500 years old, author took spite of extreme depth and rugged seabed precaution to first publish his findings in the geology. He also wishes the wreck of Shackleton's authoritative 'International Journal of Nautical Endurance in Antarctic waters is found one day. Archaeology' and only then announce on media. Treasure salvage, author notes, is highly Thought comes to mind if the wrecks of some speculative, complicated, fraught with risks and better known ships around India are similarly even if successful, profits are often frittered away investigated it may unravel important in legal costs, information hitherto unknown. The entire field of Technical descriptions of the working of sonars, nautical archaeology is yet to be properly remotely operated vehicles and other equipment developed in India. From that point too, this is difficult for lay reader to comprehend but those book, illustrated with 32 pages of colored of battles are written like a prize winning historian photographs, is a precious reading. would write and make an engrossing reading. Mr Mearns has not spared to elaborate Portuguese Capt Milind R. Paranjpe is a Master Mariner. 47 SeaGull November 19 - January 20 48