I now belong to the higher cult of mortals, for I have seen the Albatross.

 Cheryl King 

.

Note: The photographs in this blog are of poor quality, dated from 1977. The blog is primarily an account of one of the historic voyages made by the Corps of Engineers in the initial stages when they ventured out into the open seas. It provides for interesting reading, which is both alarming as well as occasionally hilarious, on how we ventured out with barely any regard to safety considerations in those passionate early days!

.

Introduction

.

The Army in India has always held aloft the torch of adventure. It has scaled the highest peaks, roamed the forbidding jungles and burning deserts, soared like birds in the sky above, and even ridden the waves of the mighty oceans. All this is encouraged as a part of training in peacetime, preparing for the uncertainties of war. This spirit surges strongly in the blood of the Sapper Officer, and when he is not ‘sappering’, he is adventuring.

.

.

The College of Military Engineering (CME) Pune, which is the alma mater of the Corps of Engineers, has been an incubator for budding adventurists. This unique institution, with its wide variety of sports facilities, has always produced winners in diverse fields of sports and adventure. Sailing is one of the numerous activities which has been pioneered in India by the Corps. This meant that the Corps had its own boat-building yard, sail loft, and specialized boat-builders. Not only that, the Corps probably holds the unique distinction in India of designing a sailboat – the CBK – and it became so successful that at one point in time, its popularity led to many sailing clubs in the country patronizing the class. It was natural that during that period, sailing was dominated by sailors of the Corps. And the national federation for the sport, the Yachting Association of India, was established and run from Corps’ premises for many years since inception, shifting to the Navy subsequently. The Mulla River running alongside the College became the haloed waters for turning out a regular stream of sailors.

.

.

Planning

.

When I joined the Corps of Engineers in 1972, the Corps was at its peak in dominating the sport. The road map for me was thus laid out and I took the opportunity to venture out in this field. Besides dinghy racing, the Corps at that time was trying to venture out into blue water (ocean) sailing. A few coastal expeditions had been undertaken previously, the furthest one to the Andaman Islands, but the vision was to circumnavigate the globe – a sailor’s ultimate dream. The first step towards this aim was to undertake a modest voyage to test the seamanship skills of the sailors and familiarise them with conditions in open waters. However, funds were always a major constraint and official permissions a bugbear with our hierarchy, and babus not yet open to such ideas. And then there was the absence of boats for open water sailing in India at the time.

.

.

Despite these constraints, Brig HK Kapoor, an inveterate sailor and erstwhile Secretary of the Yachting Association of India (YAI), took on the challenge, and the Corps of Engineers Sailing Club planned and conducted the historic voyage from Bombay to Iran and back in a 19-foot sailboat – the first time Indians sailed to foreign shores. In this modern age, Iran is just a matter of a few hours from Mumbai, but the idea of crossing 3,500 km of open sea, in a small boat with primitive equipment was a big challenge at that time! The Corps had two Seabirds – the Albatross and Rajhans – designed for inland and harbour sailing. The boats, built from Burma teak were of clinker construction with a gaff-rigged wooden mast, limited buoyancy, and no cabin, engine, navigational aids, or power. The Albatross had been built by Garden Reach Workshop, Calcutta in 1913! The crew in the past expeditions had slept on her planks in the open and subsisted on whatever little food or water they could carry on board.

.

.

Feverish preparations began for the expedition from the moment Brig ‘Harry’ Kapoor waved the green flag in April 1977. We were fortunate that the Commandant of the College, Maj Gen PR Puri was also an enthusiastic sportsman and he fully backed the venture. Sailing a Seabird to Iran was a risky venture and all who were consulted on the project, including the Navy, termed it as suicidal! But there were no other options available, and the Corps did what it does best in such circumstances – it undertook to partially modify one Seabird, the Albatross. Work on modification was undertaken by the CME Boat Yard. Under the creative guidance and design of the nominated Skipper, Major PS Pammi, Albatross received a 7-foot cabin, just adequate to squeeze in two persons at a time on small bunks – the headroom did not permit sitting inside and one had to crawl in and out. This was made watertight with rubber linings and hatches, which could be battened down, adding a modicum of buoyancy to the boat. Her hull was reinforced by a layer of fiberglass to resist the pounding of the waves and the corrosive action of seawater on the old wooden planks. A sturdy mariner’s Compass and Patent Log were fitted – purchased from the Chor Baazar in Mumbai, where stolen items and parts of scrapped ships were hawked! Small racks were fitted for stowing food and provisions. The center plate was bolted in a fixed position, to prevent it from falling off in the event of a capsize.

.

A small bracket was fitted to the stern which could take a small outboard motor. The motor was stored on the deck and lowered onto the bracket when required – a task that became my responsibility during the voyage. Since fitting the motor on the bracket meant reaching out away from the boat’s stern, it was always a tricky maneuver to make sure the motor didn’t fall into the sea, especially in rough seas! By the time the carpenters and fitters had finished with the Albatross, she was as ready as feasible to sail in open seas. A sea-worthiness test was carried out after the modifications, which she passed with flying colours, though the self-rightening test carried out in the Mulla River did not give the desired results as the boat turned turtle without warning. But there were no other options…..

.

.

The organizers decided to inform the prospective crew of the dangers of such a voyage across open seas in a Seabird and for them to take a call. No one backed out.

.

.

The glistening new white sails made by the sail loft carried the insignia of her sponsors – the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company and the Sail Authority of India (SAIL). They had given an amount to cover part of the budget. The Defence Food Research Laboratory Bangalore provided some of their newly developed pre-cooked packaged food for soldiers deployed at high altitudes. These became our staple diet. M/S Swastik Rubber Company, Pune donated an inflatable life raft for emergency use. This was fitted between the mast and the cabin and lashed to the boat securely – our only hope in the event of a disaster. Though I often wondered (silently!) how we would open it if the boat turned turtle!

.

Training

.

The crew had to be selected and trained. Maj PS Pammi, a crusty and experienced sea dog, was to sail her on the outward voyage, along with two crew members – Capt LK Singhal and Capt AP Singh. Both were student officers at CME undergoing Degree Engineering Course. For the return journey, Capt KS Rao (Skipper), Capt PS Bedi, and Capt AK Singh were selected. All were sportsmen and dinghy sailors. We underwent some training in navigation at sea at the Naval Training Team NDA and in the operation of High-Frequency Radio Sets.

Albatross was transported to Bombay by road and was based at the Heavy Bridging Training Camp (HBTC), Marve, Bombay, an establishment that imparted training to the Corps of Engineers on bridging in tidal waters. The out-going crew comprising of Maj Pammi and Capts Singhal and myself, went a month in advance to test Albatross through training sails along the coast of Bombay to test the efficacy of the modifications carried out. These sails also gave us an excellent opportunity to master boat handling in all weather conditions. They were also carried out at night to acclimatize the crew, standardize sailing drills and help in ironing out minor problems with the boat and her equipment. A short sail to Diu and Daman provided the authorities with a measure of confidence on the boat and its crew for the forthcoming voyage.

.

.

One particularly memorable sail during this period was when we took all ladies and children for an outing in the afternoon to Juhu Beach – by the sea route. Juhu was in the next bay south of Marve, across Madh Fort, and about 10 km by sea. We expected to be back before dinner. The onward sail was pleasant and when we reached the beach, we dropped anchor for the families to have a view of the crowded beach – from the sea. Unfortunately, the wind dropped completely, and with an incoming tide, the rollers started building up, each roller catching the boat broadside and rocking the boat violently – the boat carried only one anchor. We had brought along a Tindal who was to catch the train back to Pune with us, thinking we would drop him off at the beach. The sea conditions upset all plans…..the poor man had to wade across to the beach in chest-deep water with the suitcase on his head! Before he left, we tried to push the boat further out into the sea to reduce the impact of the rollers, unsuccessfully. Lifting the anchor to move it further out didn’t work as the force of each roller pushed the boat further inshore. The anchor was quickly dropped back. With no radio – mobile phones didn’t exist then – or outboard motor, we settled down to wait till the breeze picked up – which was likely only the next morning! The Tindal going ashore was instructed to call Marve and inform them that we would be out for the night and not to raise the alarm! About nine of us in the crowded cockpit of the boat, which included women and children, slowly grasped the implication of the situation and deathly silence descended on the boat, which lasted throughout the night, as each passing roller heaved the boat as it passed underneath! Fortunately, the effect of the rollers reduced in time as the tide changed. I don’t think anyone got much sleep that night…..and no complaints were heard….only silence prevailed. No one even once asked to go to the loo – because there was none! The early morning breeze picked up the next day and we could lift anchor and make our way back. I am sure no one would forget the “picnic” soon….and unfortunately, it made the ladies even more apprehensive about what their spouses were getting themselves into!

This period at Marve was an idyllic time for us; not to forget the fresh sea fish available in abundance from passing fishing vessels. Ranjana had moved with me and though the crew were out most of the time, it was a pleasant stay for the ladies. However, for them, the impending departure must have seemed like doomsday approaching, after hearing about the mission and their own experiences – though it was never expressed openly.

.

• 

• 

.

Before D-Day, Albatross was stocked with food, water, tools, and spares. Alarmingly, the fully stocked boat had a freeboard of just 9 inches! This implied that even in moderate wind and sea conditions, the boat would start taking in water over the sides. Again, there was no option as the provisions and water stocked were the bare minimum required for the voyage. A portion of the boat’s freeboard had been ‘lost’ due to the increase in weight on account of the modifications. We would now have to bail out water manually when required. To assist in this effort, another trip was made to the Chor Baazar to find a hand-operated water pump. After an extensive search, one was located and we now had the satisfaction of having something more than just buckets and mugs.

One other item was considered essential – the boat was stocked with a generous quantity of shark repellant. The area, especially approaching the Gulf of Hormuz was shark-infested. The 9-inch freeboard did lead to more unanswered questions – would the sharks be able to peep inside?

Brig HK Kapoor’s efforts, coupled with the helpful attitude of the Governments of India, Pakistan, and Iran, enabled the crew to have the requisite permissions before sailing off. A few trips to the Naval Hydrographic Office got us the navigational charts and other publications required, like Pilots, navigation tables/books, and geometrical instruments for plotting our position at sea. The sextant materialized after another visit to the Chor Baazar! The charts were laminated in an attempt to make them waterproof.

.

.

The Voyage

.

On the evening of 19 October 1977, soon after high tide, Albatross set sail from Marve Creek (Bombay) on her voyage to Bandar Abbas (Iran) in the Persian Gulf, across the Arabian Sea. It was an emotional farewell with the presence of the ladies and Brig Kapoor against the backdrop of the setting sun. Albatross carried on board a crew of three stout-hearted Sapper officers. Their resolve was tested soon enough as within 24 hours strong North Westerly winds whipped up a choppy sea and presented us with an opportunity to test the hand-operated bailer. It was quite ineffective and we realized that we would have to resort to the conventional technique, though exhausting, of using a bucket for bailing out water.

On the first day itself, we sighted the Bombay High oil platforms and the sight of the famous rigs with their flares rising into the sky were visible from a considerable distance in the night. The wind and waves built up again on the third day, which made the going very tough for the laden boat. Roaring seas crashed over her deck for the next 48 hours continuously. We could neither sleep nor eat. Every breaking wave brought in gallons of water gushing into the boat, which had to be constantly bailed out using buckets and even mugs – the duties during this period was one crew on the tiller, while two kept bailing out water. There was no break. The carefully stocked food items and clothing were soon soaking wet. Only a few navigational publications and charts which had been stored on the top shelves inside the cabin escaped getting wet. The foresight of laminating the navigational charts before sail-off paid dividends. The crew was at least able to plot their position. We later learned that the storm was the tail end of the cyclone which had struck Orissa’s coast and had then crossed over the mainland.

.

.

This spell of heavy weather had its bright side too. The boat made good headway of over four to five knots, an excellent speed for the boat. On the morning of 24 October 1977 after four days sailing, we were only 10 nautical miles short of our first port of call Dwarka. But sailing into the harbour against heavy coastal currents was not easy. The winds dropped and the boat had to struggle for over 12 hours before we entered the harbour in the falling dusk. Capt AK Singh was there to welcome us. At Dwarka one of the two expedition radio stations had been set up, the other being at Marve. These helped the boat in maintaining communication with the shore. The boat carried a small Army HF set, the TRA-922, used by the special forces. It was sturdy and had excellent range, with the advantage of having a hand-cranked generator. With no electric power onboard, this was the only radio set we could operate.

.

.

Dwarka was a one day halt. In between sunning out the food stock, publications, and charts, and repairing the damages sustained during the prolonged storm, we managed to take out time to pray for fair winds and a safe journey back home at the famous Dwarkadhish Temple.

.

.

On the morning of 26 October 1977, we sailed out with the ebbing tide. For the next three days, the boat struggled to make headway toward Karachi, our next port of call. Strong currents pulled the boat into the Gulf of Kutch and in this 3-day period, only 100 nautical miles were covered. It was when we crossed the mouth of the Indus River delta, the currents became favourable and the winds picked up. The brown waters carrying the sediments from the Indus River were clearly visible to us even at that distance out at sea.

.

.

Around midnight on the fourth day’s sail, Albatross was approximately 40 nautical miles from Karachi and we were eagerly looking forward to landfall after the excruciating sail from Dwarka. Then all of a sudden the boat came to a dead halt in the middle of the sea. We had been snared in a fishing net! The iron drop keel had got stuck in the sturdy rope and refused to budge. It was not possible to lift the keel, which otherwise would have been a simple operation. We struggled for a few hours in the darkness to try to cut the nets but to no avail. Caution was required as no damage to the hull was acceptable. After a lot of effort using a combination of knives, barge pole, and ropes we could free the boat. Unfortunately, the spinner of the Patent Log got caught in the net and was lost. The spare spinner was fitted as we headed again for Karachi. The Log consisted of a spinning vane that trailed from the stern and the revolutions were mechanically converted to show the speed and distance covered. It was a crucial navigational aid required for plotting our position.  

.

.

Sailing into Karachi Harbour

.

It took a full day’s sail to cover the remaining distance and we entered Karachi harbour after dusk on 27 October 1977. Using the Pilot to guide us to the Embarkation jetty, we sailed through the harbour navigating by the flashing buoys. Though we reached at an odd hour, when we called the hotel we were immediately informed that a vehicle would pick us up. The Karachi stay had been arranged by the avid Pakistani sailor, Mr Byram Avary, who owned the Beach Luxury Hotel in Karachi and who was Commodore of the Karachi Yacht Club. He had offered to host the crew during our halt, an offer which was gladly accepted due to our limited budget. Each crew member had been given $200 traveler’s cheques before we started, which had to last us till our return home – that was it!

.

.

A van soon arrived at the jetty at that late/early hour and dropped us at the hotel with our limited belongings. We thought it prudent to carry the radio set with us, though the other stores were left behind as it was informed that they would be safe. It was surprising that no immigration formalities had been done. On inquiry, we were told that this would be completed the next morning. A hotel bed was indeed a luxury after the narrow, wet, storm-tossed wooden plank on which we had been sleeping on the boat! Our excitement further soared at the sight of seeing a television set in the room, a first for us – television had yet to make an appearance in India. Despite being exhausted, the television kept us engrossed till our eyes would not stay open!

The immigration formalities were completed the next morning. Accompanied by an officer of the Pakistan Navy, who was to remain with us as our ‘guide’ throughout our stay, we went off on a sightseeing-cum-shopping trip around the city. The van from the hotel was available to us and made commuting easy. We received a warm welcome at the Karachi Yacht Club, which hosted a function in our honour. The stay in Karachi included an invite for a Pakistani dinner at the home of our ‘guide’ Naval Officer, which we all greatly relished. The three-day halt at Karachi soon came to an end and it was time to bid farewell to our new-found friends. As a parting gesture, our host stocked up the boat with provisions and fresh supplies before Albatross sailed off on 4 November 1977 for her final leg.

The next leg of the journey was a contrast to the previous two ones, with little or no wind. The boat got becalmed off Cape Monze for two days as winds completely died down. We were however treated to the delightful sight of over 50 dolphins playing around the boat for hours in the flat seas. We also spotted a huge brownish-coloured whale about 20 feet long, which passed close to the boat, breathing noisily.

.

.

The winds remained westerly in this leg and being adverse we decided to take advantage of the sea breeze phenomena closer to the coast and sailed a zig-zag course remaining close to the Makran coastline, along the province of Balochistan. The coastline was barren and hills dominated the skyline. Hardly any habitation or local fishermen were spotted in the area.  

Astola Island is an uninhabited island off the western Pakistani coastline, the only island in the northern Arabian Sea. Known as the Island of Seven Hills, Satadip, by Hindus, it is greatly venerated due to the ruins of an ancient Kali temple located there. We had a remarkable sail past the island, with sea snakes in the water all around the boat as it sailed past in the light winds. Since seawater snakes are generally poisonous, we kept our fingers crossed that the winds did not pick up and water splashed on the decks bringing in snakes inside the boat! The boat was handled as gently as possible to avoid disturbing the water’s surface. Luckily, the passage was made safely, and by evening the seas cleared.

In the meantime, the organizers kept the family members up to date on the progress of the boat and information about their welfare. This was a big relief to them, in the days when there were no other means of communication.

.

.

The Makran coast was rugged and dominated by sandy mountain ranges rising straight out of the sea. The area was sparsely populated. At night there were no lighthouses to guide sailors, and those that existed were non-functional. We had to rely entirely on our navigation to plot our progress. The light and adverse winds reduced our progress to about 20 nautical miles a day and it took one week’s sailing to cross the port of Gwadar, into Iran. Crossing the port during the night, we were surprised that hardly any lights were visible though so much had been heard about its strategic importance. The port, however, did not let the boat pass by that easily and strong currents sucked us inshore; it took the whole of the next day’s sailing to get back on course. The complete lack of fishing activity along the long coastline continued to mystify us.

.

.

Crew Taken into Custody

.

Thirteen days out of Karachi, Albatross reached the entrance of the Gulf of Hormuz and crossed the small port of Ras-e-Jask guarding its mouth. We could see a number of large antennas and satellite disks from the sea and thought of making a halt at the harbour to clean up after the long and arduous sail from Karachi. We anchored in Ras-e-Jask Bay late in the evening of 16 November 1977. In very heavy surf and at the risk of capsizing, the local fishermen braved the waves to row out to us and take us ashore. The local spoken language, Persian, was incomprehensible to us. And nor was English or Hindi to the locals. The result was that the crew had to spend the night at the local Gendarme (Police) Station! Filthy clothes, and haggard looks accompanied by beards, did not speak well about our demeanor. A Gendarme peeping inside the boat spotted the radio set, and by his excited chattering thereafter, appeared to be the last straw for the police! Fortunately, we were not put behind bars inside the Station but asked to sit on the floor in one corner while the suspicious policemen eyed the ‘spies’ and the next course of action.

Around midnight the Gendarmes managed to locate a Pakistani doctor serving at a nearby Imperial Coast Guard camp. The doctor became the interpreter and was able to extricate us from our predicament. Once the police learnt that it was an expedition by Indian Army officers, the weary crew were shifted to the camp, fed and lodged. A Gendarme was also posted on duty on the boat since all the stores and equipment remained on board. There was a large contingent of Pakistani fishermen who had been captured by the Coast Guard, who were also housed in the Gendarme Station. They were to be taken by road to the regional headquarters at Bandar Abbas the next day. We were asked to accompany the party, though we were provided with a Jeep for the purpose. To us, it seemed a good opportunity to see the countryside, at no expense to us! The roughly 350 km journey was a pleasant drive. Since we had no local currency as yet, the accompanying Coast Guard officer was kind enough to provide us refreshments during the journey. The 70-odd prisoners accompanying us in the 10-tonner truck were not that lucky and they were not allowed to even disembark throughout the journey.          

We were taken to the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters and had a meeting with the Commander. He welcomed us to Iran and after a brief interaction, we were on our journey back to Ras-e-Jask. The effort of making the trip seemed puzzling, but we enjoyed the beautiful drive along the coast of the Gulf of Hormuz. On our return, there was a celebratory dinner laid out by the hosts with the interpreter-cum-doctor communicating between the parties. The meal was eaten sitting on the floor from a large common salver in traditional Arab style. Well-rested and well-fed, we prepared to sail off the next morning. The Coast Guard was kind enough to refresh the boat’s freshwater supply and food items and also provide us with a tin can of petrol before we cast off on 20 November 1977. The petrol here was dispensed in sealed 20-litre tin cans, like those used to package cooking oil back home and it seemed a novel way of carrying fuel, instead of jerricans being used for this purpose in India.

.

.

As soon as Albatross came out of the harbour, we encountered heavy shipping in the Gulf region. To avoid the risk of being run over by a ship, we sailed close to the Iranian shore where waters were shallower and it was outside the shipping lanes. We had been forewarned to avoid sailing close to the Omani coast on the western side of the Straits, as that was likely to result in another visit to the lock-up! On the second day out of Ras-e-Jask, we came across a number of friendly British naval ships, who changed course on spotting the Indian flag, to sail close to us and say “Hello” to their tiny friend.

The Gulf had plenty of sea life. Sharks and shoals of dolphins were seen by us as we sailed north. While the sharks slid silently past, the dolphins playfully romped around the boat entertaining us with their antics. Birds could also be seen in this area and a tired cormorant once settled down on the boat for a respite.

.

At Bandar Abbas, Iran

.

.

Finally, on the night of 22 November 1977, Albatross sailed into Bandar Abbas harbour and moored alongside the civil jetty the next morning. The relieving crew of Capts KS Rao, Bedi, and AK Singh had reached earlier and had been keeping a watch for the boat as we were behind schedule. There was no radio communication available with them, and hence they had been keeping a lookout for us every day. They were able to pick out Albatross as she sailed in from amongst the numerous boats out in the harbour early in the morning. The reunion after all the adventures the boat had been through, especially since there had been no communication after leaving Karachi, was a very emotional moment for all of us. Till now the Ras-e-Jask incident was not known back home and it gave everyone a good laugh when narrated. As news spread about the arrival of an Indian sailboat, the local Indian population, consisting mainly of doctors and engineers, turned up in large numbers with their families to see the boat, keeping us busy throughout the day.    

.

• 

• 

.

The new crew got down to work without any delay. The boat, rigging, and equipment were checked thoroughly. Minor repairs, especially to the keel and rudder which were damaged when the boat had got stuck in the fishing net off Dwarka, were carried out. The boat was stocked and made ready for the return voyage.                                  

.

.

Adventures in Tehran

.

The adventures for us – the onward crew – did not end on reaching Bandar Abbas! Our flight to India was from Tehran, about 1,300 km across Iran by road. The next day we booked our tickets for an overnight bus, which took about 14 hours. The highway was excellent and the bus was comfortable, reaching our destination the following morning. We were to contact the Defence Attache at the Indian Embassy, Col BP Murgai, for assistance. We reached the Embassy lugging our limited baggage with considerable difficulty as language was a major barrier in communicating with the locals – they only understood Persian. We were in for a shock, as we learned that we had missed the weekly flight for Bombay as our arrival had been considerably delayed due to adverse winds and the two days lost at Jask. We would now have to wait for the next flight. The Embassy then dropped the next bombshell when it informed us that they were helpless in providing any accommodation as we were not on an “official” visit to the country – we had been given “special leave” for the expedition. We were left nonplussed and literally on the road – with the balance of $200, after the Pakistan stopover, in our pockets!

.

.

We left the Embassy, wondering how to survive in the city till our flight, which in those heady days of the Shah was among the more expensive cities in the world. Finding lodging was the first priority, as we walked the streets of the city with our bags. Maj Pammi had done his homework well and was aware of the existence of a Gurdwara in Tehran, located in the heart of the city. We ultimately found the place, it indeed was a huge complex. We came to know that Sikhs had been doing business in Iran for a long time and were among its richest residents. A short exchange by Maj Pammi on our predicament with the person managing the place, and we had a place to stay! And as is customary, it was free of charge. The person informed us that they only checked the antecedents of any visitors to ensure no illegals misused the facility.

.

• 

• 

.

The Gurdwara stay ensured that we had one full meal a day. For the rest, we managed to communicate enough to learn that black tea was a popular beverage and available everywhere, cheaply. And those naans (flat bread) were subsidized by the government and available at outlets on every street corner. That became our staple diet during our stay in Tehran, with an occasional splurge on a can of Coke. We could do only limited sightseeing, limited within our walking range. Maj Pammi, who had studied Persian as a foreign language at NDA, slowly brushed up his forgotten lessons, though communication remained, at best, minimal. It was with some relief that the day arrived to catch our flight back to Bombay.

The return voyage of Albatross followed the same route; of course, they did not halt at Ras-e-Jask! Their sail was less eventful and faster, with favorable winds, reaching Bombay on 23 December 1977.

.

The Reception at Bombay

.

• 

• 

• 

• 

.

Albatross was accorded a fitting welcome at Bombay harbour, with the Navy sending out a ship to welcome the returning heroes. With family members on board the ship, it was a grand occasion to meet the boat out at sea. Albatross then sailed to the Gateway of India to a rousing welcome by the sailing community, friends & relatives, and the organizers.

.

.

The 7,000 km journey from 12 October to 23 December 1977 from Mumbai-Dwarka-Karachi-Bandar Abbas (Iran)-Karachi-Mumbai took 68 days to complete and was historic, in being the first voyage of an Indian sailboat touching foreign shores.

.

The Aftermath

.

The expedition provided important lessons on long-distance sailing and these proved invaluable during the planning for the next voyage. Three crew of this six-member expedition undertook the circumnavigation on Trishna later, carrying forward the experience gained. They were Capt KS Rao – who became the Skipper – and Capts AK Singh and myself.

.

.

During a visit of General TN Raina, Chief of Army Staff to Pune, he met the crew of Albatross to convey his congratulations to the onward crew – the boat was still on its return journey at that time. However, all crew members were subsequently called to Delhi and felicitated, including an invite for dinner at Gen Raina’s house.

.

.

The crew members were conferred with the award of Sena Medal (Gallantry) on Republic Day 1978 by the President of India, for the successful completion of this historic voyage, braving all odds.

.

.

The final upshot of this expedition was that I had been absent for a long period during the semester of the Degree Engineering Course, more than permissible by the rules. I had been closely involved with the expedition since the beginning and the Marve stay was an extended one. Despite all my protestations to forestall the inevitable, with pleas that I would make up for lost studies and I should be allowed to appear in the examinations for the semester, I was relegated and lost six months. Now when one looks back on that decision, it appears to have been for my own good – I was able to sail for another six months from the cozy cocoon of the College! My last (additional) semester at the College was a whirlwind of sailing activities for me, to the extent that I was out sailing even during the final examinations of the 6^th semester! A separate examination schedule was issued for me at a later date, after my coursemates had already left the College, in which I appeared – an unnerving experience, with one student and one invigilator in the huge examination hall! My scroll was handed over to me with my movement order the day before I left!

.

End Note

.

The Albatross now rests proudly at its alma mater – in the Open Air Museum of the College of Military Engineering, Pune. Though dwarfed by Trishna, its larger and more famous neighbour, it proudly holds its own place in the annals of the history of the Corps and the sailing fraternity of the country. After all, it is the one which can claim to have set the Corps, and India, on the road (water?) to bluewater sailing!

.

.

Articles

.

An abridged version of this blog appeared in print in the magazine, Salute, in their issue dated March 16, 2021. This can be viewed at the link below.

https://salute.co.in/albatross-the-seabird-that-conquered-the-seas/

.

Talk Show

.

Fauji Days recorded a talk show with some of the crew members, to relate their experiences of the voyage. The recording was done in January 2023 at Chandigarh. This can be viewed at:

https://youtu.be/cD3MguGGlCk

.

.