INSV Mhadei, the sailing boat made in Goa by Aquarius Fibreglas Pvt Ltd that created history by successfully completing Project ‘Sagar Parikrama’ of the Indian Navy.. Commander Dilip Donde, the yachtsman has became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo and under sails. Goa holds a special significance for the boat and her crew, not only because she was constructed on Diwar Island, but also because she gets her name from the old name of the Mandovi river.

Project Sagar Parikrama, which literally means “Circumnavigation by Sea” in Hindi, is the Indian Navy’s first solo circumnavigation venture. The ambitious project was conceived and mentored by V Adm (Retd) MP Awati, VrC, an avid yatchsman himself, and found active support from the Indian Navy and the Ministry of Defence. After studying various yacht designs, the Indian Navy zeroed in on the Van de Stadt Tonga 56 and contract was to Aquarius Fibreglas Pvt Ltd. The boat was completed after thirteen months and was undergoing intensive sea trials in the waters of the Arabian Sea off Goa. The boat proved to be, in the words of Sir Robin Knox Johnson, without any “major flaws and a good boat to go around the world”.

The Mhadei is a 56 foot Sloop with a displacement of 23T of wood core fiberglass construction and is fitted with all the necessary navigation and communication equipment to undertake a solo circumnavigation. The boat has a suite of eight sails comprising two main sails, two genoas, one stay and storm gib each and two gennekars. She is also fitted with the latest communication and navigation equipment and has facilities for paperless navigation and internet broadband and telephony anywhere in the world. During the voyage in which the boat sailed more than 21000 miles, she touched only four ports – Fremantle, Christchurch, Falkland Islands and Cape Town. She was well appreciated in all the ports for her strong and solid construction. The solist, Commander Dilip Donde is all praises for the boat. “You can think of sailing around the world only if you have a strong boat, and Mhadei more than lived up to expectations.”

The boat was flagged off from Mumbai on 19th August 2009 and was back in Mumbai on 19.05.2010 after successfully completing voyage.

For more information on the voyage of Sagar Parikrama click here.