Lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy will start sailing on November 1 in an attempt to become the first Indian to do a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe (unassisted) with Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei.
Sailing solo means remaining at sea for around six months to cover 21,600 miles (40,000 km). This expedition has been titled ‘Sagar Parikrama II’ by the Indian Navy.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy said, “I will have to fight each situation on my own, as I will be alone.” This means that apart from having an adequate stock of supplies, he will also have to repair and maintain INSV Mhadei without berthing at any of the ports.
Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy added, “I will be updating my encounters and experiences during this phase by way of a blog and social networking websites.”
In 2010, Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian to circumnavigate solo, but with four stops or port calls, when he sailed for 277 days. “The blog ‘sagar parikrama’ used to receive around a lakh hits per week, when Cdr. Donde was sailing. Through my blog, I can attract more youth to take up sea-faring,” added the 33-year-old naval officer.
Till date Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy, an executive branch officer, has a sailing experience of around 27,000 nautical miles and 1,300 hours of flying experience.
Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy’s will leave Mumbai port and travel to the south of all the three capes — Cape Leeuwing, Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. In order to create a record, he will also have to cross the Equator twice, only to finish his mission back in Mumbai.