Trishna (yacht)

The Indian Army Engineers have been in the forefront of adventure activities in the Country, whether on land, sea or air. They have been the pioneers in Ocean Cruising in India.[3]

The Sapper Adventure Foundation had sponsored a sailing expedition from Bombay to Bandar Abbas, Iran in 1977[4] in an 20-foot 1909-vintage wooden Seabird[5] Class sailboat Albatross to test the sailing capabilities of the sailors of the Corps of Engineers and a precursor to the circumnavigation of the globe by the Sappers on Trishna. The 68-day 7,000 km voyage to Bandar Abbas was one of the early major ventures by the Corps.[6]

[7] The planning for the circumnavigation commenced in early 1980s and finally took off in 1984 when a team of officers from the Corps of Engineers flew to the U.K. to buy a boat and sail it back to India. Limited funds dictated the Sapper Adventure Foundation to opt for the purchase of a second-hand sailboat for the venture. After an extensive survey of the second-hand boat market in the U.K., the 1970-vintage Swan 37 boat Guinevere of Sussex was shortlisted, which was based at Brighton.[8] After purchase of the yacht, it was sailed by the crew to the Joint Services Sailing Center, Gosport, U.K., now known as the Joint Services Adventure Sail Training Center,[9] where it underwent minor repairs and partial essential re-fit to make it sail-worthy for the voyage back to India. The crew also underwent sail training, which was organised under the aegis of the Royal Engineers. Major Ron Gravels, ex-Royal Engineers, was engaged and he undertook a month-long sail training program for the crew on the Solent, English Channel crossings to Cherbourg culminating in a sail to the ports of Guernsey and Alderney in the Channel Islands.[10]

Trishna entering Gibraltar harbour

Trishna set off on her first long distance voyage from the Joint Services Sailing Center, Gosport, U.K. on 12 October 1984. With the onset of winter, the crew had a rough passage, especially in the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. With halts at Alderney (14 October), A Coruña (20 October), Lisbon (26 October), Gibraltar (1 November), Ibiza (7 November), Malta (17 November), Iraklion (24 November), Port Said (1 December) through the Suez Canal to Port Suez (7 December),[11] Port Sudan (15 December), Aden (30 December), Salalah (10 January 1985), Muscat, Oman (19 January) and Bombay (1 February 1985).[12][13][14]

• Gosport-Alderney-A Coruña-Lisbon-Gibraltar-Ibiza-Malta-Crete-Port Said-Suez Canal-Port Suez-Port Sudan-Aden-Salalah-Muscat-Bombay in September 1984 to February 1985[16][17]
• Mumbai-Lakshwadeep-Goa-Mumbai in April 1985[18][16]
• Around the World Sailing Expedition: Bombay-Male-Mauritius-St Helena-Ascension Island-Natal-Belem-Suriname-Guyana-Trinidad-Barbados-Jamaica-Colón-Panama Canal-Panama City-Galapagos-Tahiti-Suva, Fiji-Auckland-Sydney-Darwin-Bali-Jakarta-Campbell Bay-Colombo-Bombay
• Goodwill Sailing Expedition:[19]Mumbai-Kochi-Galle-Campbell Bay-Penang-Singapore-Port Kelang-Phuket-Port Blair-Goa-Mumbai in 1994-1995
• Mumbai-Dubai-Muscat-Seychelles-Maldives-Sri Lanka-Kochi-Mumbai in 1996-1997[20][21]
• Millennium Sailing Expedition: Mumbai-Kochi-Galle-Campbell Bay-Penang-Singapore-Port Kelang-Phuket-Port Blair-Goa-Mumbai in 1999-2000[20][22]
• Mumbai-Male-Colombo-Mumbai[23] in 2010.

Note: The Goodwill Sailing Expedition 1994-1995 was the first occasion when a lady member, 2/Lt. Deepanita Dass, was included as a crew member in any Indian sailing expedition.[19]

The Indian Army Corps of Engineers celebrated the silver jubilee of the historic completion of the First Indian circumnavigation on 10 January 2012 by again sailing Trishna across Mumbai harbour to the Naval Sailing Club, Colaba, Mumbai, the place from where she had set off on its journey in 1985.[24]

• 
  Puja on board after taking possession of Trishna at Brighton Marina
• 
  The team at the Joint Services Sailing Center, Gosport with Maj Gen HK 'Harry' Kapoor, Maj Gen Neil Carter, RE and Maj Ron Gravels
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  A training sail along the Solent
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  Working on the boat at the Joint Services Sailing Center, Gosport
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  Invoking the Sea Gods for a safe voyage before sail off from Gosport
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  Boat maintenance at La Corona after battling storms during the Bay of Biscay crossing
• 
  A relaxing moment with the Portuguese Army Commandos at Lisboa
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  Sailing out of Lisboa
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  Crew at the Royal Navy base at Gibraltar
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  Battling the seas during storms in the Red Sea
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  Cleaning up during Mother's Watch routine
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  A calm moment in the Arabian Sea