Indian Navy's tall ship to make call in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 April 2004, 18:04 GMT]
The Indian Navy's Sailing Ship, Tarangini, will be visiting Colombo on the last leg of her circumnavigation voyage from 16th April to 20th April 2004. This is the first Port Call in Sri Lanka for an Indian Navy's Ship since 1983, Indian High Commission (IHC) said in a press release.

Tarangini sailed out of her homeport, Kochi, on a circumnavigation voyage on 23rd January 2003 and will return to Kochi in May 2004. The theme of this circumnavigation is “ Bridging friendship across the oceans,” the IHC release further said

Tarangini has visited 37 ports in 17 countries, and taken part in the tall ship races conducted by the American Sail Training Association in the Great lakes. The voyage is aimed at inculcating a spirit of adventure amongst the cadets and crew of the ship, while at the same time imparting sail and seamanship training capsules to the cadets and midshipmen of the Indian navy and friendly foreign countries, thereby building bridges of friendship across the oceans.

One officer of the Sri Lankan Navy embarked Tarangini on her first voyage on 23 January from Kochi to Alexandra. Three officers will embark the ship on her last leg from Colombo to Kochi on 20th April, IHC release said.

The ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 11th November 1997 and forms part of the First Training Squadron of Southern Naval Command based at Kochi on the South West Coast of India. Tarangini is the only tall ship of India. Designed by the world famous sail ship designer, Colin Mudie, the ship was built by M/s Goa Shipyard Limited. Commander Mukul Asthana commands Tarangini, the IHC release added.