Commander Donde revisits a longstanding romance

MUMBAI: Five years ago, Commander Dilip Donde of the Indian Navy challenged nature by deciding to take up the first solo circumnavigation of the globe on a sailboat by an Indian. His historic return 276 days later was not devoid of an opportunity to explore the full range of sailing discomfort.

“F*** was the only reaction I could have. I was that helpless!” Donde’s eyes widened as he recounted the helplessness that gripped him when he stared at nine-metre waves rushing towards his boat, INSV Mhadei, which was handicapped by a broken steering!

“You have no choice but to start fixing it. I managed it somehow in the middle of the ocean, still some distance away from the Tasmanian coast.”

A boat without a steering sounds scary. Mhadei’s sail suffered a tear too. But the challenges didn’t come to a close there for Donde. “I had sailed away from New Zealand and was far away from Chile when my autopilot failed,” he said, the vigorous hand movements depicting the severity of the situation.

“Autopilot is so important because you cannot be manoeuvring the boat always. Mine did not work for two entire months!”

On Tuesday, exactly five years since Donde’s return to Mumbai, there were no nuts coming off or a rudder to take care of. Amid the tranquil surrounds of the Western Naval Command Officer’s Mess by the Arabian Sea, a proud Donde spoke about his romance with Mhadei at the launch of his book, The First Indian: Story of the First Solo Circumnavigation under Sail.

“It (circumnavigation) was the best decision of my life. I miss Mhadei, I want to be with her now. Don’t get me started about the bond I developed with her. While making of the boat killed me, it was totally worth it,” said Donde, who himself had a role in building the ship.