Navy vessel Mhadei clocks one lakh nautical miles

NEW DELHI: The iconic INSV Mhadei has now clocked one lakh nautical miles while traversing the oceans around the globe, a milestone for the sailing vessel which figured in the naval tableau during the Republic Day parade last month.  The tableau titled 'Bharatiya Nau Sena Aur Nari Shakti' depicted the sterling achievement of four Navy women officers who had braved the vagaries of the seas to participate in the voyage from Goa to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on board Mhadei.

Commander Dilip Donde had sailed solo on Mhadei, constructed in Goa as part of the Navy's ambitious project Sagar Parikrama, to become the first Indian - and the 189th person in the world - to circumnavigate the globe with four stops from August 2009 to May 2010. Then, in 2012-2013, Commander Abhilash Tomy had sailed non-stop and unassisted around the world on Mhadei to become the first Indian, second Asian and the 79th person in the world to do so.

The 23-tonne Mhadei, which has crossed the equator 10 times, the prime meridian four times and the international dateline twice, has notched several awards since it was inducted into the Navy. Officers who have sailed on it have received a Kirti Chakra, a Shaurya Chakra, two Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards, a McGregor Award for Military Reconnaissance, two National Maritime Achievement Awards and two Chief of Naval Staff Commendations, among others. 

ALL CREDITS:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/