Visakhapatnam: INSV Tarini entered Lyttelton port (New Zealand) on Wednesday during its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P. Swathi, and Lieutenants S. Vijaya Devi, B. Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on September 10 this year. The vessel has covered 7,800 nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25 and Cape Leeuwin on November 9. The indigenously-built INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel, which was inducted into the Indian Navy earlier this year, and showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the International forum.
The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, is in consonance with the National policy to empower women. It also aims to showcase ‘Nari Shakti’ on the world platform and help revolutionise societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising the visibility of their participation in challenging environs. The vessel would return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. The expedition is being covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa). Presently, the vessel has covered two of the five legs of the voyage, with the first port halt at Fremantle (Australia) in October.
