The world in his wake

Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian to sail around the world alone when he returned to Mumbai on Saturday after nine months at sea. Here are excerpts from an interaction.

Commander Dilip Donde becamethe first Indian to sail around theworld alone when he returned toMumbai on Saturday after ninemonths at sea. Here are excerpts froman interaction.

How did it feel to be absolutely alone inthe middle of the ocean?
I think I went throughthe whole spectrum ofpossible emotions butI rarely felt absolutelyalone since theMhadei was my constantcompanion.That probablyexplains my use ofthe pronoun "we" asagainst "I" in the blogI wrote during theso you are never alone.

I'd often end up talking to myself.My different roles on the boat, like thechef or the skipper, were alter egos Ispoke to. There was often other companylike the albatross that would flyalong the boat, or the dolphins andflying fish that would frolic alongside.

How did it feel to be completely at themercy of the elements?
Being at the mercy of theelements was a voyage of discovery.There was plenty ofapprehension, a lot of discomfort,and even fear. Yetthroughout, there was asolid confidence in theMhadei and a firm beliefthat she could weather theelements no matter what.

Even so, there weremoments that left me miserable andscared. And moments that were challengingenough to make me throw cautionto the wind, wave my fists at theelements, daring them to do theirworst. I would go on for hours onpure adrenaline and then suddenlyget deflated when themoment passed. Itwas quite thekaleidoscope ofemotions.

Therewere timeswhen I wasclose todespair. Butthen I'd tell myself that I putmyself in this position voluntarilyand there was no oneelse around to help me. So I'dcurse myself for a while, waitfor the despair to pass, andthen start again.

What does it mean to be the only Indianto have sailed around the world?
To be honest, I don't feel very different.I had volunteered for the projectand given the Navy my word that Iwill take on the responsibility to achievetheir aims, so I did it. So there is somemeasure of satisfaction there for a jobwell completed.

Just as I was finishing the trip, I gota mail from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston,the first solo circumnavigator in theworld, congratulating and welcomingme into the Solo Circumnavigator's clubas its 175th member. It's pretty exclusive;even the astronaut's club has over400 members. So that did give me akick. But it's momentary; you get overit and get on with your work.

How do you feel about the ocean afterspending so much time at sea?
Being a career naval officer and adiver, I have always had immenserespect for the ocean. It only increasedby leaps and bounds as I saw and experiencedmore of it. That's why wheneversomeone talks about me conqueringthe oceans through this expedition,I correct them I am too punyto conquer the ocean, I just try andlearn to live with it. The ocean is huge,immensely powerful, and completelybeyond human comprehension.Whether I love the sea or hate itdepends on the way it treats me andthat keeps changing all the time, but Iam always in awe of it.

It was downright poetic and romanticat times and sometimes extremelycruel and indifferent to my suffering --it seemed to take a sadistic pleasure intormenting us.

And about your constant companion,the Mhadei?
It's difficult to describe my feelingsabout Mhadei without gettinga bit sentimental. In the last fouryears, I have seen her grow from a pileof wood to the fine boat she is. She hasbeen my constant and trusty companionthrough the entire trip and togetherwe have gone through experiencesthat really cannot be shared with anyoneelse. There have been times in reallybad weather when, feeling absolutelyhelpless, I just set her up as best asI could with a silent prayer to keep mesafe, and went to sleep since there wasnothing more I could do, and she hasweathered the storm without a whimper!At other times, she has been introuble due to the weather or somebreakage and I worked frantically tokeep her safe or repair her. She is anexcellent boat and after sailing her forover 30,000 Nm, I am still discoveringnew things about her. What can Isay? Don't think I'd be too far offthe mark if I said I am in love withher!

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