New Delhi, April 1. INSV Tarini entered Cape Town, South Africa, completing the fourth leg of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II expedition, the vessel and the crew were welcomed by Ms Ruby Jaspreet, Consul General of India at Cape Town, Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Staff, South African Navy Fleet and the Defence Adviser of India at Pretoria, Captain Atul Sapahia. South African Naval Band also performed welcoming the vessel to the port.
The NSP II expedition was flagged off by Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, on October 2, 2024, from Goa, and is being undertaken by two women officers of the Indian Navy, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A, onboard Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV Tarini). The mission aims to cover more than 23,400 nautical miles (approximately 43,300 kilometers) in eight months, with a scheduled return to Goa in May 2025. The expedition has so far had three stopovers at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand) and Port Stanley, Falklands (UK).
The vessel will be at Royal Cape Yacht Club for two weeks for scheduled maintenance and repairs. The crew of the vessel will engage and interact with the South African Navy at Simon’s Town Naval Base and Gordon’s Bay Naval College. Community Outreach events are also planned during their stay.
The vessel and the crew having encountered rough seas and extremely cold temperature coupled with stormy weather conditions, made the task of circumnavigation highly challenging and demanding. The passage so far witnessed winds in excess of 50 knots (93 kmph) and waves upto 7 meters (23 feet) high.
The indigenously built INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel, which was inducted in the Indian Navy in 2018 and has participated in many such expeditions earlier. The vessel is a true testament of ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Government of India.
The Navika Sagar Parikrama-II expedition also promotes women empowerment in the Indian Armed Forces and is expected to motivate many young women to join the Services and Indian Navy in particular. This edition is also aimed at furthering marine and scientific researches.
The stopover of Tarini at Cape Town exhibits the growing relations between India and South Africa and how India stands committed to strengthen its maritime cooperation with the friendly countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
In the recent past, Indian Naval Ship Talwar participated in the 8th edition of Exercise IBSAMAR in October 2024 in South Africa. The month of January this year also saw the latest stealth frigate of Indian Navy INS Tushil making a port call at Durban and engaging with the South African Navy and the Indian community in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Such visits and engagements bring the Navies together to address the common challenges in the maritime domain and learn from the best practices for ensuring safe and secure seas.
The vessel is likely to depart Cape Town on April 15, 2025.
