INS Sudharshini (means beautiful girl in Hindi)
Photos courtesy of "The Times of India"
Well it seems the bad news about the Deutsche Marine STS Gorch Fock is balanced by very good news from India, Goa to be precise.
The Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) as launched a second Sail Training Ship (STS) for the Indian Navy. She will now be completed, later in the year handed over to and commissioned by the Indian Navy. Named INS Sudharshini (beautiful girl) she was launched by Letha Sushil using coconut milk, no champagne in Indian launchings, the wife of vice-Admiral K.N. Sushil at Vasco, Goa. Admiral Sushil said:
"The aim of using such ships is to make sailors sea-friendly, as they are taught how to survive alone at sea, understand rough weather conditions and train themselves to become good sailors-----sail training ships are increasingly being used as basic seamanship and character-building platforms by Navies the world over."
Admiral Sushil it seems to NAUTICAL LOG summed it up very well and hopefully his words are read out by the Commission addressing the problems aboard STS Gorch Fock. The Indian Navy will, by later this year, have two sail training ships in service.
Built for worldwide operations INS Sudharshini is a steel hull, round bilged, three masted sailing ship. She is square rigged on the fore and main masts and fore-aft rigged on the mizzen with a total sail area of 1,035 square metres. She carries 61 persons under sail, propulsion or a combination of both and has a sea endurance of about three weeks.
Good Watch.
Comments