The sail training ship of Indian Navy, INS Tarangini based at Kochi, returned after a seven month long sailing across the world to a grand reception at naval base, Kochi on 30 Oct 18. The ship was received by Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, VSM, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command. A welcoming ceremony was conducted by the Southern Naval Command at South Jetty of the naval base to mark the occasion. Captain Varun Singh, SC, Senior Officer First Training Squadron and a number of senior officers, families of the crew and other distinguished guests also attended the function.The Voyage named “Lokayan 18” was flagged off on 10 Apr 18 from Kochi. During the voyage, the ship has proudly 'shown the flag' and highlighted the diverse culture of India across 15 ports in 13 countries. The ship sailed across the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, English Channel and North Sea, right up to Norway before commencing her homeward passage back to Kochi. The ship also participated in the culminating event of the ‘Three Festival Tall Ships Regatta’ at Bordeaux, France. As well as the ‘Tall Ships Races Europe 2018’ which started at Sunderland, UK and touched Esbjerg, Denmark and Stavanger, Norway before finishing at Harlingen, Netherlands. During the tall ships regatta, the ship sailed along with hundreds of other sailing vessels, of which 200 were ‘Tall Ships’ like herself, besides taking part in the parade of sails, which was conducted at all these ports.
INS Tarangini is a three masted 'square rigged' barque which carries a total of 20 sails. She is the First Sail Training Ship in Indian Navy and was commissioned on 11 Nov 1997. In her 21 years of glorious service, she has sailed over 2,20,000 nautical miles to date across the world's oceans. The ship is under the command of Cdr Rahul Mehta. She has a crew of nine officers and 43 sailors and can also embark 30 Officer Sea Trainees. She is the first of two Sail Training Ships in the First Training Squadron, the other being INS Sudarshini. The primary role of these Sail Training Ships is to develop character and professionalism, as well as inculcate the qualities of initiative, courage, resilience and esprit-de-corps amongst the Sea Trainees and also impart practical training to them, primarily on navigation, sailing and seamanship. Over the years, INS Tarangini has been extensively deployed for long voyages away from her base port of Kochi, which includes one circumnavigation of the globe (2003-04) and three previous ‘Lokayans’ (2005, 2007 and 2015).