INS Sudarshini sail to mark 50-yrs of Indo-Singapore bilateral ties

[$@rJen]

INS Sudarshini sail to mark 50-yrs of Indo-Singapore bilateral ties
5 Nov 2014, 1157 hrs IST, AGENCIES
Indian Navy's sailing ship INS Sudarshini is set to sail from Kochi to Singapore on December, 2014, to mark the golden jubilee of bilateral ties between India and the island state in South-East Asia.

"To mark the completion of 50 years of diplomatic ties between India and Singapore, the Indian Navy has decided to set to sail INS Sudarshini to that country. We are planning to leave Kochi by the end of next month," Commander T Rajasekhar, Commanding Officer of INS Sudarshini told PTI.

The ship would be open for visitors between January 19 and 23 next year in Singapore, he said.

Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj kicked off year-long celebrations to mark 50 years of establishment of India-Singapore diplomatic ties jointly with Singapore Foreign Minister K Shanmugam, who noted that India was one of the first countries to give diplomatic recognition to Singapore.

To mark the feat, President Pranab Mukherjee and his Singapore counterpart Tony Tan would exchange state visits next year.

Shanmugam had also said the year-long celebration would also include a Singapore festival in India and an Indian festival in Singapore.

The annual bilateral trade has flourished in the last decade from USD 4.2 billion in 2003-04 to around USD 19.4 illion in 2013-14, notably since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in 2005.

Belonging to the First Training Squadron at the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, INS Sudarshini is primarily engaged in training naval and NCC cadets on the seamanship but also goes on historic voyages around the world.

Since its official launch in 2011, the three-masted sailing ship with a barque rig has been on significant voyages of national importance.

The 54-metre-long ship with 20 sails has been on a six-month voyage to nine ASEAN nations during 2012-13 retracing the ancient route taken by Indian mariners to South East Asia during the 18th century.

INS Sudarshini with a crew of five officers, 31 sailors and 30 cadets can remain at sea for at least 20 days at a time. INS Sudarshini is presently sailing from Chennai to Nagappattinam in Tamil Nadu, to mark the Indian Navy's commemoration of emperor Rajendra Chola's millennium of coronation.

INS Sudarshini sail to mark 50-yrs of Indo-Singapore bilateral ties-
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[Skull and Bones]

Perhaps the most beautiful ship in IN inventory.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Perhaps the most beautiful ship in IN inventory.

View attachment 145719

Do not leave out her sister-ship the INS Tarangani. Then there is the older Sail Training Ship the INS Varuna. Together they form the Squadron of Tall Ships in the Indian Navy.

 

[Skull and Bones]

Do not leave out her sister-ship the INS Tarangani. Then there is the older Sail Training Ship the INS Varuna. Together they form the Squadron of Tall Ships in the Indian Navy.

They look majestic, aren't they? I have an infatuation for sail ships from very childhood.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

They look majestic, aren't they? I have an infatuation for sail ships from very childhood.

Absolutely true. Its even more fun sailing, though I've never actually sailed on a Tall Ship, only small ones.

 

[ROCKING]

wow, open for visitors? then expect me

 

[surya kiran]

Do not leave out her sister-ship the INS Tarangani. Then there is the older Sail Training Ship the INS Varuna. Together they form the Squadron of Tall Ships in the Indian Navy.

Cap, what exactly are sailing ships used for in the IN. Sorry for the noob question and where does it fit in the overall curriculum and learning process.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Cap, what exactly are sailing ships used for in the IN. Sorry for the noob question and where does it fit in the overall curriculum and learning process.

The basics of being Sailor/Mariner is contained in what is known as Seamanship. It starts from something as very simple as 'finding one's sea-legs' or even being able to walk nimbly on the deck of a ship which is being tossed about in heavy seas..... best place to learn that is on the decks of a sailing ship!
Then come other skills like handling ropes cordage etc with sheer manual strength. The cadets learn all that which is useful not only as a skill but helps to hone "attitudes". One of them is Resourcefulness, or making do with what you have. Then other things like learning to work in unison.
Look at the picture of the INS Tarangini above. When the Sails have to be "furled/unfurled/shortened/struck" the Cadets climb up the 'yards' in the rigging. Then working together in perfect rhythm, carry out the task; while the Masts may be gyrating and the wind howling about around them, threatening even to blow them off. So that leads to Team-manship.
Another thing that comes into attitudinal training is sharpening the instincts of Self-Preservation. That come through working with minimal equipment in a hazardous environment. Which led to the famous Seaman's adage; "One hand for yourself, one hand for your ship".
One of the most important things that the Cadets learn is: respect for their environment (not strictly in the ecological sense only). But more on the lines of: whatever your strength/ability, there is likely to be something that stronger than you, so there is no scope for Foolhardiness. Which is why every Sailor always remembers "O Lord; thy Ocean is so great and my Boat so Small".

All of these things get imprinted far more easily on a Sailing Ship than a modern Warship with all the thingamajigs that modern Technology provides.
Sail-Training is the vital first steps in creating a competent Sailor. Then all the other things fall into place later.

 

[surya kiran]

The basics of being Sailor/Mariner is contained in what is known as Seamanship. It starts from something as very simple as 'finding one's sea-legs' or even being able to walk nimbly on the deck of a ship which is being tossed about in heavy seas..... best place to learn that is on the decks of a sailing ship!
Then come other skills like handling ropes cordage etc with sheer manual strength. The cadets learn all that which is useful not only as a skill but helps to hone "attitudes". One of them is Resourcefulness, or making do with what you have. Then other things like learning to work in unison.
Look at the picture of the INS Tarangini above. When the Sails have to be "furled/unfurled/shortened/struck" the Cadets climb up the 'yards' in the rigging. Then working together in perfect rhythm, carry out the task; while the Masts may be gyrating and the wind howling about around them, threatening even to blow them off. So that leads to Team-manship.
Another thing that comes into attitudinal training is sharpening the instincts of Self-Preservation. That come through working with minimal equipment in a hazardous environment. Which led to the famous Seaman's adage; "One hand for yourself, one hand for your ship".
One of the most important things that the Cadets learn is: respect for their environment (not strictly in the ecological sense only). But more on the lines of: whatever your strength/ability, there is likely to be something that stronger than you, so there is no scope for Foolhardiness. Which is why every Sailor always remembers "O Lord; thy Ocean is so great and my Boat so Small".

All of these things get imprinted far more easily on a Sailing Ship than a modern Warship with all the thingamajigs that modern Technology provides.
Sail-Training is the vital first steps in creating a competent Sailor. Then all the other things fall into place later.

Thanks for the detailed reply. So, do all IN officers go through this stint as part of the process?

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Thanks for the detailed reply. So, do all IN officers go through this stint as part of the process?

Yes they have to and they do. Earlier, before the 1980s, there were no Tall-Ships in the IN so that part took place on smaller boats and yachts. But the principles were the same. Have you ever seen even a team of rowers working together to row a boat? Even like the Chundans in the Snake-Boat races in Kerala? Even that is a lesson in Seamanship... all to create a different kind of Man.