SWARAJ DVEEP SAILING EXPEDITION

1. CORPS OF ENGINEERS SWARAJ DVEEP SAILING EXPEDITION MADRAS TO PORT BLAIR 15 Feb To 08 Mar 1970

2. THIS IS THE FIRST EXPEDITION EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT THAT TWO SMALL SAILING BOATS, WHICH ARE BASICALLY MEANT FOR COASTAL SAILING, HAVE SAILED ACROSS THE BAY OF BENGAL FROM MADRAS TO THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS ENTIRELY ON WIND POWER WITHOUT ANY OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.

3. THE EXPEDITION WAS PLANNED AND ORGANISED BY THE COLLEGE OF MILITARY ENGINEERING, PUNE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF, LT GEN R A LOOMBA AT ARMY HQ, NEW DELHI MAJ GEN M M NATH WAS THE COMMANDANT OF THE CME AND LT COL R MANORANJAN WAS THE VICE COMMODORE OF THE CME SAILING CLUB. THE ENTIRE PLANNING AND COORDINATION FOR THE EXPEDITION WAS DONE BY LT COL R MANORANJAN

4. JALDOOTS RAJHANS MAJ MOHAN SINGH (SKIPPER) CAPT Y. K. SAXENA CAPT D. S. ALAGH LT B.D. JAYAL ALBATROSS CAPT R B KHANNA CAPT K N SETHI CAPT K K LAMBA CAPT V K DUA

5. PHASES • BACKGROUND • PLANNING • PREPARATION AT MADRAS • CONDUCT • RECEPTION

6. PLANNING • MET DATA • DURATION OF EXPEDITION • NAVIGATION TRAINING • COMMUNICATIONS • FOOD • WATER • MEDICAL • SAFETY EQUIPMENT • MET BROADCAST

7. NAVIGATION TRAINING ATINS VEDURUTHY - COCHIN • EQUIPMENT:- • COMPASS, SEXTANT, CHARTS, ALMANAC, AZIMUTH TABLES • CHECKED ACCURACY OF EQUIPMENT AND LEARNT ITS USE • BOAT COMPASSES – CHECKED BY GYRO COMPASS • SEXTANTS HAD ERRORS – THEY WERE ALSO CHECKED & RECTIFIED • METHOD OF FINDING OWN POSITION • SUN – RUN – SUN • SUN – RUN – MERAULT • INFO OF LIGHTHOUSES ON THE ISLANDS • INFO OF HOSTILE TRIBES INHABITING THE ISLANDS • MEDICAL • WATCHES SET ON GMT

8. COMMUNICATIONS • BETWEEN BOATS – PRC-25 • BOAT TO GROUND STATION – GR 345 (AMPLIFIER UNIT GA-480 LEFT BEHIND) • NETTING DONE WITH SUPER CONSTELLATION AIRCRAFT • FLAGS AND COLOURED WINDSOCKS • TRAINING IN MORSE CODE (C.W.) • INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS FREQUENCY • HAM STATIONS

9. ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOOD AND WATER • FOOD COOKED FOOD FROM DEFENCE FOOD RESEARCH LABORATORY MYSORE • PRECOOKED CANNED FOOD • FOIL WRAPPED PRECOOKED STUFFED CHAPATIES AND PARATHAS • HEXAMINE COOKERS • HEXAMINE COOKER SOLID FUEL TABLETS (600) • CAN OPENERS • TINNED- DAL, PULAO, KEEMA, UPMA, PARATHAS, KHEER, JUICES, FRUIT, MILK • SNACKS IN PACKETS • WATER – (PER BOAT) • TWO GALVANISED IRON TANKS – SAUSAGE SHAPED -20 GALS EACH • THREE PLASTIC JERRYCANS – CAPACITY 4 GALS PER JERRYCAN • TWO TIN TANKS – 6 GALS EACH TOTAL WATER PER BOAT – 64 GALS – FOR 20 DAYS

10. MEDICAL TRAINING • COMMON AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT • FOOD/TIN POISONING • EMERGENCY FIRST AID • ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION

11. SAFETY EQUIPMENT • SELF INFLATING DINGHI WITH DINGHY RADIO • SARAH EQPT – (SEARCH RESCUE & HOMING) • SEA SURVIVAL EMERGENCY PACK • MAY WEST LIFE JACKETS • SHARK REPELLANT POWDER • SAFETY ROPES • PISTOL

12. SAILING TECHNIQUE wind wind wind

13. SPARES CARRIED • KEROSENE OIL FOR LANTERNS • BATTERIES • CORDAGE • SWR – STEEL WIRE ROPE • SHACKLES • NAILS • WIRES • WOOD • CARPENTER TOOLS • SAIL CLOTH • NEEDLE & THREAD • FIRST AID KIT

14. SAILING TECHNIQUE wind wind wind

15. DUA, RABS, LAMBA, SETHI ALBATROSS TEAM

16. SAXENA, MOHAN SINGH, ALAGH, JAYAL RAJHANS TEAM

17. BRAVE CREW OF‘ALBATROSS’ AND ‘RAJHANS’ Standing( L to R ) :CAPT VK DUA, CAPT RB KHANNA, CAPT KK LAMBA, CAPT KN SETHI Sitting( L to R ) :MAJ MOHAN SINGH, CAPT YK SAXENA, LT BD JAYAL,CAPT DS ALAGH

18. LEARNING NAVIGATION

19. LEARNING TO NAVIGATE

20. LEARNING TO NAVIGATE

21. LEARNING TO NAVIGATE

22. GOVERNOR SARDAR UJJAL SINGH and COL MANORANJAN WITH THE TEAM BEFORE DEPARTURE.

23. POOJA CEREMONY - MADRAS

24. POOJA CEREMONY – BRIG S S CHHACHHI-CE SOUTHERN ZONE

25. Team Members watch while the ‘Pandit’ performs the customary religious ceremony before embarking on the voyage.

26. Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sardar Ujjal Singh, Seeing off the team at Chennai on 15 Feb 1970

27. OFF WE GO – CHENNAI HARBOUR

28. LEAVING CHENNAI HARBOUR

29. OFF AT CHENNAI HARBOUR

30. ON THE HIGH SEAS

31. NAVAL OFFRS SEEING US OFF CHENNAI