INSV Tarini entered Fremantle (Australia) port during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P. Swathi, and Lieutenants S. Vijaya Devi, B. Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.

INSV Tarini was flagged-off from Goa by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 10, 2017. The vessel has covered 4800 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25. 2017 and the Tropic of Capricorn on October 6, 2017. The indigenously-built INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel, which was inducted in the Indian Navy earlier this year, and showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the International forum.

The vessel would return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. The expedition is being covered in five legs, with stopovers at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

The crew has also been collating and updating meteorological, ocean and wave data on a regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department, as also monitoring marine pollution on the high seas. They would interact extensively with the local populace, during the port halt to promote ocean sailing and the spirit of adventure.