‘7 lives in 8 months’: Two women Navy officers brave navigation blackout, 20-foot waves, unforgiving cold in historic voyage around globe

With these words, the two women officers of the Indian Navy sailed into Goa’s Mormugao port aboard INSV Tarini on Thursday evening, etching their names in history.

After sailing for 239 days and covering 25,600 nautical miles across four continents, three oceans and three Great Capes, the sailors have become the first Indian duo to circumnavigate the globe without external assistance and relying solely on wind power.

“On October 2, we left Goa with a lot of hope and courage. Today, we stand here alive and strong together,” said Lt Cdr Dilna. The expedition was a promise she made to her father. “He is no more with me, but his presence was felt throughout the journey,” she said.

The officers recalled how, “in the dead of a night”, when they were trying to steer clear of a cyclone, they had a “complete navigation panel blackout” in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. “We lost the GPS, boat heading, wind instrument, autopilot… It took us three hours, but it felt like an eternity to get the systems back under control,” said Lt Cdr Roopa.

“We saw the ocean and waves raging in anger on some days, with waves as high as 20 feet tall hitting us like a wall. But we also had days when the sea was as calm as a mirror… And we lived through all of this in unforgiving cold, which almost froze us. The world of the sea… it’s the same planet, but a whole different world out there. I have seen the sea glow at night, the sky filled with galaxies, shooting stars and sheer darkness that brings the mind and body to peace,” she said.

During the voyage, the crew recounted facing winds up to 50 knots and stormy weather as they navigated through the treacherous Drake Passage and rounded Cape Horn. The third leg of the journey from Lyttleton to Port Stanley was especially arduous.

Lt Commander Roopa A and Lt Commander Dilna K will be the first from India to circumnavigate the globe onboard a sailing vessel in double-handed mode. (Image source: @indiannavy)

“There are rarely any records of someone being at the exact coordinates of Point Nemo — the ocean’s remotest location from any land, where the closest humans are in the space station. Well, it’s not so remote anymore for us Indians. Then, there was Drake Passage and rounding Cape Horn — the Everest of every sailor, and also their nightmare. Halfway around the world, the sea humbled us and made us students again,” said Dilna.

Speaking at the flag-in ceremony of INSV Tarini, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the two officers for their courage, commitment and endurance in completing the historic circumnavigation expedition, and termed their voyage the epitome of nari shakti.

Singh also mentioned Operation Sindoor. “The women pilots and other women soldiers played a crucial role in the effective action taken by India against terrorism in Pakistan and PoK during Operation Sindoor,” he said.

The Defence Minister said that ever since the participation of women in the armed forces has increased, they have performed exceptionally well in every role and fulfilled every responsibility.

“From the heights of Siachen to the depths of the ocean, Indian women are fulfilling many responsibilities, which has further bolstered the security circle of the country. Today, the doors of Sainik Schools are open for girls, and 17 women are passing out from the National Defence Academy this month,” Singh said.

The expedition was flagged off from INS Mandovi in Goa on October 2, 2024, as part of the second edition of Navika Sagar Parikrama.