Kolkata, October 3: Indian Navy sailing vessel INSV Neelkanth has embarked on a nearly 661-nautical-mile voyage from Visakhapatnam to Sri Vijaya Puram as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, with personnel from the Eastern Naval Command and ANC jointly sailing the vessel, including two women Agniveers.
The voyage covers approximately 661.2 nautical miles between Visakhapatnam and Sri Vijaya Puram. Unlike the vessel’s earlier expeditions along the Indian coastline, the latest passage will take the crew through open seas to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, interacted with the INSV Neelkanth crew on September 19 ahead of the expedition. The interaction focused on lessons relevant to the voyage and encouraging the future of sailing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to the ANC.
The nearly 40-foot sailing yacht is one of six ocean-going sailing vessels used by the Navy for expeditions and training. The fleet also includes INSV Mhadei, INSV Tarini, INSV Bulbul, INSV Hariyali and INSV Kadalpura.
INSV Neelkanth has previously undertaken several demanding sailing assignments. In 2023, it secured first place in the Inter Command Ocean Sailing Race after covering 360 nautical miles between Kochi and Goa. During that race, its mixed-gender crew faced heavy rain, sea states reaching four and wind gusts exceeding 25 knots for two days.
The vessel undertook a 100-nautical-mile expedition in 24 hours in 2024 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Navy’s submarine training school, INS Satavahana. In 2021, it sailed from Chennai to Visakhapatnam to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Navy’s submarine base, INS Virbahu.
The ANC said no bad weather was forecast in the Bay of Bengal in the near future. An official said the crew was highly trained and the vessel was capable of handling all weather conditions.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command, established on October 1, 2001, is India’s first and only tri-services command. It brings together the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard for the defence of the strategic islands.
Beyond defence and surveillance of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone around the archipelago, the Command is responsible for protecting the region’s fragile ecosystem and conducting Marine Search and Rescue operations in one of the world’s busiest maritime zones.
The ANC is marking its Silver Jubilee with a series of activities involving the local population.
