CHENNAI: Say catamaran and the picture that most of us would imagine is that of fishermen pushing their half-wrecked vessels into the waves for their daily catch. However, the catamaran that the Artillery Water Sports Association (AWSA), the adventure cell of the artillery centre in the Indian Army, uses is anything other than what we are used to seeing. In an attempt to create an awareness on eco-conservation, 14 officers from the association will set sail on a 1,500-km journey from Chennai on December 18 on what they call a Hobie Cat, a sophisticated form of catamaran that has almost a nil chance of capsizing. The journey, to be organised in association with the Royal Madras Yatch Club (RMYC) and Prakruthi, will involve a 11-day sail from Ennore to Gopalpur (at sea) in Orissa. According to Major K S Panigrahy, the secretary of the association and the leader of the expedition, this is the first time since the induction of the Hobie Cat that such a long sail is being undertaken by the team. A group of seven such boats will cover a distance of 150 km, or about 78 nautical miles a day, manoeuvring through uncharted waters on the eastern coast and camping in beaches that are rarely visited by people. The Hobie Cat, the major says, was acquired from Europe in 2002 and the first expedition on this modern catamaran began in 2005. The vessel has two hulls for supreme balance, with a trampoline mesh in the middle used by the crew as the seat. The catamaran is at ease in both the sea as well as the shallow waters, as it sinks only six inches, given its light weight. Given the fact that expeditions have rarely been conducted on the eastern shore, especially near Chennai, the major says that the offshore race conducted by the RMYC on December 9 was used by the crew to study the nature of the waters here.“Also, this being the NE monsoon season, we would be sailing against the wind all through, which means it would require extra effort and stamina,” he adds. Captain V A Shanbhag, honorary secretary of the RMYC, says that the Hobie cats will halt in Pulicat Lake on December 18 and will interact with the villagers there in an attempt to encourage the concept of offshore eco-tourism. “During the halt, the crew hopes to provide a ride on the boats to underprivileged children and drive home the point that water tourism will benefit their community, given the fact that sailing is the most eco-friendly form of activity in the sea,” he says.Dipankar Ghose of the Prakruthi Eco-core group, one of the pioneers in sea-turtle conservation efforts, says that two members from the organisation will join the expedition in order to study the migratory route of sea turtles. “This is the season when turtles visit the shore to lay their eggs. How they navigate and reach their destinations is still being studied the world over. Two members from our group will observe these turtles during the expedition,” he says.Also, he says that the AWSA members, some of whom are national champions in sailing, were kind enough to accommodate a passenger in each of their Hobie Cats during the off-shore race conducted on December 9 and added that the expedition was being supported by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. The expedition would be flagged off from Ennore on December 18. For more information, contact Dipankar Ghose at 9940355521.
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