The First Indian

Description

On 19 May 2010 as he sailed INSV Mhadei into Mumbai harbour, Commander Dilip Donde earned his place in India’s maritime history by becoming the first Indian to complete a solo circumnavigation under sail in an Indian built boat. The First Indian is the firsthand account of this feat, which had never been attempted in the country and had been successfully completed by less than 200 people in the world; compared to this, over 5,000 people had climbed Everest and over 600 had been to space! With very little knowledge on the subject and little idea what lay in store for him, Commander Donde volunteered to undertake the project for the Indian Navy because “it sounded like a good idea!” In his own words, the book chronicles his progress over four years, when he built a suitable boat with an Indian boat-builder, weaved his way through the ‘sea-blind’ and often quixotic bureaucracy, trained himself with no precedent or knowledge base in the country and, finally, sailed solo around the world with four stops en route. An engrossing narrative of one man’s struggle to achieve his dreams against all odds, this book strikes a deep chord on many levels—on the one hand, it is a fast-paced adventure, on the other, a telling commentary on how heroes are often made despite the system they operate in by dint of sheer perseverance and commitment to a chosen path. Above all, this is a paean to the power of self-belief that serves to inspire, motivate, and exhilarate.