VASCO-DA-GAMA, November 11: After decades of operating sophisticated steam and gas turbine warships, the Indian Navy is going back to the basics. The navy's sail training ship, INS Tarangini, was commissioned at the Marmagao Port Trust, Goa today morning.

Though not exactly a medieval cannon firing `Man of War', the navy's sailing ship is to serve as a platform for training young naval cadets in the basics of seamanship and navigation before they graduate on to iron-clad warships.

The 54-metre long Tarangini built by the Goa Shipyard Ltd, the 31st built in the world and the first of its kind in Asia was commissioned by Vice Admiral Avnish Rai Tandon, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.

``This is the third indigenously built ship to be commissioned in the 50th year of our independence,'' Tandon told the gathering assembled on the quayside which included Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane and senior State and Defence officials.

And in the bargain, the navy may have just found itself an international ambassador. In keeping with its novelty, Tarangini commanded by ace sailing champ Commander Homi J Motivala is to shortly participate in various tall ship regattas held all over the world.

The swanky milky-white vessel, of the kind that advertise adventure sailing, bobbed in the water before the assemblage, in stark contrast to the hulking merchant vessels anchored in the port. Two powerful motorboats and radars mounted on board the sail ship provide the only peep of modern technology.

Only 27 navies in the world operate sail training ships, 15 in Europe, five in Latin America and three in Asia. Significantly, at least two sail training ships from Brazil and Argentina visited Indian ports this year.

``It's not so much high technology, but the revival of technology of a bygone era that we had to re-establish and re-learn,'' said Rear Admiral B R Menon, CMD of GSL. The ship has cost GSL about Rs 24 crore to build.

``Although we had been building warships over the last 200 years for the British and the Portuguese, we took a long break and are now renewing our old capabilities,'' added Vice Admiral John DeSilva, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition. The ship was designed and built by renowned British ship designer Colin Mudie on the lines of the alongside sail training ship Lord Nelson, which has been with the Royal Navy now for a decade.The ship has approximately 1,035 square metres of sails, displaces 430 tonnes and has a range of about 2,000 miles under power in average wind power.

Though the vessel is steel hulled and has an aluminium deckhouse, the interior and main decks are finished with high quality teakwood. The ship can accommodate a crew of 61 including 45 naval cadets. Tarangini will form part of the 1st Training Squadron and will be based in Kochi.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.