Trip on a ship

LALITA SRIDHAR

The INS Kuthar is a missile-corvette (a class of fighter ships), one in a series named after hathyaar - a weapon, which she is. She was built at the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai just under eleven years ago. She is 91.16 metres long and does not look anywhere near as big as the ships in the movies. But she can "sprint" at 26 knots, carry 124 tons of fuel (she uses seven tons of diesel every 24 normal hours of cruising) and in her live 110 men.

I found that hard to believe till I saw how compactly a ship is designed. While on the upper decks and from the bridge (which is the command centre) you are surrounded by an enormous expanse of wind and water, once you go below every bit of space is planned. As the sailors whizzed by expertly, I gingerly made my way down to low ceilings with steep ladders and narrow corridors. They looked completely functional with tools, gauges and other apparatus. Only the captain has a private, bath attached, nicely furnished cabin. It befits his status as the supreme authority on the ship.

The galley operates on hot plates (no gas allowed for fear of fire) and cooks complete meals for all the men on board. They stock everything from eggs to fresh vegetables in the freezer though when they are at sea, for months at end, they also depend on tinned rations. The cook was frying gulabjamuns but I was not the least bit tempted. I was lucky I wasn't feeling seasick like some of my fellow seafarers but I was still trying to maintain my balance as the ship cleaved its way through the waves (the trick, I was told, was to keep your feet apart and seek to move with the movement). I was luckier still that this wasn't a windy or rainy day when the water can get really choppy.

Due to space constraints (parking problems here too!) ships berth parallel at harbours, tied to each other and separated by pneumatic (or other kinds of) fenders which keeps them from bumping and denting each other. We boarded the Kuthar by walking across the Kora which came before it at the pier. Our ship then silently pulled away as a tug safely accompanied us out of the harbour channel. The ship-horn boomed, flags were ceremoniously hoisted and lowered and salutary whistles sounded for the bigger sister ship. Once out of the harbour, wind whipped by as we speeded up, leaving behind a wake of frothing surf. The water turned blue and soon the city could no longer be seen. Only the gyro-magnet could tell us where we were (its a very accurate, man-made device - neither affected by the poles nor the presence of the ship's metal parts). We witnessed naval exercises such the firing of powerful guns and Replenishment At Sea (or RAS - where two ships cruising at good speed swiftly send across supplies like fuel and water or even men-in-harness over ropes. They get connected by firing a hook from one ship to another). We have come a long way indeed from the first boats which were just planks of wood tied together.

As we made our way back to the shore, I was given something which now rates among my most cherished possessions - a cap which every man on board the INSKuthar wears with pride. Their motto (every ship has its unique motivational slogan) Fear God, Dread Nought, inspires her men to fear nothing but God. Our country is in safe hands.

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