Article Posted on : - Jan 26, 2011

An unrelated photof Indian Navy ships

PANAJI (PTI): Indian Navy Tuesday commissioned a second sail training ship - INS Sudarshini - in its fleet at a ceremony held at the port town of Vasco, about 40 kms away from here.

The ship has been constructed by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

Sail training ships are increasingly being used as basic seamanship and character building platforms by Navies across the world, a GSL spokesperson said.

"Built for worldwide operations, 'INS Sudarshini' is steel hulled, round bilged, three masted sailing ship, square rigged on the forward and main mast and fore and aft rigged on the mizzen mast with 18 sails having a sail area of approximately 1035 square metres," the spokesperson said.

With a very high endurance, 'INS Sudarshini' can be deployed at the sea continuously for a period of 20 days.

It can accommodate 61 persons and be under sail or propulsion power or a combination of both.

Vice Admiral K N Sushil, Rear Admiral Prem Kumar Nair, Assistant Controller Warship Production and Acquisition, Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area, Vineet Bakhshi was among the dignitaries present on the occasion.