'Witnessed glowing seas, saw humpback whales': 9 women officers sail across the Earth and return to Mumbai; battled 60-knot storms and 5-metre waves

India's first all-women Tri-Service circumnavigation expedition has returned to Mumbai after spending 314 days at sea, completing a 25,500-nautical-mile journey that took the crew across five continents and some of the most challenging waters on the planet.

The nine-member crew aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni officially completed the historic voyage this week, returning to the same city from where they had set sail on September 11 last year. What began as an ambitious maritime expedition ended as a landmark chapter in India's military and sailing history.

What was the IASV Triveni expedition?

The expedition marked the first-ever global circumnavigation by an all-women Tri-Service Indian crew, bringing together officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force on a single sailing mission.

Over the course of nearly 10 months, the crew navigated oceans, crossed international waters and sailed through some of the most feared maritime routes, including the Southern Ocean, Cape Horn and the Drake Passage.

By the time Triveni returned to Mumbai, the crew had logged nearly 25,500 nautical miles around the globe.

How did the crew deal with some of the world's toughest waters?

One of the defining moments of the voyage came between Australia and New Zealand.

Lt Col Anuja Varudkar, skipper of IASV Triveni, recalled hearing the largest sail tear loose during a powerful 60-knot storm while four-to-five-metre waves battered the vessel.

Despite the dangerous conditions, the crew continued sailing through the Southern Ocean, a region known for its unpredictable weather and towering waves.

The challenges did not stop there.

On one occasion, crew members had to secure a damaged sail in rough seas at night. Varudkar later recalled a tense moment when a wave pushed the yacht sideways and she briefly lost sight of two officers working near the bow.

For a few moments, she feared they had been swept overboard.

Fortunately, both officers remained safe and the mission continued.

Did the crew have prior sailing experience?

One of the most remarkable aspects of the expedition was that several crew members had little or no sailing background before joining the project.

Major Karamjeet Kaur of the Military Nursing Service had never sailed before. Squadron Leader Vaishali Bhandari, from the Air Force's accounts branch, also started with no sailing experience and learned everything from navigation to seamanship during training.

When the expedition began, the entire crew had collectively logged only around 3,000 nautical miles.

The early phase of the journey effectively became a floating classroom.

"The boat was new to us and we were new to each other," Varudkar said, describing the first leg of the voyage.

Equipment issues and long stretches at sea forced the officers to quickly learn not only how the vessel worked but also how each crew member responded under pressure.

What unexpected challenges did life at sea bring?

The expedition was not just about storms and navigation.

Daily life aboard the yacht presented its own challenges.

Fresh food supplies typically lasted only 10 to 15 days after leaving a port. Beyond that, the crew had to become creative with limited ingredients.

The officers introduced a rotating "mother of the day" system, where one crew member took charge of preparing meals for everyone onboard.

At one point, a forgotten crate of onions resulted in what the crew jokingly described as an accidental Jain diet that lasted until they reached Argentina.

Ready-to-eat meals supplied by DRDO often helped bridge the gap, although several crew members admitted they missed Indian food throughout the journey.

What did the crew witness during the voyage?

The expedition also brought moments that few people ever experience.

The crew reported sightings of albatrosses in the Southern Ocean, penguins near Argentina, dolphins, seals and bioluminescent marine life illuminating the water at night.

Squadron Leader Shraddha Raju recalled a particularly memorable encounter with a humpback whale off the Australian coast while she was underwater carrying out repairs to the vessel's propeller.

For many onboard, these moments became some of the most cherished memories of the expedition.

How did the journey change the women onboard?

Several crew members described the voyage as much more than a sailing mission.

Lt Cdr Priyanka Gusain, a naval architect, said the experience changed her perspective on life.

Being surrounded by the vastness of the ocean for months at a time, she reflected, made many everyday concerns seem insignificant.

For Major Karamjeet Kaur, the expedition represented the "magnum opus" of her career.

Gusain described it as "life-defining".

Raju summed it up in one word: "epic".

Varudkar, meanwhile, said the journey helped her prove something to herself.

Despite describing herself as someone who was once uncomfortable even in swimming pools where she could not see the bottom, she chose to challenge those fears.

"The Army motto when I joined was 'Do you have it in you'," she said. "Through this expedition, I have proved to myself that I still have it in me."

What happens next for the crew?

With the expedition complete, the officers are preparing to return to their respective services and specialisations.

Some plan to apply lessons learned at sea to future military projects, while others are looking forward to spending time on land after nearly a year on the water.

Yet the sea's pull remains strong.

While some crew members spoke about returning to family life, trekking in the mountains or resuming professional responsibilities, Varudkar perhaps captured the spirit of the expedition best.

"When I find a desk job waiting for me," she said, "I feel the urge to run back to the sea."

(With TOI inputs)