The First Indian – The First Indian Solo Circumnavigation Under Sail: 2 (Making Waves)

A fascinating , humorous read of one of the most arduous and psychologically sapping endeavours of marine sailors- the solo circumnavigation by sail boat!! Capt Dilip brings out the huge challenges, especially encounters with red tape..a paean to the near limitless capabilities of a Naval sailor who overcame ferocious odds in achieving the often ridiculed goal of solo circumnavigation.A must read for all Naval personnel and lovers of high adrenaline extreme sports and endeavours.Huge Congrats to the Skipper and shore support for this monumental achievement.Sha Nau Varunah⚓👍👏👏👌👌

I enjoyed reading "The First Indian" immensely, as much for its understated style and dry wit as for the pleasure and excitement of reading a first-hand account of a tremendous pioneering effort by a living Indian legend I'm proud to know personally.The first part of the book makes for very interesting (and frequently humorous) reading, especially for someone with some knowledge of how the Navy works. The second part hides within its unassuming and quiet words a truly herculean experience of tremendous physical courage and mental fortitude. This account of Cdr Donde's epic solo voyage compares with those of Joshua Slocum and Sir Francis Chichester, and makes for extremely gripping, edge-of-the-seat reading. I read the whole of this second part through at one go, into the wee hours of the night - I just couldn't put it down as I HAD to find out what happened next!Having greatly enjoyed my first reading (there will be at least another reading soon to happen, to cover any subtle bits I might have missed the first time round), my only 'crib' is that I found it too short - I'd have loved to have read much more detail, more entries from his log, more about the preparation sorties, more about the technical problems in preparing Mhadei for her voyage and repairing her at her ports of call... the list could go on - but despite these unreasonable wishes, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would strongly recommend it to both outdoors enthusiasts and armchair adventurers alike.

Excellent Book. Cmdr. Donde-ji takes you on this journey along with you. Breathtaking descriptions of his experiences! Really a fabulous solo-journey book. First of its kind in India (of course! by an Indian). The wit with which author looks at his experiences with Indian bureaucracy shows how he looks at life. A lot to learn from this book for the avid reader. Surely a rewarding and enriching experience to make such a solo travel. I guess even the reader grows as a human with Donde-ji's experience. The most chilling point of the book is to be at the Nemo-Point (point on Earth where the nearest land is about thousand miles in any direction! it will take few hours for Jet-planes to arrive at this point, if any help required!). Worth reading and worth gifting to children. They surely will be inspired and motivated by this unique experience and rewarding book. All "stars" to Cmdr. Donde for writing such a marvelous book. This should be translated into regional languages too. Those kids and adults also deserve to "experience" this solo journey around the world. Truly Brave journey!!! Congratulations to Cmdr. Donde-ji and Mhadei (his boat, his creation, his design). Congratulations to Adm. Avati and Indian Navy also for supporting such a unique, difficult expedition.

I bought this book immediately after listening to a Facebook Live interview of Cdr. Dilip Donde. The most convincing, hard fact about India that the Cdr. put forth in the interview (and the book!) was the lack of the proper knowledge transfer, sharing of experience and mentoring in India and his intention to banish that bane. After I started to read, it was only my chores and other demands that made me pause reading (only to resume ASAP). The book is neatly paced, has a simple and effective language, thereby, engrosses the reader.Even if one is naive about boats and navigation, he/she can read and relate to a legendary voyage. When I finished reading this book, I got a glimpse of the navigational world and it's heroes, the practical challenges faced by a sailor, the Indian bureaucracy, the climates in and over the mighty oceans of this planet and so on. The appendix section is a desirable feature of this book and I suggest the serious readers to read it before commencing reading of the book.There is some scope of improvement, probably for the next edition:1. I don't mind an increase in the size/length of the book to cover more of (even if a bit monotonous) navigation experiences.2. The whole ordeal of building and sailing Mhadei is a quintessential part of the book but can be shortened a bit, especially, to accommodate more of navigational experiences.3. More images, maps and links, please!A must-read for every Indian, also, a must-have on their bookshelves.

Amazing account of experience of the first Indian Solo circumnavigator on a sailboat made in India. Very proud about the fact and also fortunate enough to meet Capt. Dilip Donde in person. Now he and his wife operate sailing cruise in Goa onboard their 40foot sailboat "Antara".

It is good fun to read if have been an insider of, imistry of defense

Very engaging and Inspiring... Written in an easy language.. I got so drawn in Dilip Dhonde's world and the simplicity with which he wrote about his humongous achievement... read in 3 days... the details and information never get overwhelming... They helped me visualise the Awesome Journey... Adventure at its best