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Here is an amazing vehicle “Amfibus” to integrate road ways and water ways. A two day demonstration of this amphibious bus was conducted on February 08 on the River Clyde in Scotland to evaluate the performance. The vehicle would operate on road as a coach (bus) from Braehead to the Renfrew ferry slipway. Then the same vehicle would operate as a ferry by using the existing slipway to reach Yoker by crossing the River Clyde. Thereafter it would reach Clydebank by road.

The demonstration was conducted by Stagecoach Group, a leading international public transport group having extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The vehicle Amfibus has already undergone trials in Rotterdam harbour, Netherlands.

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January 26 is celebrated as Australia Day.
HMAS Stuart (FFH 153), the sixth Anzac Class Guided Missile Frigate is presently on deployment in the Gulf of Oman, carrying out counter terrorism and counter narcotic smuggling operations. The crew celebrated Australia Day at sea by playing cricket on the flight deck. On completion of the match, the crew had a steel deck barbecue dinner by witnessing Arabian sunset.

The crew also collected $700 as charity and the proceeds will be donated to Gran’s Van, a food van based in Burnie Tasmania which provides meals to the homeless and needy.

Here is a photograph from Department of Defence, Australia.

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Commander Dilip Donde of Indian Navy commenced his solo circumnavigation voyage in INSV Mhadei from Mumbai on August 19, 2009. After sailing 14000 Nautical miles, INSV Mhadei arrived at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom on January 16 (see photograph below).  Presently the vessel is undergoing essential repairs and maintenance. Indian Defence Attaché Commodore Bannerjee flew from UK to meet Commander Dilip Donde on his arrival. Commodore Bannerjee and Commander Donde also visited HMS York and HMS Clyde.

On January 26, the 60th Republic day of India, Commander Dilip Donde would unfurl the tri-colour on his 56 feet yacht INSV Mhadei. He is scheduled to continue with his fourth leg of the circumnavigation voyage to Cape Town in South Africa on February 01.

Here is the photograph of INSV Mhadei at Port Stanley.

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Kochi (Cochin) is now in the world cruise map with the commencement of weekly cruise itineraries from Kochi to Maldives and Colombo. This service is being provided by MV Aquamarine. Around 60,000 Indian tourists are expected to cruise during this season. The service was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Tourism on December 01 at Kochi.

Some interesting information available are:

• Voyages through MV Aquamarine is available from December 2009 to April 2010.
• The first voyage from Kochi commenced on December 02 to Maldives.
• Cochin Port Trust offers host of amenities to cruise vessels like “walk in” berthing, sufficient draft, bunkering services, concessional tariff, a “single window service” for Customs, Immigration and Port Health clearance.
• MV Aquamarine:
  • Owned by Louis Cruises India, a subsidiary of Louis Cruises one of the largest cruise operators in the world.
  • Has a capacity to carry 1,200 passengers.
  • Has 525 spacious state rooms and suites, several restaurants, a swimming pool, fitness centre, massage/sauna facilities, casino including duty free shopping facility.
  • The vessel has also been modified to play cricket on the high seas.
  • Food and entertainment on board are also available to suit Indian taste.
  • Gross Tonnage: 23,149
  • Length: 193.65 metre
  • Breadth: 24 metre
  • Draught: 6.72 metre
  • Cruising speed: 17 knots
  • Passenger Decks: 7
  • Elevators: 4
  • Stabilizers: available
  • Electrical power supply: 110V AC
  • Classification Society: DNW

The round trip voyages available are:

Important Notes:

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Water Walk sports using water or aqua ball is now in Assam, India to attract locals and tourists.
Some interesting features of water or aqua ball are:

• is a transparent big ball filled with breathable air (oxygen).
• the user is free to float, walk, relax on water by remaining inside the floating ball.
• can be easily set up on any water source like a river, lake or even a swimming pool.
• ride on an average lasts about 7 minutes per single trip.
• is made up of a material called TPU (thermoplastic elastic rubber).
• can take up weight up to 150 kilograms.

It is reported that it is unsuitable for cardiac patients, asthmatics and overweight persons.

View a video clip: Water Walking A New Sport in India

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A tourist boat capsized on September 30 in Thekkady. 42 passengers drowned (nearly half of them are children) and lost their lives.

Some disturbing reports on this tragedy available are:

• The double decker boat ‘Jalakanyaka’ is operated by Kerala Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC).
• The boat capsized at a depth of 40 to 50 feet in Periyar Lake at Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady around 1730 hrs IST.
• The Indian Navy diving team from the Southern Naval Command reached the Thekkady boat accident site early morning on October 01 and  commenced rescue operations at first light.
• Reasons reported for the accident
  • boat was over crowded than the rated capacity.
  • passengers suddenly moved to one side of the boat to watch some wildlife and the boat capsized due to that.
  • not the fault of passengers, the boat was listing from the time of departure and capsized while turning.
• other reports on the boat
  • none of the passengers were wearing life jackets.
  • boat is not certified for use as per Canals and Ferry Act.
  • the boat is not provided with any wireless set or any other communication facility to send SOS in case of an emergency.
  • bad weather hampered search and rescue operations.
• Timings for boat cruises on the Periyar Lake: 0700, 0930, 1130, 1400, 1600 hrs.
• A judicial probe is being set up by Kerala government to investigate the accident.

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Lifeguards and Swimming coaches of Sports Department Authority of Tamil Nadu’s (SDAT) swimming pools across Tamil Nadu are being assessed at the Aquatic Complex at Velachery, Chennai for endurance and agility. They are further trained to rescue a person from drowning and to provide first aid till medical help arrives.This is necessary as competent Lifeguards can only save lives from drowning. Pump operators of swimming pools are also given training to provide first aid.

During the test conducted by Rashtriya Life Saving Society India (RLSS-I), it was found that out of 126 participants, only 38 passed. Remaining failed due to lack of swimming skills, stamina and technique.

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Laura Dekker, 13 year old Dutch girl, is too young to sail solo around the world. Though her parents have given consent for her two year trip around the world from September 01, the Dutch Council for Child Protection has objected to her sailing adventure.

The Dutch court is also right in banning her voyage, and has placed her under state care for two months, till psychologists assess her suitability to sail solo around the world.

Here is the route map of Laura Dekker’s voyage in her ‘Guppy’ from her website.

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Decommissioned destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968) is set to become an artificial reef to benefit marine life, fishing and recreational diving.

Some interesting features of ex-Arthur W. Radford’s artificial reef program are:

• The vessel will be reefed at the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Site (developed jointly by Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey), off the Delaware Coast approximately 26 miles southeast of the Indian River Inlet at a depth of 120-130 feet.
• The states will be responsible for preparations, activities associated with reefing of the vessel, monitoring and managing the vessel as an artificial reef.
• Vessel details:
  • Present location: Philadelphia, PA
  • Length: 563 ft.
  • Draft: 32 ft.
  • Extreme Width: 55 ft.
  • Air Draft: 140’ 1” ft.
  • Commissioned: April 15, 1977.
  • Decommissioned: March 18, 2003.
  • Stricken from NVR: April 06, 2004.
• Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) will work out the details of the timeline for reefing.

Here are the photographs of ex-Arthur W. Radford from ‘Team Ships – Inactive Ships Program’.

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St. Jean de Luz beach in southern France has audio buoys to help visually impaired (blind) swimmers to swim confidently without the fear of getting lost.The beach has installed buoys with audio sensors to give swimmers their location as audio messages. The audio buoys are placed at fifty metres intervals. The swimmer wears a electronic device as a bracelet. On pressing the buttons in the bracelet, the bracelet communicates with the audio buoys around, and the swimmer receives a audio message from the buoys indicating location with respect to the beach. This audio message helps the swimmer to find out the safe direction to swim.

The system costs around 25 thousand Euros to install and the audio buoys are being developed further to give reliable performance.

View a video clip from NTDTV: Audio Buoys Help for Blind Swimmers

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Commander Dilip Donde of Indian Navy has commenced solo circumnavigation (Sagar Parikrama) in sailing yacht ‘Mhadei’ from Mumbai on August 19. He is the first Indian to go on solo circumnavigation.

Some interesting features of Sagar Parikrama and sailing yacht Mhadei are:

Sagar Parikrama

• will cover a distance of approximately 21,600 nautical miles to circumnavigate the globe from West to East through the Southern Hemisphere.
• was flagged off by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta.
• a project conceived by Vice Admiral (retd) M P Awati.
• to make four stops in Fremantle (Australia), Christchurch (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), and Cape Town (South Africa).
• duration: nine months.
• at a cost of INR 6.5 crore funded by Government of India.

Sailing yacht Mhadei:

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64th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence from the Dutch was celebrated on August 17. As part of the celebrations, Sail Bunaken 2009, was held at Bitung and Manado City, North Sulawesi, Indonesia from August 12 to 20.
Sail Bunaken 2009:

• Jointly organized by the Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs, Provincial Administration of North Sulawesi, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Navy Force of Indonesia, supported by the the Directorate General of Immigration and other government institutions.
• Sail Bunaken 2009 events:
  • Indonesian Fleet Review of “warships” and “tall ships”.
  • Yacht Rally: from Nusa Tenggara to Bitung.
  • Bunaken Expo & Festival with an exhibition of Indonesia’s marine and tourism products, handicrafts.
  • International Big Game Fishing “KASAL CUP”.
  • Diving: breaking Guinnes Book of Record.
  • Jetski Trans Equator Touring on the west coast of Sulawesi island for about 1,600 miles.
  • Bunaken International Seafood Festival.
  • International Seminar on Building a Comprehensive Maritime Security and Possible Benefit to the Effort to Minimize Illegal Fishing in the Region.

Some interesting features of Indonesia International Fleet Review (IFR) are:

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The 58th Annual Miss Universe 2009 Competition is scheduled to take place in Atlantis Paradise Island Resort hotel in the Bahamas on August 23.

Some interesting features of Miss Universe 2009 Competition are:

• August 16: For the fisrt time, the 2009 Miss Universe Preliminary Competition (Presentation Show) will be webcast live from Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas at 8 PM ET on www.nbc.com and www.missuniverse.com via Ustream and NewTek Tricaster.
• View photographs of the following contestants in Bikini from RIA Novosti (countries listed alphabetically).
  • Miss Bahamas 2009: Kiara Sherman
  • Miss Bulgaria 2009: Elitsa Lyubenova
  • Miss Colombia 2009: Michelle Rouillard
  • Miss Estonia 2009: Diana Arno
  • Miss France 2009: Chloe Mortaud
  • Miss Germany 2009: Martina Lee
  • Miss Israel 2009: Julia Dyment
  • Miss Italia 2009: Laura Valenti
  • Miss Puerto Rico 2009: Mayra Matos Perez
  • Miss Romania 2009: Bianca Elena Constantin
  • Miss Russia 2009: Sofia Rudyeva
  • Miss Serbia 2009: Dragana Atlija
  • Miss Spain 2009: Estibaliz Pereira Rabade
  • Miss Ukraine 2009: Kristina Kots-Gotlib
  • Miss USA 2009: Kristen Dalton
  • Miss Venezuela 2009: Stefania Fernandez
• August 23: All contestants will compete in the Swimsuit and Evening Gown categories as part of the selection of the top 15 finalists who will be revealed during the beginning of the two-hour live telecast of the 2009 MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant live on NBC and Telemundo at 9 PM ET.

Click the image below to view the contestants in Bikini from RIA Novosti.

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A Paris swimming pool refused entry to a Muslim woman on August 12, for wearing a ‘Burqini’ citing swimming pool rules that swimming is not permitted while clothed. Very valid reason. Swimming pool rules can not be defied and people who want to swim with Burquini may do so in their own private swimming pools.

Some interesting features of Burquini are:

• Burqa + Bikini = Burquini.
• An Islamic swim suit in three pieces for females who don’t want to expose their skin.
• Designed to cover the whole body except face, hands and feet.
• Looks like a track suit used by athletes than a swimming suit.
• Available in beautiful vibrant colors as Slim-fit, Modest-fit, Active-fit and for children also.
• Chlorine resistant, comfortable stretch, SP 50,UV protected.
• Light Weight, quick dry, does not cling to skin even when wet to avoid revealing body contour.

View Burquini in details, from Bodikini.

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57th Nehru Trophy Boat Race was held on August 08 at Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha. Snake boat Champakkulam Chundan won the race.
Some interesting features of Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2009 are:

• Honorable Member of Parliament and UPA Chair Person Smt. Sonia Gandhi, was the Chief Guest.
• 59 boats took part in the competition.
  • Chundan (Snake Boats): 17 (1 on exhibitory)
  • Veppu -Grade A: 8
  • Veppu -Grade B: 5
  • Iruttukuthi- Grade A: 5
  • Iruttukuthi- Grade B: 15
  • Churulan- Grade A : 5
  • Thekkanody(Women): 4
• Winners:
  • First: Snake boat Champakkulam Chundano of the Jesus Boat Club, Kollam, led by Jiji Jacob.
  • Second: Payippad Chundan of UBC, Kainakary, led by Ansalam Antony.
  • Third: Sree Ganesh Chundan of Kumarakam Boat Club, led by P.I. Abraham.
• Winner Cash Prize
  • First: INR 2,00,000 by State Tourism Dept., and INR 1,00,000 by Out Look magazine.
  • Second: INR 1,50,000 by State Tourism Dept., and INR 50,000 by Out Look magazine.
  • Third: INR 1,00,000 by State Tourism Dept., and INR 25,000 by Out Look magazine.
  • Fourth: INR 50,000 by State Tourism Dept., and INR 10,000 by Out Look magazine.
• Race track: 1.35 kilo metres long, 20 metres wide and the team takes less than 5 minutes to cover the distance.

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