By
LSPH Kaye Adams
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INS
Tarangini at Fort Hill Wharf in Darwin, hosts a cocktail
party.
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Photo:
LSPH Kaye Adams
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SBLT
Arno Tielens is the first Australian officer to be given the unique
opportunity to conduct 11 days sail training on board the Indian
three-mast sailing ship, INS Tarangini.
This impressive tall ship bought by the Indian Navy for training
purposes, was first commissioned in 1997 and has a crew of 26
cadets, 24 sailors and seven officers.
SBLT Tielens sailed with the ship from his home port in Cairns
to Darwin as part of the sailing ship’s circumnavigation of the
globe.
During his time on board, he trained as an Officer of the watch.
This included training in rigging and astronavigation and sextant
usage. He also gave the crew a brief on Australia.
He found the journey educational and the crew very helpful and
welcoming.
When the ship was under full sail, he described the experience
as “very exhilarating and very different compared to listening
to diesel engines”.
Although the crew asked him many questions about what it was like
to live in Australia, the most commonly asked questions he received
were “what is there to do in Darwin?” and “where is a good place
to go for a beer?” as they keenly anticipated their next port
stop.
The ship spent two weeks in Cairns before sailing to Darwin, for
a four-day port visit, where the crew hosted a cocktail party.
