View from the Bridge: A ship Captain’s perspective of the glory of Vizag port

To honour the commissioning of INS Visakhapatnam, Yo! Vizag is holding Nautical Series, an endeavour to tell compelling stories about Vizag shores. As a part of the series, Capt. Pritam Mohanty, who currently is the Harbour Master of Gangavaram Port, and held positions as the Chairman of Company of Master Mariners of India (Vizag Chapter) and the past President of Merchant Navy Officers Association of Vizag, shares his experiences. As a Captain of the ship, he shares his perspective of the glory of Vizag Port.

Sometimes, you grow up with an entity around you. And sometimes, an entity grows within you, completely encompassing and dominating your inner self. And when that entity is as all-endearing, as mystical and as powerful as the vast ocean itself, you are magnetically drawn towards it and it becomes your very lifeline at every stage of your growth!

Born in a family of a weather hardened mariner, brought up on a staple diet of multiple anecdotes and stories of those ‘good old days when we sailed’ kind, watching gigantic steamers making their way majestically into the harbour, hopping over as a kid to the beach which was as good as one’s own backyard – one could not just think of any other profession or life other than going out to sea. It was as if staying at sea and making a living out of it was the most natural thing on earth for me!

Having sailed for his fair share of years with a strong tradition and legacy, my father joined as Chief Engineer of a dainty little dredger, aptly named ‘Konarka’, in the newly commissioned port of Paradip. Life for me revolved around school, the beach and frequent trips on the dredger, as she made her dredging trips in and out of the harbour of Paradip Port. The sea bug bit pretty early in my life while I lay watching the vast expanse of the ocean, under crisp sunlight in the daytime and the cool starry nights after darkness. It was as if the sea was beckoning me to make it my home all my life! Adding to the charm were occasional sojourns to merchant ships in port, where I would listen with fascination, as the sailors narrated their tales of voyages across oceans and visits to distant lands. I simply had no other option in mind after graduating from college but go out to sea!

The late eighties and early nineties were that phase in the timeline of the maritime industry where one had the best of both worlds. One still did not have the draconian ISPS and ISM codes which have made shore leave in port an avoidable luxury and is fraught with numerous procedural formalities. The Drugs & Alcohol policies were still being debated about their implementation on board ships. And, to make things more relaxed, the lack of internet and instant communication made life free from the head office barring routine messages. And to add to the charm, one already had the luxury of air-conditioned living spaces, elaborate menus and the choicest collection of spirits in the bonded stores. Going out on shore leave at every port was very much a part of the port stay. Life on board was good fun and a lot to write home about!

Sixteen years of sailing the high seas gives one enough experiences all over the globe and a variety of ports. Every port had its own special identity and character. In fact, my wife Seema, who sailed with me for almost nine years with barely any breaks was so fascinated with the sheer diversity of every port she visited, that she developed her own travel journal replete with curios, souvenirs and memoirs!

After having gone in and out of numerous ports all around the world, some images fade from memory with time. But then there are some images and experiences that are so ingrained in your senses that they stay with you forever. One such unforgettable experience was the Sydney in Australia where your ship passes under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a sight to behold. One also gets to sail past by the majestic Sydney Opera House with its unique roof design, another iconic landmark of the beautiful city. And then you have the Scandinavian ports of Fredrikstad in Norway and Uddevalla in Sweden, where your ship passes through innumerable fjords – another spectacle of nature. The deep fjords and the steep slopes lining them gives one the feeling of being spectacularly dwarfed by the might of nature. And then you have the beautiful city of Cape Town in South Africa. The sight of the Table Mountain, towering over the harbour is simply breath-taking. I, in fact, was fortunate to witness the fine layer of cloud on the tabletop of the mountain which the locals call as the ‘table cloth’ of the Table Mountain. Talking of mountains, one cannot help remembering the royal look of the Sugar Loaf Mountains and the imposing statue of Christ the Redeemer blessing the seafarer from the lofty heights of the mountain in the port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Back home we in our country have no less breath-taking approaches to our harbours in many of our ports. Kochi, Mormugao and the romantic Hooghly River passage have got their own beauty and grace. But there’s one port right here in our lovely city which has an unmatched charm of its own. As a mariner, as a ship captain and as a Visakhapatnam Harbour pilot, I have never stopped marvelling at the unique character of the approaches to the Vizag port.

Long before you actually start seeing the skyline of the city, you are greeted by the sweeping flashes of the legendary lighthouse at Dolphin’s Nose. It’s as if the city is welcoming you with a salute and showing you the way into its large heart! Before the days of the SatNav and the GPS, many a forlorn sailor was always on the lookout for the Dolphin’s Nose light with the beacon dashes to heave a sigh of relief as he had could now accurately plot the position of the ship and know exactly where the entrance channel lay. As the ship came closer to the coast of Visakhapatnam or Vizag as we fondly call it, the imposing view of the Dolphin’s Nose gave you the first glimpse of the iconic harbour. As the spectacular coastline dotted with a combination of majestic heritage structures and modern apartment buildings unfolds on the horizon, one cannot just help marvelling at the beauty of the city.

Once the pilot boards your ship and she starts entering the harbour, the unique character of the harbour come to life, one after the other. The legendary Sunken Ship breakwater, now converted to the LPG terminal, is a testimony of the brilliance of the great engineer of yore, M. Visvesvaraya and his thinking of ‘out of the box’ solutions to typical problems. As you pass it by, you realize how much of a genius the man was! As your ship meanders through the Inner Channel, you look up to the topography and watch in fascination at yet another marvel, which you probably would never find at any other port in the world. The unique sight of a temple, a mosque and a church towering over the harbour from three different angles, is as comforting as is fascinating. An epitome of religious harmony and integration, the symbolism is not lost on you. The city of Vizag has always been a model of religious, cultural and multi-lingual harmony, over many decades. And the three shrines keep reminding you about just that. As the pilot skilfully navigates your ship to the harbour, you are again awed by the romanticism with which the channel buoys and various spots are named. Dutch Battery Buoy, Lova Garden, Shipyard Buoy, Ferry Bend, SL Canal – every name has a story behind it.

With a little prodding, the pilot briefs you on the tradition and the history of the port. And then you realize that the entire sea passage from outside the harbour to your designated berth in the magnificent port city of Visakhapatnam is an experience to behold and cherish all your life. If it’s Port Ahoy – it has to be none other than our own Vizag Port Ahoy!