TARA BOAT
THE CAT
- Tara is a 40 foot Island Spirit 401, South African catamaran built in Cape Town in 2005 by Fortuna Catamaran PTY. The model has been crafted with exceptional design and aerodynamics, winning the "Best Catamaran of the Year" award at the prestigious Miami Boat Show in 2004. The unique design of the catamaran yields an extremely steady boat and a supremely comfortable sea voyage.
- The cat is both wind and engine powered, with one main sail, one Genova and one Spinniker (Kite sail). Tara additionally sports two Volvo Penta independent inboard diesel engines with sail-drives and folding propellers. Tara can reach a speed of 12 to 14 knots on good wind without effort. With her 50 foot mast and electric winches, a crew of 3 is sufficient to handle her.
THE LUXURY
- Tara is a fully loaded catamaran with all her bells and whistles on- board. Inside, she houses 3 air-conditioned bedrooms, 2 independent bathrooms with running hot and cold water, a spacious central salon area with leather sofas and a 40 inch TV, and a fully loaded kitchenette with a 4 burner gas range, a gas oven, BBQ, fridge, freezer and a microwave oven.
- Outside, a shower at the stern makes it extremely convenient for washing of after a dip. Tara's twin trampolines, located at the bow, make ideal spots for relaxing or sunbathing.
ADVENTURE SAILING
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THE TARA EXPERIENCE
- The Tara experience offers a day cruise aboard a luxury catamaran.
- Choose from:
- - 4 hour trip
- - 6 hour trip
- - 8 hour trip
- Food and beverages are included in the trip. The food is provided by one of the finest catering services in Goa.
- Guests may choose from the following destinations:
- 1) Sailing trip to the Islands in Goa.
- 2) Fishing trips to Vengurla rocks in Maharashtra
- 3) Casual sailing along the beaches of Anjuna, Baga, Candolim, Calangute and all the way to Donna Paula.
- Customized packages are also available.
THE STORY
Voyage from South Africa to India
Tara made her maiden voyage from Cape Town to Mumbai of 14,000 kms in a record time of 6 weeks. With a total crew of 3. Tara owner, Brijesh Hari, recounts his voyage (with Captain Skander):
This voyage was the toughest trip I have ever undertaken till date. We sailed from Cape Town with 750 litres of diesel on board and enough food for 2 months.
Initially we sailed south towards the 40’s and then east towards Madagascar. We passed the Madagascar straight closer to the Madagascar coast, deliberately avoiding the dreaded Cape of Storms that lies between Cape Town and Durban, (There are more than 30,000 ship wrecks reported in that area!) In 25 days we made it all the way up to Nossy Bee, a small island on the North Western coast of Madagascar. Here, we refuelled and relaxed for a few days. Within 3 days the weather took a turn for the worse, and with a cyclone scare just around the corner, we decided to make a break for the Seychelles.
We just missed the storm and headed directly for Mahe, a crossing we completed in only 5 days, sailing day and night, without a stop and hardly a wink of sleep.
En route we passed the Somalian coast, notorious for pirates! We were followed by a couple of boats for a while, but nobody intercepted us... Luckily!
Our sail to Male (Maldives) was completed in 23 days from Madagascar.
Male to Mumbai was a quick and uneventful trip, which we covered in 6 days.
The overall trip was a dream, the fishing was fantastic. We caught a huge 80 kg Yellowfin Tuna next to Cape Town. We ate sushi and sashimi for a week! We were also confronted by many dorados on the way, and once we also hooked a huge shark; naturally we had to cut the line! We caught a 30 kg sailfish next to Lakshadweep. We encountered plenty of flying fish on the way; some would jump into the boat at night.
We sighted a few Whales too; Humpback and Pilot whales. Shark sightings were near South Africa; there was a group of 6 which we remember only too well! Dolphins would come right up to the boat and swim alongside the bow. Many of the fish we caught would be snapped away by the dolphins before we could get them in the boat...
(An excerpt from the captain's journal)
