Tell the class how you spent your last vacation.
Excited about this particular assignment, Kaeya Gautam (14) began her story by recalling her visit home. As the tale progressed, the amused bunch of students learnt that she wasn’t referring to a house but a 42-foot-long sailboat where her parents, Capt Gaurav Gautam, a retired Indian Navy officer, and Vaidehi Chitnavis, a media professional, have lived ever since they pledged themselves to a nomadic life in 2022.
And it is vacation time that their daughter looks forward to the most. After all, it means endless hours spent with her best friend ‘Reeva’, the 1988-built Tayana Vancouver 42 sailboat that is their home on the waters.
A riot of fun is how Kaeya describes her vacations. When she isn’t snorkelling, she’s perfecting her sailing skills or catching a sunset on the deck. Everyone in class that day had one question: Is it even possible to live on a boat?
It once baffled him too, Gaurav says. “But, it is a popular concept in many Western countries,” he learnt when he commanded INS Tarangini (2015) — the Indian Navy’s first sail training ship. Intrigued, he began reading up.
But the more he delved into it, the more it seemed like a logistical nightmare. “Suitable boats were not being built in India at the time. Even if I did want to buy a boat, I would have to import it into the country, which would cost a great deal. Then there would be the question of where to anchor it, and the added maintenance,” he thought.
Unwittingly, the idea took a backseat for a few years until the COVID-19 pandemic, when news about the dipping prices of boats around the globe made Gaurav sit up. It sparked a dormant dream.
Postal address: Somewhere in the middle of the ocean
The decision to quit their land-based lives was a weighty one, Gaurav and Vaidehi discovered while attempting to bundle up their assets. It brought with it the predicament of what to take on their sojourn and what to give away. “It’s a good thing Gaurav and I are not too attached to material things,” Vaidehi shares, albeit pointing out, “When it comes to discarding things that have been there with you for decades, there is bound to be a sense of attachment.”
One particular item she had the most trouble parting with was a heirloom crockery set. Made in the wake of the Second World War and having come down through her family’s genealogy, the Czechoslovakian crockery set held core memories. “But I knew that fine chinaware wouldn’t last on a moving boat,” she reasons. And so, she gave it to a dear friend. In a matter of weeks, the family’s 6,000 kg worth of possessions was downsized to 120 kg, a wise decision the couple thought, as they explored the interiors of ‘Reeva’ months later. The boat boasted two cabins, a shower, a head (nautical term for a toilet), a salon, and a galley (kitchen).
Recalling the day they saw Reeva, it seemed like a ‘love at first sight’ episode. It wasn’t just her backstory — Reeva belonged to a couple in their 80s who were looking to move to land, where life was a little less intrepid — but also in the way she carried herself. She waltzed on the waters with an unmatched élan. But, as the family would soon discover, Reeva wasn’t simply a pretty face; she went on to prove her mettle in the months to come.
Adjusting to the ocean’s moods
“Do you ever crave having a hamburger and then remember you can’t order it on Zomato?” I ask Gautam. He laughs. Then, in all seriousness, replies, “Yes”. That’s a trivial adjustment, he explains, though a significant one. Underscoring this with an anecdote, he says, “We used to travel quite a lot before embarking on our sailing. We weren’t the kind to look for Indian restaurants. We would much rather have the local food.”
That has now changed, his follow-up anecdotes indicate. “Do you have paranthas (Indian flatbread) and chole bhature (Indian flatbread and chickpea curry)?” the couple asks every Indian restaurant at their dock spot. The cravings stem from not being able to cook elaborate Indian fare on the boat. Gaurav blames the cuisine’s flamboyance. “You can’t fry anything because the oil will spill with the boat’s motion. Plus, the cooking requires a lot of propane, which heats up the boat. So we try sticking to one-pot meals. We put rice, vegetables, and chicken into a pressure cooker. It becomes a sort of biryani.” The nine-kg gas cylinders suffice for these meals. There is also an oven where Vaidehi bakes an occasional cake. Birthdays deem a cake no matter where you are.
Meanwhile, the rest of the provisions — frozen meats, tinned fruits and vegetables, greens, and baked beans — are purchased at supermarkets along the way. The food scene, albeit tricky, can be figured out. Water, meanwhile (ironically), is a bigger challenge.
Explaining how modern comforts dissipate on a boat, Gaurav says long, hot showers are a distant dream. The short supply of freshwater makes every drop precious. “One is rarely conscious of the amount of water being used while showering, but boat life makes you cognisant. What we do is take a bath with seawater (salt water) and then follow this up with a freshwater rinse. ” This way, the freshwater is conserved.
The brusque nature of sailing and water concerns also called for a wardrobe makeover. Gaurav, who previously prided himself on his formals, now dresses for the weather. “I used to have 20-odd pairs of shoes. Now, I have one flip-flop pair, one pair of sandals, and a few T-shirts and shorts.” One could call their fashion sense sustainable. Well, that isn’t the only thing that is.
Harvesting the sun and rain
Reeva is kept running by an 800-AH battery bank charged by 760-watt solar panels. In addition, the boat has a wind generator that charges the batteries in case there is no sun. But if there’s no sun or wind, which is quite rare, the boat also has an alternator on the main engine that can charge the batteries. Gaurav explains that energy conservation is key. Explaining how he maintains reserves, he says, “I turn on the engine while going in and out of harbours. Once I’m out of the harbour, I shut off the engine. We rely on the sails to make it from one place to another.”
Meanwhile, the family also harvests the rain. “During the monsoon, we don’t switch on the water maker (the reverse osmosis machine that converts seawater into freshwater). Instead, we have rainwater-catching arrangements on board. The water collected in these is sent directly into the tank and is fit for drinking.”
Shape up or ship out: Weathering the storms
One would think boat life is relaxed, filled with sunshine and sunsets. But there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. There are watchkeeping duties that Vaidehi and Gaurav alternate between themselves; navigational regulations to comply with, and even on days when it seems relaxed, Gaurav warns that one always has to be alert at sea. The insular world does come with its fair share of challenges.
While the couple hasn’t ever been stranded in the true sense, Gaurav mentions, “Even if that does happen, as per the international maritime law, the country does not deny you entry. Unless there is a major problem like war, you are granted refuge for some time to sort out the problem.”
The wind is bound to get rough sometimes. You have to adjust your sails. A cardinal rule in sailing, he says, is to stay calm and believe you can and will brave the storm. A sailor, Gaurav sometimes finds himself trying to be prepared for the worst. But he credits Vaidehi and Kaeya for the candour they often bring to tense situations.
Of course, there are times when Vaidehi admits feeling nervous. “The area around the Malacca Strait (connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean) has merchant traffic, fishing boats, fishing buoys, and unreliable weather. It can make sailing at night quite a hair-raising experience.”
But despite the rigours of the expedition, she says everything is a learning experience. “While this life has so many other challenges, like limited water, limited space etc, the fact that we have to do everything, including sleeping on a rocking boat, is pretty interesting,” she points out.
The last two years have been a steep learning curve for the family as they learn to sail the boat, repair everything on it, and most importantly live on an “ever-moving platform”. This journey has taken them to some of the most breathtaking locations in Southeast Asia and they are now looking forward to going farther. As Gaurav puts it, “Life at sea is limited only by your imagination.” But the lesson that overshadows everything else, he says, is also a beautiful takeaway for you and me: “Go at the pace the wind takes you — at sea, and in life.”
Edited by Khushi Arora; All images courtesy Capt Gaurav
