'It doesn't get any better than this'

DEAN KOZANIC/The Press

INTREPID: Christchurch members of the NZ Sikh Society provided a bubbly welcome to Indian solo around-the-world sailor Commander Dilip Donde, right, when he arrived in Lyttelton on Saturday. On deck with Donde is Captain Jatinder Singh, defence adviser to the High Commission of India in Australia.

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A shredded sail and broken steering in nine-metre swells and 55-knot gusts have not scuppered a bid by the first Indian to sail solo around the world.

Commander Dilip Donde arrived safely in Lyttelton on Saturday at the end of the second leg of his world tour.

The rough weather descended on his yacht last Sunday on his trip from Fremantle, Western Australia, to Lyttelton.

Donde said he was worried during the powerful storm.

"That was a little bit of a hard situation as there were nine-metre swells and there were problems with the steering gear," he said. "I was honestly worried about it. You don't think too much about it, you just get it sorted."

The weather eventually calmed and on his last few kilometres to Lyttelton a curious seal escorted him into port.

"It would keep coming quite close to the boat and then look at me."

On the first leg of his journey from Mumbai, India, to Fremantle, he was briefly joined by a family of about five whales.

Donde volunteered after the Indian Navy called for sailors to take on the solo world trip.

"I wanted to take this on. There are a billion people in India and no-one has attempted anything like this," he said.

"I had no clue what I was getting into."

However, Donde was enjoying his journey.

"Don't you envy me for the naval duties I have? I have to go around the world in a $1 million boat and get paid for it. It doesn't get any better than this."

He will stay in Lyttelton until December 6 to repair his boat and get ready for the perilous journey around Cape Horn, at the base of South America, to Stanley in the Falkland Islands.

"People call Cape Horn the Everest of ocean sailing. I need to be sure the boat is ready in all respects," he said.

The next leg will take Donde from Stanley to Cape Town in South Africa, and the final leg back to Mumbai.

- © Fairfax NZ News