On Even Keel

Hydari, 28, is one of the few sailing enthusiasts in Mumbai who dives in at the slightest opportunity of going to sea. The numbers aren’t as large as cricket buffs but sea lovers claim they are steadily on the rise. The Royal Bombay Yacht Club, popular among the city’s who’s who, has 800-odd members while the Colaba Sailing Club has 600. The clubs own boats and so do a number of members. Once at sea, these men live life on their own terms. They could set out for Mandwa and end up in Goa. They have get-togethers and go for cruises at least twice a year. They meet as rivals over weekends during the racing season and as buddies over a drink on a rainy evening.

They are a visibly different breed. Any reference to sailing as mere recreation offends them. It’s a way of life, they say. “Whenever I need a break, which is very often, I hop on to my boat and sail away. I like going to Kihim, it takes about three hours,” says Hydari who loves sailing to Kihim and Mandwa. It’s a holiday ideal for those looking for spontaneous, adventurous trips minus the planning. “I just put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, ask pals if they want to come along, stock the boat with lots of beer, and I’m ready to go.”

Award-winning sailor Ashim Mongia, has made his passion for the waters his livelihood. His company, West Coast Marine, is into yacht management and maintenance services. The Taj Exotica, a yacht belonging to the Taj Mahal hotel, Mumbai, is a vessel he works on. His work gives him ample time at sea. “I sail almost every day for a couple of hours. It helps me clear my head,” Mongia says. “After a morning at the gym, I head for my office at the Colaba workshop. I work for a while and then rush to my boat.”

He talks about the emerging trend of yacht charters. “The market in this city is starting to appreciate this concept,” says Mongia, “with more money available and the increasing awareness of luxury trends, people are beginning to find yachts attractive.” A typically well-furnished yacht is capable of looking like a luxury suite in a high-end hotel. Glass doors, sleek interiors, wooden cabinets, a galley, master bedrooms—it is amazing what some deceptively flat-looking yachts can accommodate.

Mongia believes that yacht charters are good value for money. “A yacht charter would probably cost you a little more than a dinner at a five-star restaurant, but the experience is incomparable to anything else.” From birthdays to board meetings. Or simply a respite from the mad crowds. Get ready to shell out a few thousand rupees and hop aboard. There are options. Carry your own food and booze or have a caterer organise it for you for an extra charge.

Read a book, soak up the sun. Wet your feet, feel the breeze. You just need to get over the initial churning in the tummy and develop “sea feet” as Mongia calls them. After that, there are no boundaries or bad roads. “Even an hour on board is enough. I’ve seen stiff exteriors in expensive suits loosen up. I’ve seen a board meeting turn into an informal enjoyable event,” Mongia elaborates. For him, however, work is play and play is work. “I’ve been fortunate to be working with what I enjoy the most. I haven’t worked a day in my life,” he says.

Mehernosh Shroff, a die-hard romantic, looks to the sea for those rare moments with his wife. “As a shippie, I spent too many years away from my wife,” Shroff confesses, “I decided to settle down but then I couldn’t let go of the sea either.” Shroff, 40, did what his famous ship-building family does best—he built a house boat for his wife. Today, the couple spend most of their free time on the houseboat. “It is like an instant holiday—long enough to be fulfilling and short enough to be practical,” Shroff reasons.

Shroff also lets his boat out on hire for special occasions. “There are always wives who want to give their husbands surprises, couples who want to bring in anniversaries or newly-weds who want time alone,” he explains. Shroff and his friends also go rod-fishing at every given opportunity. “It is an amazing way to discover things about the city’s backyard. Down south there are dolphins for company. How many times do you get that kind of excitement on land,” he asks.

Cyrus Herjee, secretary, Colaba Sailing Club denies that sailing is unaffordable hobby. “The Colaba Sailing Club offers unlimited sailing for Rs 1,200 a year for adults,” Heerjee says. Heerjee uses his Sea Bird for racing as well as recreational sailing. “I once sailed with seven other friends to Muscat in this little four-seater,” Herjee reveals as he battles with the sail of the Sea Bird. The wind is strong and it does all sorts of things to the sail and to one’s hair. The sea spray is refreshing, almost rejuvenating. Strongly recommended in modest quantities. For external use only. Do not ingest.

Of course, a Sea-Bird could cost two to four lakhs while the cost of a yacht can run into a few crores. Annual maintenance of the boat is usually another ten per cent of the cost. But owners insist they’d rather invest in a boat instead of that second car. Rajiv Somani, chairman and managing director, Drishti Adventure Sports Private Limited, prefers high-speed boats to sailing. “I like hitting the water in speed. It’s thrilling,” he says.

Somani heads out on his speed boat or water scooter at least once a week. “I go to Juhu, north Bombay, Alibaug and Mandwa. It is nice to be away from this claustrophobic city. I love the serenity of the sea, the mind space it offers.” Heerjee is busy introducing young kids to the world of sailing, with 35 of them learning the techniques under him. Their tribe is increasing. Somani, however, feels that a lack of infrastructure and back-up services in Mumbai is affecting the sailing trend. “If there is a mid-ocean crisis, there is no one to even rescue you.”

Hydari says that if Mumbai had a marina, he’d rather live on a boat than on land. “I could sail away to faraway places and return to land whenever I felt like. I’d definitely prefer that to a large house in this crowded city.” At the risk of milking a cliché dry, it is a different world out there.