No hurry to get started today as I preferred to avoid the Mumbai trains at rush hour. While planned to eventually reach the Fort Area of Mumbai, the Metro so far goes only to a nearby train station, with a connection to the Commuter trains.
The Fort area of Mumbai is toward the end of a long penninsula enclosing Mumbai Harbor. The grand train station and many other buildings in the neighborhood date to the British Raj. The former Victoria Station is now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The Gateway to India was built to commemorate a visit by the Monarch and Queen Mary in 1911. The last troops to leave India in 1948 marched through the gateway before embarking for England. Indians seem to enjoy gathering here on a Friday afternoon.
There are no kayak tours in Mumbai, so I booked a sail leaving from the adjacent Royal Bombay Yacht club, with a launch ride out to the board. Designed for local waters, the 21 foot Seabird was beamy at 7 feet. The wind was a gentle breeze (Force 3 on the Beaufort scale) out of the east (1). Sailing south on a beam/broad reach to a point abreast of Prong's light and the Arabian sea, the captain was a skilled sailor (when not staring at his phone) (2). The return was a little slower, on a beam/close reach. On the ride back, the launch picked up local passengers celebrating a birthday (3), who shared their cake.
(1) A 7 to 10 knot wind described as:
| "Large wavelets; crests begin to break; foam of glassy appearance; perhaps scattered white horses." (2) I tried to get his name without success either because he was taciturn, or did not speak English well. (3) Everyone on a sailboat ride this busy Friday was a local celebrating a birthday, wedding, &c., except me. |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, formerly Victoria Station
Fravashi Zoroastrian symbol at Iranian Cafe
Maharashtra State Police Headquarters
Gateway of India
The Taj Hotel
Heading out
Prong's lighthouse and the Arabian Sea
Sunken rock light
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