Breaking Waves, Making History

Breaking Waves, Making History is a thrilling account of the audacious circumnavigation of the globe by two women officers of the Indian Navy — Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A — on board INSV Tarini. Starting from Goa, India, their journey spans 23,400 nautical miles and around eight months over five legs, with stops at Freemantle, Australia, Lyttleton, New Zealand, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, and Cape Town, South Africa. Through rough winds, high seas, flooded decks, and some beautiful sunsets, Dilna and Roopa chart a historic course for India as they pass many iconic locations including Point Nemo, Drake Passage, Cape Horn, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape of Good Hope. Along the way, their journey makes essential contributions to the scientific studies of microplastics contamination, sea mammals, and pre-cooked meals.

Lavish with photographs and intimate details of life at sea, this account of two women sailors will be a delight for those interested in maritime studies, oceanography and naval history, as well as to the adventurer in all our hearts.

Commander (Dr) Kalesh Mohanan is a naval historian. He is the Officer-in-Charge of Naval History Division of the Indian Navy. He is a visiting faculty and guide for PhD students in Military History and Maritime Studies at the Naval War College, Goa and Mumbai University. He is a recipient of Junior Research Fellowship from Indian Council of Historical Research, Ministry of HRD. He has done PhD and Postdoctoral research in naval history from Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He assisted Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani and Vice Admiral Anup Singh in chronicling the official history volumes. He has published more than 30 articles in national and international journals. He has authored the books Maritime Heritage of India (published by Indian Navy, 2016), The Royal Indian Navy: Trajectories, Transformations and the Transfer of Power (Routledge, London, 2019), Maritime Heritage of Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Routledge, London, 2025).

Lieutenant Commander Anupama Thapliyal is a naval historian. Currently she is the Deputy Officer-in-Charge of the Naval History Division of the Indian Navy. She is an alumna of the Indian Naval Academy. She was previously the faculty (Military and Maritime History) at the Indian Naval Academy. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Strategic Studies from Central University of Kerala. She played a major role in writing the official history of the Indian Navy covering the period from 2011–2021 (A Decade of Transformation: Signalling Power and Partnerships, Harper Collins, 2022). She has authored many articles on naval history in Navy journals.