PALAKKAD: Ever since he joined the merchant navy in 2014, Prajeesh Govindaraj, a native of Palakkad, dreamt of sailing to Kerala, his homeland. However, never in his wildest dreams did the 37-year-old imagine that he would become a part of history.
Prajeesh is the lone Keralite on board MV San Fernando, the first mothership that docked at Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Prajeesh shared his excitement with TNIE while on-board the mothership. “I always knew I would sail to Kochi one day. However, I never expected to make a voyage to Vizhinjam. The ship’s arrival at the new port also marks the fulfilment of my decade-long dream,” he said.
“I feel really happy and humbled by the fact that I am the first Malayali to sail to Vizhinjam port. We had a smooth manoeuvre to the port. Since it was the first berthing, there were additional safety precautions — three pilots and four tug boats,” he said.
Hailing from Vaniyamkulam in Palakkad, Prajeesh joined MV San Fernando’s 22-member crew, which has four more Indians, five months ago as the electro technical officer. He handles its electrical and communication systems.
“I did my schooling in my village, got a diploma in electronics before completing engineering studies in the electronics and communication stream,” said Prajeesh. He began his career in the merchant navy 10 years ago with Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (India) Pvt Ltd, before joining MV San Fernando’s crew.
He said the reception the ship received at Vizhinjam by the public, state government and the port officials was mind-boggling. “We saw people cheering and bursting crackers. It was such a warm reception,” said a jubilant Prajeesh.
Since Vizhinjam is a new port, its crew is not supposed to disembark. As per the current chart, MV San Fernando will head to the Colombo port from Vizhinjam and sail to the Middle East before leaving for Europe. Prajeesh’s parents Govindaraj and Sasiprabha, wife Saranya P S and son Vihaan live in “Ajeesh Nivas”, his home in Vaniyamkulam.