KOCHI: Finally, Kochi’s International Marina, located on the eastern coast of Bolgatty Island adjoining the Bolgatty Palace in Ernakulam district, got the attention that it needed.
A video on the sorry state of the international marina uploaded on Instagram by 28-year-old sailor, Amrutha Jayachandran, caught the attention of Chief Minister V D Satheesan. The video went viral, garnering more than 194K views.
Taking note of her call for urgent measures to make the Marina a happening place, the CM said he would direct the relevant departments to study the feasibility of her suggestions and implement the same. According to Amrutha, who is very passionate about sailing, the Kochi Marina is the only one in the entire country.
“But it’s in a sorry state, invaded by weeds and left to the vagaries of nature due to lack of proper upkeep and use. This is not how marinas in other countries look. The marinas, be it in Thailand or western countries, are hubs of activity,” she told TNIE.
She said it is heartbreaking to see such an important infrastructure going to waste.
“It is also sad to know that, other than those in the sailing circles, Malayalees are in general unaware of the sport called sailing. I even got many comments pointing out that sailing is an illegal activity!” said Amrutha.
However, sailing is an activity enjoyed by nearly all in the western countries, even in South East Asian nations, she added.
For a state like Kerala that occupies an important place on the global tourism map, ensuring that Kochi Marina is maintained properly, with facilities like a restaurant, options for activities, a boat repair unit and other sailing-associated activities, would help attract visitors from that particular section too, she said.
Amrutha pointed out that at present boats either go to Sri Lanka, Seychelles or Maldives.
“However, Kerala has more potential than those countries. People prefer to come to Kerala. But we need to provide them with facilities. A busy Marina is an attraction for tourists,” she added.
As to how she came about taking up sailing, Amrutha said that it started with surfing. “I began training in surfing in 2014 in Pondicherry. Later on, I moved to Hyderabad in 2019, and here I actively engaged in surfing and trekking,” she said. Amrutha had undertaken a 19-day sailing expedition from Kochi Marina to Djibouti in Africa in 2024.
I’m a sailing athlete too. Me and my team have represented India at BRICS SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 and secured Silver in Middle East Cup 2026.
