Ecuador Coastguard Orders Damen Patrol Boats
Damen announced it has recently signed a contract with AstillerosNavalesEcuatorianos (Astinave) to construct two Damen Stan Patrols (Spa) 5009 for the Ecuadorian Coastguard. The Ecuadorian shipyard will build both vessels locally with Damen Technical Cooperation, which is Damen’s method of ‘building on site’.
Damen Technical Cooperation (DTC) will supply Astinave with prefabricated kits to build both vessels. As well as the numerous advantages that local construction brings to the contract-signing table, DTC uses proven Damen designs that guarantee technical and operational performance, the shipbuilder said. Damen’s agreement with Astinave also includes on-site technical assistance during the construction and commissioning periods.
Although this latest contract represents the first Damen Stan Patrol 5009 for Astinave, the yard has experience with Damen designs. “We see Astinave not only as a client but also as a partner,” said Ezequiel Najmias, Damen Sales Manager Americas. “Our relationship with them started more than a decade ago when both parties signed a Strategic Alliance Framework Agreement.” Following the first building contract in 2007, “Astinave has built a great number of vessels in cooperation with Damen, including tugs, cutter suction dredgers, fast crew suppliers and patrol vessels.”
The Ecuadorian Coastguard will mobilize the two new Damen SPa’s 5009 for general patrol duties – benefitting from a top speed of 23 knots provided by four fixed-pitch propellers. They specified that both vessels had the capacity to accommodate 32 people operating for up to 30 days without external support – something that required a number of design adaptations.
“Our most challenging modification was to change the standard accommodation layout to fit one extra bed in each room without losing comfort,” explained Najmias. “By increasing the fuel capacity to 90m3, enlarging the storage and freezer rooms and installing a powerful water-maker, both vessels will be able to operate autonomously for 30 days.”
Ecuador’s Coastguard already operates three Damen SPa’s 2606, with a fourth currently under construction at Astinave’s facilities on the banks of the Guayas River. After delivery of the two patrol vessels, the fleet will total six Damen builds.
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