30 May, 2023 by Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

The Aluminum Patrol Boat S-17 of GEAS, a Project by AISTER

Among the units supplied by AISTER to the Civil Guard is the RAL850-ZSF aluminum hull patrol boat, named S-17 and delivered in July 2010. Its first destination was the Provincial Maritime Service (SMP) of Cádiz, then to GEAS Melilla and GEAS Ceuta, and SMP of Ceuta, from where it moved to the SMP of Tenerife, where it would be repaired, having new engines installed and the bridge modified by relocating the steering to the center.

This unit is designed for surveillance missions, combating irregular immigration, and protecting jurisdictional waters, hence the result of a fast vessel that meets its needs and fulfills the proposed expectations. It is an evolution of three fishing inspection boats from the Government of the Canary Islands, named “Roque Prieto,” “Roque Antequera,” and “Puntallana.”

The standard model of the patrol boat is equipped with a closed cabin, three suspension seats for the same number of crew members, a console for engine controls and electrical equipment buttons, a chart table, a container for a fire extinguisher in the cabin, a door for access to the watertight cabin, and a foam core fender along the sides and front.

It has a polyurethane coating with high elastic capacity for impact absorption, securely fixed to the aluminum hull, welded aluminum railings and handles, four cleats placed on both sides of the bulwark, and a stainless steel bollard located at the bow of the patrol boat.

The deep “V” shaped hull and the deck are made of naval aluminum, ensuring the necessary safety and structural integrity, resistance, and durability. The cockpit floor is made of non-slip plate sections and is accessible in the central area, allowing for hatches below deck for stowing various supplies.

This rigid vessel for professional use has been designed to navigate at sustained speeds of 45 knots and peaks of up to 50 knots in coastal navigation zone B (RD 297/1998, of February 27 and Directive 94/25/EC), that is, with force 8 according to the Beaufort scale and significant wave heights of up to four meters.

The S-17 patrol boat measures 8.50 m in overall length, 3.20 m in beam, and 0.84 m in depth. It has an outboard propulsion power formed by two engines totaling 600 horsepower.