Auxiliary Ship 'Mar Caribe' (A-101) - Ships - Armada - Ministerio de Defensa

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Auxiliary Ship 'Mar Caribe' (A-101)

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Auxiliary Ship 'Mar Caribe' (A-101)

WELCOMING ADDRESS

The Commander and the Endowment of the auxiliary ship “Mar Caribe” we give them the welcome to this unit afloat, belonging by force of Maritime Action.

FEATURES:

Displacement: 1.860 tons.

Length: 57 m.

Beam: 11.8 m

Crew: 27 (76 transport personnel)

Propulsion:

2 BURMEISTWER & WAIN diesel engines (2,340 HP)

2 fixed-pitch propellers

1 fore propeller

3 STORK RO 158 auxiliary electric generators

Weapons:

2 MG machine-guns (7.62 mm)

Portable weapons

Sensors:

2 radars (SELESMAR and RAYTHEON GPS, GMDSS, INMARSAT VHF-UHF-HF equipment)

AIS (Automatic Identification System)

Niscellaneous:

Poop-deck for VERTREP/MEDEVAC

1 RHIB

1 Zodiac Mod. Mk-5

4 smaller Zodiacs

Capacity for 2 containers of 33 cubic meters each

Capacity for 1 container of 66 cubic meters

1 cargo crane

WHAT WE DO?

The auxiliary ship “Mar Caribe” can tow ships of up to 18,000 tons like the aircraft-carrier “Príncipe de Asturias” or the AORHs “Patiño” and “Cantabria”. The A-101 is also entrusted with other missions like maritime patrol, mine sweeping and laying, search and rescue, etc.

WHERE WE ARE?

Our home port is Puntales Naval Station (Cádiz).

MATERIEL AND WEAPONS

The ship has two auxiliary craft, a RHIB and a Zodiac.

Even though the A-101 is not a tugboat properly speaking, she can nevertheless tow ships of up to 18,000 tons. Some of her towing gear like a Pulling Winch was removed during a 2007 overhaul, so nowadays her towing capability has been trimmed down.

The “Mar Caribe” has 2 MG machine-guns (7.62 mm) and a wide assortment of portable weapons like rifles, pistols and shotguns.

OUR HISTORY

This ship, named “Amatista”, was purposely built as a support ship for oil rigs by the Duro Felguera Shipyards in 1974.

She was an offshore auxiliary ship with a wooden deck for the transport of anchors, cables, pipes and all type of materiel necessary for the construction and maintenance of oil rigs. The original concrete containers were converted into ballast tanks.

After more than 10 years operating in her original role, the “Amatista” was offered to the Spanish Navy in 1988 and accepted with the new name of “Mar Caribe”. She was originally assigned to the Logistic Support Fleet and was subsequently transferred to the fleet of Auxiliary Vessels.

After operating from La Carraca for a number of years, she was assigned to the Strait Maritime Area first, and then to the Maritime Action Force with home port in Puntales Naval Station (Cádiz).

WHO WE ARE?

The crew of the “Mar Caribe” consists of 31 people: 6 officers, 4 NCOs, 7 leading seamen and 14 ratings.

MAIN OPERATIONS AND EXERCISES

The main missions carried out by the “Mar Caribe” are:

Water, fuel and different supplies are delivered every 45 days to the Spanish isles and rocks in the North-African coast.

Ship towing

Mine laying and sweeping

Collaboration with Marine Corps and Special Operations units

Collaboration with the Spanish Navy and Army towing targets for firing exercises with the Coastal Artillery Command in the Strait

Maritime surveillance missions

Transport of RODMAN craft belonging to the Navy Hydrographic Institute

Rescue of shipwrecked people