ARA Zurubí

Argentinian patrol boat
History
Argentina
Name	Zurubí
Namesake	Surubí, a fish from Argentina’s Mesopotamia rivers.
Builder	Río Santiago Shipyard, Argentina
Laid down	1938
Commissioned	1939
Recommissioned	1993
Decommissioned	1985
Homeport	Ushuaia
Status	Active
Notes	Initially in service with the Argentine Naval Prefecture
General characteristics
Type	Patrol boat
Displacement	33 tons
Length	22 m (72.2 ft)
Beam	4.2 m (13.8 ft)
Draft	1.4 m (4.6 ft)
Propulsion	2-shaft, 2 × Deutz MWM diesel engines
Speed	10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Complement	4 (1 officer)
Armament	none
Notes	Career and characteristics data from “Histarmar” [1] and “Argentine Navy” [2] websites.

ARA Zurubí (P-55) is a patrol boat of the Argentine Navy, built in the Río Santiago Shipyard in 1938 and based in Ushuaia. The vessel is named after the Surubí, a catfish that inhabits Argentina’s Mesopotamia, and is the first Argentine naval ship with this name.^[1][2]

Design

Zurubí is a coastal and fluvial patrol boat designed by the engineering team at Río Santiago Shipyard, where it was built. It has a wooden hull and superstructure, and a tripod mast.^[1]

It is powered by two 8-cylinder “Deutz” V-diesel engines driving two propellers; which replaced the original “GM” ones.^[1][2]

It is equipped with VHF radio, navigation radar, echo-sounding device, and compass.^[1]

History

Zurubí was ordered in 1938 by the Argentine General Prefecture (PGA), predecessor of the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA), as a pilot boat, and was built in the Río Santiago Shipyard, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at a cost of 111,982 Argentine pesos; a sister ship, the current PNA Dorado (GC-101) was also ordered. Commissioned by the PGA in 1939, she was assigned to the pilot service in the port of Bahía Blanca.^[1]

Zurubí was transferred in early 1944 to the Argentine Navy as a patrol boat with pennant number P-36, and modified in the Río Santiago Shipyard. It was assigned to the Ushuaia naval base to patrol the local waters, arriving in that city in June 1944. It performed various duties until 1985, when was decommissioned.

Back into service

The historic importance of Zurubí to the local population motivated the Tierra del Fuego government to request the Argentine Navy to preserve the vessel. As a result, Zurubí was refurbished and re-commissioned in 1993. As of early 2016, Zurubí is in active service based still in Ushuaia.^[1][2]

Zurubí is also notable as the first Argentine Navy ship with a female commander: in 2009 Guardiamarina (Midshipman) Erica Vanessa Bibbó was appointed skipper of the historic vessel.^[3]

See also

• List of active Argentine Navy ships
• List of ships of the Argentine Navy

References

Notes

1. "P-36 SURUBÍ/ZURUBI (Buques Históricos – Histarmar)" (in Spanish). Fundación Histarmar. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
2. "Lancha Patrullera Clase "Zurubí" (Armada Argentina - Poder Naval - Flota de Mar - Unidades)" (in Spanish). Argentine Navy. Archived from the original on 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
3. "La primera mujer que comanda un buque de la Armada Argentina" [First woman to command an Argentine Navy ship]. GacetaMarinera.com.ar (in Spanish). Gaceta Marinera. 2009-03-25. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-02-20.

Bibliography

• Amendolara Bourdette, Ignacio (2005). Guia de los buques de la Armada Argentina 2005-2006 (in Spanish and English). Buenos Aires, Argentina. ISBN 987-43-9400-5. Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2014-09-13.

Other sources

• "P-36 SURUBÍ/ZURUBI (Buques Históricos – Histarmar)". Histarmar - Historia y Arqueología Marítima (in Spanish). Argentina: Fundación Histarmar. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
• "Lancha Patrullera Clase "Zurubí" (Armada Argentina - Poder Naval - Flota de Mar - Unidades)". Argentine Navy official website (in Spanish). Argentina: Argentine Navy. Archived from the original on 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
• "La primera mujer que comanda un buque de la Armada Argentina" [First woman to command an Argentine Navy ship]. GacetaMarinera.com.ar (in Spanish). Argentina: Gaceta Marinera – Armada Argentina. 2009-03-25. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-02-20.

Further reading

• Arguindeguy, Pablo (1972). Apuntes sobre los buques de la Armada Argentina (1810-1970) (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Comando en Jefe de la Armada.

External links

• Images of details of sister ship PNA GC-101 "Dorado" - ATNA website^{[permanent dead link‍]} (in Spanish) (accessed 2016-02-20)
• Images and history of "Zurubí" and "Dorado" - Patrulleras Argentinas" website (in Spanish) (accessed 2016-02-20)