Guaicamacuto Buque de Vigilancia Litoral (BVL)

The Buque de Vigilancia Litoral (BVL) Coastal Surveillance Ship has a displacement of 1,453 tons with a monocoque hull, 79.90 meters total length, a maximum design speed of 22 knots and a range of 4000 miles at cruising speed. The BVL are prepared to fulfill missions of surveillance protection area coast, protection of maritime traffic, assistance to other vessels, fighting fire, control of pollution, transportation of personnel and provisiones, search and rescue operations, rapid intervencion, support to divers and defense of surface inteligencia operatives.

The propulsion of the BVL plant is CODAD (Combination Diesel and Diesel) consisting of two diesel engines of 5,920kW each, two simple input and output and axes each powering a propeller of controlable-reducing type. Diesel engines are located in the machine room and are elastically mounted to reduce the vibration. Electrical power plant consists of three groups diesel generators of 570 kWe 440V, 60 HZ 3 phase, two of them for the greater electrical demand and one of the total consumption of the essential ellossoporta. Additionally an emergency generator is located on the main deck.

Auxiliary systems include an air conditioning system consisting of two cooling water plants designed so that a single plant can operate for the entire vessel covering 100% of the needs, keeping the other in reserve. The BVL possess a system of generation of potable water use internal to that provides drinking water for consumption maximum delnumero of persons on board, whereas a consumption 220 liters per person per day, and other services. The system consists of pollution control reverse osmosis system for the control of marine pollution. The BVL possess a system of containment and collection of hydrocarbons, by means of a reel of in?able barrier, with hydraulic drive, a Skimmer type "Weir" with an "Archimedean screw" and a ?exible type barrier storage tank.

For navigation the vessel is equipped with an X-band navigation radar, whose main function is to provide adequate coverage of the surface which guarantees the maneuverof the shipm. The surveillance ship has an integrated navigation that allows controlling the precise navigation of the vessel with the minimum of bridge crew.

On November 2005, Venezuela ordered from Navantia, the construction of 8 patrol boats, 4 BVL for the control of the coast, and 4 POVZEE, for the control of the exclusive economic area. The missions of these ships are basically the vigilance and protection of the fishing zones, protection against drugs enforcement and anti-smuggling operations, and protection of the maritime traffic. These ships have been designed by Navantia for defence missions of the sea around Venezuela: protection of the fishing area, protection against smuggling and drug traffic, as well as the defence of the maritime traffic in general.

As part of this contract, Navantia is also building 4 patrols for the control and protection of the exclusive economic area, to be delivered from May 2010 to July 2011. Besides the important work for the shipyards of Navantia until 2012, this contract means an important commercial milestone for the company, as it outlines its position in this market, with an own last generation project.

Navantia's shipyard in the Bay of Cádiz was, on 28 November 2007, the scene of the keel laying ceremony for the first patrol boat that the Spanish company is building for Venezuela. The event, for which two cranes were needed, in order to lay the 39 tones keel, has been presided by the Navy managers of the programme, Rear Admiral Padrón and Colonel Bravo, as well as the shipyard Director, Enrique Rodríguez Segura. Both representatives from the Venezuelan Navy have stated during the ceremony, their satisfaction for the advance of the program.

As well, Navantia had started the construction of the third patrol boat, for the control of the coast, and the first patrol boat for the control of the exclusive economic area, with the ceremony of the "cut of the steel".

San Fernando-Puerto Real shipyard, in Southern Spain, launched on 16 October 2008, the first of the series of 4 BVL, patrol boats for the control of the coast, that Navantia is building for the Venezuelan Navy. The delivery of the 4 units will be from August 2009 to July 2011. The ship was named "Guaicamacuto" and her godmother was Mari Carmen La Riva de Quintana. This ceremony was presided by the Venezuelan Ambassador in Spain, Alfredo Toro, the Chief of the Venezuelan Navy, Pedro González, the President of Navantia, Juan Pedro Gómez-Jaén, and other relevant guests.

On 02 March 2010 Navantia delivered the “Guaicamacuto,” the first of four Venezuelan BVL 80m, 1,500t Littoral Surveillance Vessels, at its facilities in San Fernando. Venezuela also contracted four Offshore Patrol Boat (BVL), last of them the “Tamanaco” is being built locally in Venezuela by Dianca.