ARA ''Punta Alta'' (Q-63) is a multipurpose

auxiliary ship An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense. Auxil ...

of the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

, built in the Curtis Bay Shipyard, United States, in 1964; transferred to Argentina in 2000, she is based at

Puerto Belgrano Port Belgrano Naval Base ( es, Base Naval Puerto Belgrano - BNPB) is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca, about south of Buenos Aires. It is named after the brigantine ''General Belgr ...

. The vessel is named after the Argentine city of

Punta Alta Punta Alta is a city in Argentina, about 20 kilometers southeast of Bahía Blanca. It has a population of 57,293. It is the capital ("cabecera") of the Coronel Rosales Partido. It was founded on 2 July 1898. The city is located near the Atlanti ...

, which is close to Puerto Belgrano, and is the second Argentine naval ship with this name.

Design

''Punta Alta'' is a multipurpose ship specialized in buoy maintenance, built at the US Coast Guard shipyard, Curtis Bay, United States. Her hull is specially designed for these tasks, being highly manoeuvrable thanks to its two variable-pitch propellers, twin rudders, and bow thruster. She has a metal

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

and superstructure, and a single mast and funnel. It is powered by two 16-cylinder V, 900 HP, “Caterpillar” D398 marine diesel engines driving two

propellers A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

; and two

bow thrusters Bow often refers to: * Bow and arrow, a weapon * Bowing, bending the upper body as a social gesture * An ornamental knot made of ribbon Bow may also refer to: * Bow (watercraft), the foremost part of a ship or boat * Bow (position), the rower s ...

. It also carries two 100 Kw GM diesel generators, and two

cranes Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname), ...

with 10 ton and 5 ton lifting capacity. It carries an aluminium hull launch powered by a 130 HP engine and equipped with communications and sounding equipment.

History

The buoy tender ''Red Birch'' was commissioned by the US Coast Guard in 1964, and served with that service until decommissioned in 2000; and transferred to Argentina. She was commissioned in the same year by the Argentine Navy as ''Punta Alta'' with pennant number Q-63; and was assigned to the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base, which is still its homeport.

Design

History

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

Other sources

Further reading