Por onde anda? Astro Parati & Astro Garoupa

Launched in 1987 at Estaleiro Ilha S.A. (EISA), Astro Parati and Astro Garoupa belong to an early generation of Brazilian-built offshore support vessels. With steel hulls of approximately 66 meters, they once operated in a period when Brazil’s offshore industry was still consolidating its logistics, regulatory frameworks and governance standards.

Over the decades, the evolution of market cycles, combined with prolonged inactivity and weak asset stewardship, left a visible mark on both vessels. Their current condition reflects how unmanaged lay-up and the absence of structured governance can lead to irreversible outcomes for offshore assets.

Today, both vessels remain at Ilha do Governador, at the former EISA yard where they were built. They are no longer operational assets, but deteriorated hulls in an advanced state of decay. Publicly available imagery and technical observations indicate extensive corrosion, perforated steel plating and compromised watertight integrity — conditions consistent with many years of unmanaged lay-up and absence of preservation measures.

An auction process was, in fact, initiated and formally carried forward, with reference values reportedly around BRL 700,000 per unit. However, the process was not concluded, reflecting limited market appetite and the technical reality of the assets. While the vessels remain formally recorded in public registries — including ANTAQ and the Tribunal Marítimo — their operational certificates expired long ago and were never renewed. For many years, they have lacked valid class, statutory certification and authorization for commercial service.

This regulatory limbo does not equate to neutrality. The prolonged state of abandonment, combined with their physical condition, raises legitimate concerns not only regarding asset integrity but also potential environmental exposure. Aging hulls, left without oversight in a sensitive coastal area, represent a risk that extends beyond balance sheets and ownership records.

Astro Parati and Astro Garoupa thus stand as physical reminders of how governance gaps, shipyard insolvency and years of inaction can converge into a single outcome: vessels that remain present in form, yet long absent from Brazil’s offshore fleet in substance.

Every Thursday, a new “Por onde anda?” — stay tuned.