An old Ecuadorian sailboat captures a “narco-submarine” off the Colombian Pacific

(CNN) – It could be considered a victory for the technology of the 18th century over the criminal innovation of the late 20th century. A three-masted sailboat belonging to the Ecuadorian Navy captured last week a so-called “narcosubmarino,” a low-profile homemade vessel (LPV) designed to transport illegal narcotics, in the Pacific Ocean off Colombia, according to a statement from the Ecuadorian Army. .

The Army said that the Guayas boat, used in the Navy to train naval cadets, intercepted the narco-submarine in international waters between the exclusive economic zones of Colombia and the Ecuadorian islands in the Pacific.

Three Ecuadorian citizens and a Colombian were detained, according to the statement, although it did not give details on what narcotics could have been on board the “narco-submarine,” which was powered by three outboard motors.

The 78-meter-long sailboat, powered by more than 1,393 square meters of sails hung from three towering masks, was on a training cruise when it saw the drug-carrying ship and came to a halt, the Ecuadorian military said.

The Guayas is designed to carry 80 cadets, as well as a permanent crew of 36 people.

Most “narco-submarines” are actually LPVs, essentially ships with most of their volume below the waterline. The more advanced versions are what are known as semi-submersibles, boats with only one hatch and air intakes above the surface.

The ancient sailing ships vs. the narco-submarines

LPVs first emerged in the late 1990s when Colombian drug cartels sought ways to evade US patrols in the Caribbean Sea and bring their illicit cargo to that country.

Sailing ships had their heyday in the 18th and early 19th centuries with European powers such as Great Britain, France, and Spain building naval fleets to protect their commercial maritime interests.

But the advent of steam power in the mid-1800s quickly relegated military sailing ships to the junkyard.

However, several nations still use sailing ships to train recruits in basic nautical skills. The Guayas’ sister ships are in use with the Colombian, Venezuelan and Mexican armies, according to Tall Ships Network, a British website that calls itself “a global platform for all things large ships.”

The US Coast Guard ship Eagle is used to train service cadets and is the only active sailboat in the US military.

“The customs of yesteryear still have a lot to teach,” says the US Coast Guard Academy website about the Eagle. “The conditions and situations you face sailing cannot be reproduced either in a classroom or on board today’s modern ships.”

“Totally dependent on the wind, waves, and currents, (Coast Guard cadets) quickly learn how these forces of nature affect a ship. They become adept at handling ships, making decisions, and facing unexpected challenges. “says the academy website.

It’s that kind of training that could lead a sailing ship to roll over a power-powered ship, said Alessio Patalano, a professor of warfare and strategy at King’s College London.

“Sailors regularly train to man this ship to the best of its capabilities, which means that in favorable weather conditions its sails could propel it past 10 knots,” Patalano said.

“While this is not a speed comparable to modern ships, when combined with a competent crew, it would certainly give the ship an advantage over four narcos on a homemade drug raft, as fast as it could have been.” , said.

CNN’s Begona Blanco Muñoz contributed to this report.