Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 27 August 2015
Call sign PAHQ. IMO no. 8633114. The Castor was on 2 December 1949 launched at the yard of the N.V. Scheepsbouwwerf Gebr. Pot at Bolnes, Netherlands with as yard number 916 for the department of navy with as pennant A 810, the trials found place on 29 July 1950 and she was commissioned on 31 July of the same year for the Pilot Service at Delfzijl. The Castor was in wartime to be used as a communication vessel and during peacetime as a pilot. She was decommissioned on 26 September 1983, sold on 15 February a year later, in October 1988 again sold to a new owner in England and renamed Redeemer. In 1989 was hew owner the Seacare Shipping Company of Valletta, Malta in 1999 Spindrift Navigation Ltd. Of Belize and finally in 2006 were her new owners M. van Parijs&Cornelissen who gave her original name back. Her measurement was 439 BRT and 114 NRT and as dimensions 45,87 x 8,43 x 5,86 metres. The 750 delivered horsepower allowed a speed of 12 knots. Her crew numbered excluded the pilots of 15-20 men although there was on board accommodation available for 52 men divided over 14 cabins. Officers had their own cabin. Her armament consisted of 1-7,6cm guns and 2x2-20mm Oerlikon machineguns. She was able to store 70,000 litres of diesel and 35,000 litres of fresh water to transport the Dutch cabinet and members of the royal family in times of war directly to a safe location in South Africa
