| History | |
|---|---|
 Royal Air Force | |
| Name | Sea Otter |
| Operator | Royal Air Force Marine Branch |
| Ordered | 26 March 1973 |
| Builder | Fairmile, Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| Laid down | 29 July 1974 |
| Launched | 20 September 1974 |
| Commissioned | 25 March 1975 |
| Out of service | 1985 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8654314 |
| Fate | Transferred to Royal Navy |
 Royal Navy | |
| Name | HMS Redpole |
| Namesake | Redpoll |
| In service | 1985 |
| Out of service | 1994 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8654314 |
| Fate | Sold in 2000 and renamed MV Badtz Maru[1] |
| Notes | [2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bird-class patrol vessel |
| Displacement | 159 long tons (162 t) |
| Length | 120 ft (37 m) o/a |
| Beam | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Draught | 6.5 ft (2.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Two diesel engines, one to each shaft, all giving 4,000 brake horsepower (3,000 kW) |
| Speed | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Range | 2,200 nautical miles (4,100 km; 2,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 17 |
| Notes | [2] |
HMS Redpole (P259) was built in 1974 by Fairmile Marine at Berwick-upon-Tweed as RAFV Sea Otter, the third Seal class Long Range Recovery and Support Craft of the Royal Air Force Marine Branch. The Seal class was similar to the Bird-class patrol vessels of the British Royal Navy. .[2]