HNLMS Wamandai (A870) was a tugboat of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN).[2] She was built in the Netherlands and served between 1962 and 1985 in the RNN.[1]
Construction
On 27 August 1958 Wamandai was laid down and on 28 May 1960 she was launched at the Rijkswerf in Den Helder.[3][1] The tugboat was commissioned in 1962.[2]
Service history
Wamandai was originally meant to serve in Dutch New Guinea.[1] However, soon after being commissioned it was no longer part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[4][5] The tugboat was therefore sent to Curaçao in May 1964.[6] This made it the first tugboat of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) to be stationed in the Netherlands Antilles.[7]
As a result of increased tension between British Guiana and Suriname the Wamandai was sent in 1964 to guard the entrance to the Corantijn River.[8][9] The Wamandai was used in this role until the hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Luymes arrived in Suriname, after which the Wamandai returned to the Netherlands Antilles.[6][10]
In March 1984 the Wamandai took part in a large navy exercise on Bonaire, during this exercise an amphibious landing was performed.[11]
In 1985 the Wamandai was auctioned and sold by the RNN.[12][1]