Built as a reefer vessel under yard No 813 by E.J.Smit en Zn, Westerbroek, near Groningen for Red. Arctic, Groningen, Netherlands.
23 June 1978 launched as the ARCTIC.
Tonnage 1.242 grt, 782 net, 2.600dwt., dim. 82.94 x 13.50 x 8.10m., draught 5.32m., length 74.45m.
Powered by one 6-cyl. Deutz RBV diesel, 3.000 hp., one variable pitch propeller, speed 13.5 knots.
Consumption in 24 hours 11 ton oil.
Bow thruster of 150kW.
1978 Delivered. Managed by Seatrade Groningen, Netherlands.
She was one of the first Dutch vessels fitted out with gps, at that time very expensive equipment (around 40.000 Dutch guilders).
Her maiden voyage was from Delfzijl to Norway to load a full cargo of frozen mackerel for Nigeria.
1983 Lengthened by the yard of Boele’s Scheepswerven & Machinefabriek N.V., Bolnes near Rotterdam, tonnage thereafter of 2.966 grt, 3.514 dwt., length 101.3m, length bpp 92.7m.
30 April 1985 on a voyage from Rio Grande, Brazil to Puerto Deseado she grounded with full speed on Roca Foca near Puerto Deseado at 06.40 in the morning.
At that time she had on board 142 tons of frozen shrimps loaded at Rio Grande, and would be filled up with frozen fish in Puerto Deseado bound for Europe.
She started to leak bunker oil.
01 May in the evening at 22.00 she was refloated under her own power. She proceeded to Bahia Blanca for temporary repair which took 14 days.
1987 Sold to Compagnie Bretonne de Cargos Frigorifiques Antarctic Terr., France and renamed STEIR.
Managed by Cobrecaf, Concarneau, France.
1996 Sold to Ireland Blyth Ltd., Mauritius renamed in STEIR I.
1997 Renamed by owners in ASTER.
13 November 1997 on a voyage from Mauritius to Cape Town in ballast and early in the morning the ASTER ran aground under RAME HEAD just south of Port St John’s.
Soon after grounding her tanks were breached, and bunker fuel started leaking in the sea, when grounded she had around 450 ton bunker fuel on board.
She was abandoned and the crew was rescued by helicopter.
Declared a total constructive loss.
21 November 1997 by controlled blasting she was opened to the sea.
09 December 1997 the rocks, beaches and wreck were declared free of oil.
Source: Blauwe Wimpel, own notes, Marine News.