The ship was decommissioned in March 2001 and was sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2003 to be used in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

[3] The Tons were powered by two Napier Deltic diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft.

The engines developed a total of 6,000 brake horsepower (4,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

They had a range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and had a complement of 4 officers and 25 ratings.

The ship was retired in March 2001 and sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2003 to be used as the R/V Belafonte in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.