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Displaying items by tag: Arklow Ranger

The newest Irish flagged merchant ship, Arklow Ranger has made its maiden voyage from The Netherlands to Norway as the newbuild dry-cargo ship arrived this afternoon into the Arctic Circle, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Arklow Ranger departed the Dutch north-east port of Eemshaven having departed last Thursday, 11 January, the day shipbuilder, Royal Bodewes officially delivered the newbuild to Arklow Shipping Ltd. Also that day the newbuild began the maiden voyage, firstly heading through the Wadden Sea and then into the North Sea.

On the Sunday, Afloat continued to track the newbuild when offshore of the Nordic nation’s coast. The inaugural passage was concluded after navigating the 11 nautical mile Glomfjorden to the fjord’s namesake port of Glomfjord with the 105m merchant ship berthing today at around 1500hrs.

Arklow Ranger, is the fourth Eco-Trader 6,800dwat / R class multipurpose newbuild of seven on order from ASL to the Dutch shipbuilders based in Hoogezand, near Groningen, which conducted sea trails in the North Sea based out of Eemshaven.

Currently berthed in the Norwegian port is ASL fleetmate, Arklow Field and their Dutch flagged Arklow Glen.

In addition is a Norwegian based rival, Wilson AS of Bergen, whose cargo ship Wilson Dieppe is berthed ahead of the Arklow trio at the fjord port located in Nordland, a county mid-way located along the country’s rugged and extensive coastline.

Published in Ports & Shipping

In an update on Arklow Ranger, the fourth of seven Dutch shipyard completed Eco-Traders of the 6,800dwt / R class cargo ships, departed last month from its inland location to reach a seaport, writes Jehan Ashmore.

An Autumnal launch of the Arklow Ranger, which is just shy of 105m (LOA) length overall, took place in October as Afloat reported at the Royal Bodewes Shipyard at Hoogezand, near Groningen.

Following final works to prepare the Irish flagged cargo ship with a combined hold capacity of 310,000 cubic feet (cbft), the newbuild last month departed the shipyard.

This involved towage from the shipyard on the Winschoterdiep Canal and an onward connection via the Zeehavenkannaal to reach the Port of Delfzijl on the Ems estuary. From there took place the short passage to Eemshaven on 18 December, this in the same week prior to the start of the Festive Season.

It would appear that the last known activity of the Arklow Ranger occured the following day, after arriving at Eemshaven, as the newbuild currently remains at its berth in the Dutch north-eastern port.

As customary with the newbuilds Arklow Shipping have on order to Bodewes, that the shipbuilder's sea trails are conducted offshore of Emshaven. Such trials are carried out in the vicinity of The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Sea Islands, which form an archipelago also off the neighbouring German coast.

Beyond the archipelago is the open waters of the North Sea from where Afloat will have more to report on this newest addition to the Irish Shipping Registrar.

Published in Shipyards

Arklow Ranger following a christening ceremony at Royal Bodowes main shipyard in the Netherlands was launched yesterday having slide off the stocks into the water, writes Jehan Ashmore.

This is the 4th general cargo vessel out of the seven Eco-Trader 6,885 deadweight tonnes (dwt) series on order from Arklow Shipping Ltd.

The 104m Arklow Ranger was launched during the afternoon from the Royal Bodewes shipyard at Hoogazand near Groningen.

As for the other three completed newbuilds, leadship, Arklow Racer was delivered to ASL in February, followed by the series second ship, Arklow Rally which made its maiden sailing on the Summer solstice.

The newest Eco-Trader or ‘R’ class, Arklow Rambler last month departed the inland shipyard along the canal system while under tow to Delfzijl on the Ems estuary.

It is from the nearby port of Emshaven that this third newbuild has been carrying out ship-builders sea trials in the North Sea.

Published in Shipyards

Marine Institute Research Vessel Tom Crean

Ireland’s new marine research vessel will be named the RV Tom Crean after the renowned County Kerry seaman and explorer who undertook three major groundbreaking expeditions to the Antarctic in the early years of the 20th Century which sought to increase scientific knowledge and to explore unreached areas of the world, at that time.

Ireland's new multi-purpose marine research vessel RV Tom Crean, was delivered in July 2022 and will be used by the Marine Institute and other State agencies and universities to undertake fisheries research, oceanographic and environmental research, seabed mapping surveys; as well as maintaining and deploying weather buoys, observational infrastructure and Remotely Operated Vehicles.

The RV Tom Crean will also enable the Marine Institute to continue to lead and support high-quality scientific surveys that contribute to Ireland's position as a leader in marine science. The research vessel is a modern, multipurpose, silent vessel (designed to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research), capable of operating in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Tom Crean is able to go to sea for at least 21 days at a time and is designed to operate in harsh sea conditions.

RV Tom Crean Specification Overview

  • Length Overall: 52.8 m
  • Beam 14m
  • Draft 5.2M 

Power

  • Main Propulsion Motor 2000 kw
  • Bow Thruster 780 kw
  • Tunnel thruster 400 kw

Other

  • Endurance  21 Days
  • Range of 8,000 nautical miles
  • DP1 Dynamic Positioning
  • Capacity for 3 x 20ft Containers

Irish Marine Research activities

The new state-of-the-art multi-purpose marine research vessel will carry out a wide range of marine research activities, including vital fisheries, climate change-related research, seabed mapping and oceanography.

The new 52.8-metre modern research vessel, which will replace the 31-metre RV Celtic Voyager, has been commissioned with funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved by the Government of Ireland.

According to Aodhán FitzGerald, Research Vessel Manager of the MI, the RV Tom Crean will feature an articulated boom crane aft (6t@ 10m, 3T@ 15m), located on the aft-gantry. This will be largely used for loading science equipment and net and equipment handling offshore.

Mounted at the stern is a 10T A-frame aft which can articulate through 170 degrees which are for deploying and recovering large science equipment such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV’s), towed sleds and for fishing operations.

In addition the fitting of an 8 Ton starboard side T Frame for deploying grabs and corers to 4000m which is the same depth applicable to when the vessel is heaving but is compensated by a CTD system consisting of a winch and frame during such operations.

The vessel will have the regulation MOB boat on a dedicated davit and the facility to carry a 6.5m Rigid Inflatable tender on the port side.

Also at the aft deck is where the 'Holland 1' Work class ROV and the University of Limericks 'Etain' sub-Atlantic ROV will be positioned. In addition up to 3 x 20’ (TEU) containers can be carried.

The newbuild has been engineered to endure increasing harsher conditions and the punishing weather systems encountered in the North-East Atlantic where deployments of RV Tom Crean on surveys spent up to 21 days duration.

In addition, RV Tom Crean will be able to operate in an ultra silent-mode, which is crucial to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research purposes.

The classification of the newbuild as been appointed to Lloyds and below is a list of the main capabilities and duties to be tasked by RV Tom Crean:

  • Oceanographic surveys, incl. CTD water sampling
  • Fishery research operations
  • Acoustic research operations
  • Environmental research and sampling operation incl. coring
  • ROV and AUV/ASV Surveys
  • Buoy/Mooring operations