#ShipsRudder - As previously reported on Afloat.ie, containership Arslan II (1991/3,125grt) that grounded on Arklow Bank in January, and understood to have damaged her rudder, arrived off Turkey in recent days, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Following the incident off Co. Wicklow, the 260 TEU container capacity vessel had been towed to Dublin Port to seek refuge and repairs following a port state authorities control inspection.
The vessel was dry-docked for a month at the Dublin Dry Docks facility within Alexandra Basin from where further steel works were required.
In total the 89m vessel remained in Dublin Port for more than two months between initial berthing and dry-docking until finally she departed on a 14-day voyage to Turkey. Her course in the Mediterranean involved passing coastlines offshore of some North African states as far as Tunisia.
She continued sailing south of Sciliy and eventually arrived off Aliaga, where she was at anchorage off the major shipbreaking centre which lies outside the western Turkish port.
The ships owners are understood to be awaiting further instructions as she is to undergo further repairs and as of this morning she is underway again to another ship repair facility.
In the meantime, the grounding incident remains under investigation by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB).
Arslan II until her sale last year was previously named Coastal Isle. She was a frequenct caller to Dublin Port and having been featured as file footage regularly for RTE News particularly relating to stories on the balance of trade and Irish exports. A role she played her part in bringing exports and imports for the last three decades and starting off under original name of Johanna.
Her sister, Coastal Deniz (see former Guinness ships) operates a Liverpool - Manchester container shuttle-service and they both previously served a network linking the major Irish Sea ports between Belfast, Dublin,Liverpool and Cardiff.
As Arslan II she is understood to have operated to ports among them Warrenpoint and again returning to the Welsh capital.
