#WickowPorts - UKD Orca (2000/3,087grt) yesterday departed Arklow Bay having completed capping a spoil pit site off the County Wicklow harbour which was dredged last year, writes Jehan Ashmore.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, UKD Orca was tasked in capping a designated spoil site north-east of Arklow port's East Pier. This had involved dredging contaminated spoil material from within the harbour channel and basin by the Jenny T early last summer.
The works at Arklow port are to improve access for all users and encourage notably commercial callers to the port where the River Avoca flows through into the Irish Sea.
UKD Orca is a trailing suction dredger which was returning to Merseyside. When underway some eight nautical miles due east off Wicklow Head, was nearby at anchorage the Ceg Cosmos (1983/1,139grt). The general cargoship loaded with logged timber had sailed from Corpach, under the shadow of Ben Nevis, Scotland.
The majority of the felled tree logs where stowed in the hold though bundles of logs could be seen on the ships hatch cover.
Such trade in timber products was very much a frequent import to Wicklow Port during the heady days of the construction boom, and there appears to be somewhat a comeback to supplying such product.
This trade over the years has also seen ships from Scandinavia discharge timber packaged products through the local agency of Conway Shipping.
Last night, Ceg Cosmos which had weighed anchor only less than half a nautical mile off Black Castle, a ruin which stands on the promontory close to East Pier of the port of Wicklow. On entering the port, the 64m long vessel nudged past the short-sea general cargoship, Leine (2005/2,164grt). The 89m long vessel was been loaded with an export cargo of recycled metal while alongside North Quay.
Leine, flagged in Antigua Barbuda had docked having sailed from Cork. As for the Gibraltar flagged Ceg Cosmos she was berthed further upriver at Packet Quay.
Directly facing on the opposite South Quay on this narrower stretch within the port where the River Leitrim flows out to sea, is where a miscellaneous local inshore fishing fleet where moored abreast.
Nestled within these fishing boats was Island Shipping's wind-farm crew transfer and support catamaran Island Panther. The Southampton registered high-speed 17m craft is part of the Wicklow based company.
