Under blue skies this Bloomsday, the launch of an Arklow Shipping cargoship took place at a shipyard in the north-east of The Netherlands , writes Jehan Ashmore.
Near the Dutch city of Groningen the Arklow Glen (yard no. 455) built by Ferus Smit's shipyard in Westerbroek took to the waters of the adjacent canal - the Winschoterdiep.
As routine for the shipyard, the 2,999 gross tonnage newbuild was transversely launched in the Winschoterdiep, however the scene is always an attraction to locals as the public road running parallel to the shipyard is closed off temporarily. This allowing for the water overspill displaced from the ship launch onto the road where the public took in the spectacle! Click here for today's launch.
Arklow Glen is the second in a series of 5 G-class 5120dwt cargoships to be built for ASL's for Dutch subsidiary, Arklow Shipping Nederland B.V. and as such the newbuild is registered in Rotterdam.
Leadship of the series Arklow Gem which was launched in April has since entered service and this afternoon Afloat tracked the cargoship off Skagen, Jutland in Denmark. The vessel, having departed from Frederikshavn, is bound for Seville in Spain.
Likewise of Arklow Gem, the successive G-class newbuild has a maximized hold volume of 220.000 cft and a carrying capacity over 5000 deadweight tons using a single single hold.
Propulsion is generated by a 1,600 kW MaK engine through a single ducted propeller.
Unlike the 87m Arklow Gem which is a new name used by ASL, the revival of 'Glen' represents the second cargoship to bore the name since the original served the Co. Wicklow shipowners for a decade between 1984-1994.
The keel of the 65m predecessor however was initially laid as the Tromp for Dutch owners and this 993 gross tonnage cargoship was also built in the Netherlands by Scheepswerf Bijholt B.V. of Foxhol.
In the same year of completion, ASL acquired Tromp and was renamed accordingly.
Foxhol neighbours Westerbroek and is where both villages are in the municipality of Midden-Groningen.
So it fitting that these cargoships were launched from shipyards in such close proximity in addition to a shared Dutch-Irish maritime heritage.
