The first in a new design series for Arklow Shipping in the form of a 6,800 deadweight tonnage (dwt) cargoship was launched at a shipyard in the Netherlands during wintry conditions, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The launch of shipyard newbuilding (NB#821) took place this morning when the cargoship was tranversely launched into the Winschoterdiep canal. The waterway is adjacent to Royal Bodewes shipyard in Martenshoek, Hoogezand near Groningen.

Unusally the newbuild was launched without having a ship name applied to the standard two tone green hull colours of ASL, which make their fleet livery easy to spot.

(Afloat updates the story in that the cargoship was given the name of Arklow Racer during the launch though without any ceremony. This is the second ship to carry this name from the 'R' series in which of the 16 built between 2002 and 2007 only a quartet of these short-sea traders remain in service). 

There will be more on ASL's inaugural Bodewes built 6,800dwt trader in which the Irish shipowner has been a previous client of the Dutch shipyard having completed 10 cargoships to the yard's Eco-Trader 5,510dwt series. These smaller cargoships were given Arklow 'V' names, the last been Arklow Villa (NB#730) which was completed in 2018.

The launch at Royal Bodewes marks a return to this shipyard by ASL as their previous orders went to Ferus Smit shipyard also in the Netherlands. This yard built 6 of the 'A' series in the period of 2020-2021 and a further 10 newbuilds of the 'C' series were completed between 2016 and in October this year.

This final C series newbuild, Arklow Crest is in service and this afternoon Afloat tracked the Irish flagged cargoship north-east of the Shetland's having departed Inverness, Scotland. The short-sea trader is bound for Glomfjord in Norway.