Displaying items by tag: Launch & disposals

21st October 2016

Launch and Disposals At All Changing Mixed Flagged Fleet

Arklow Cape was launched today in the Netherlands and will join the Irish flagged fleet with a port of registry at Arklow. Initially she flies the Dutch flag (see mainmast) before been officially handed over to her Irish owners.

#CapeLaunch – A cargoship was launched today for Irish owners as the second of 10 in a new series from a shipyard in the Netherlands, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Ferus Smit’s Dutch yard in Westerbroek, is where the single hold 5,054dwt cargoship, Arklow Cape (yard No. 435) slid into the canal. The 'C' class newbuild of 2,999grt is to be delivered next month to Arklow Shipping Ltd. Leadship, Arklow Cadet made her entry onto the same waterway in June.

It is pleasing to see that ASL have the newbuild with an Irish port of registry, that been her owners homeport in Co. Wicklow. This is not the case for their subsidiary, Arklow Shipping Nederland B.V. as their vessels are registered in Rotterdam.

More newbuilds will join this Dutch fleet as 10 ‘V’ class cargoships are on order also in this country. A fifth sister of 5,100dwt is under completion, in which Afloat can reveal is named Arklow Valour.

The newbuild programme has also seen ASL make disposals, most recently the 2002 built Arklow Rose. She was sold to UK owners, Charles M. Willie & Co. (Shipping) Ltd of Cardiff, Wales.

As for bulker, Arklow Willow (which almost a year ago dry-docked in Dublin) has according to the Maritime Insitute of Ireland been disposed in recent months to Canadian interests.

The South Korean built 14,000dwt bulker dating to 2004 made her delivery voyage to Lake Ontario, having been sold to McKeil Marine, Hamilton. The family owned firm are traditionally tug operators on the Lawrence Seaway.

She was renamed Florence Spirit and is operating out of Toronto to Newfoundland.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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Scottish Series Background

Although the format of the Scottish Series varies little from year to year, it is interesting to see some of the changes which the event has seen over the years:

CYCA handicap class added to IOR (1976)

IOR level rating classes to reflect the popular sizes and World Championships being held in the UK

Separate one design class for Sonatas (1980 to date)

Campbeltown dropped with offshore races direct to Tarbert (1982)

Unique light displacement CYCA class - the forerunner of today's sportboats (1982)

Computer results system introduced in 1982 and now recognised as the best in the UK

Separate one design class for Sigma 33 (1987 to date)

Separate one design classes in certain years for Impalas, Sigma 38, Melges 24 and Cork 1720

Inner triangle to shorten courses for smaller classes (1986)

Points loading for offshore race reduced from 2 to 1.5 to 1

First racing in Scotland under Channel Handicap (1988)

Second racecourse for smaller classes (1989)

Discard introduced

Windward leeward races - two per day (1993)

Sportboat classes with no overnight races (1994)

Marquee on quayside for main social events (1995-2008)

Restricted Sail Class (1998)

Third racecourse for sportboats with up to three races per day (1998)

Day feeder races (2002)

Overnight and day feeder races discontinued (2005)

Stand-alone Tarbert Inbound and Outbound passage races introduced (2005/6)

With all these changes, some things have stayed the same:

Huge support from Ireland every year since 1975

A magnificent effort ashore and afloat from the volunteer helpers of the Clyde Cruising Club, Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club and Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club

Results and communications service at the forefront of technology

The best competition and the best social scene in the country

An overall Series winner, the roll call including many of the top sailors in Scotland and beyond.