Arklow Coast of 2,999 gross tonnage, is a brand new C-class coaster which began a commercial maiden voyage from the Netherlands that was completed in Spain at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The newbuild is the 8th so far in service from the C-class series of 10 single-hold general cargoships ordered by Arklow Shipping Ltd to Dutch shipyard Ferus Smit at Westerbroek which Afloat reported.

Subsequently, the 87m Arklow Coast was tracked to Eemshaven from where shipyard sea-trails had taken place in the southern North Sea, before the 5,045dwt cargoship was handed over to ASL.

When Afloat was tracking the English Channel last Thursday, the Arklow Coast was noted heading westbound on the busy shipping lanes while offshore of Brighton.

Arklow Shipping has confirmed to Afloat that this was indeed the maiden voyage of the Arklow Coast, a name used for the first time by the Co. Wicklow shipowners. which uses the 1A Ice-class newbuild to transport bulk commodities in European waters. This involves the single-hold with a capacity of 200,000ft3.

The maiden voyage of Arklow Coast had set off from Sluiskil, in the Dutch province of Zeeland and where the inland port is located south of Terneuzen close to the Belgium border.

The departure from Sluiskil, a village which translates to the 'exit canal of the sluice', required transitting the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal leading into the Scheldt. From the river is where the coaster proceeded into the Scheldt estuary to reach the open waters of the North Sea.

A single 1,740Kw Mak engine powered the short-sea trader cross the Bay of Biscay with the maiden voyage completed on Saturday. This took place when the cargoship arrived in Avilés, a port in northern Spain located in the principality of Asturias.