#MaidenVoyage- Arklow Vale, the newest addition to Arklow Shipping's Dutch division has been handed over to her owners following builders sea trials, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The newbuild departed Delfzijl on her maiden voyage to the inland port of Ghent in neighbouring Belgium.

The leadship of 10 newbuild 'V' class cargoships on order from Royal Bodewes yard in the Netherlands, Arklow Vale now joins the Arklow Shipping Nederland B.V. fleet. She is to a design of the Bodewes 5,100dwt Trader Series and has a total hold capacity of 6258m3 / 221,000ft3.

Last week, Arklow Vale which is 89m (length overall) and has a gross tonnage of 2,999 carried out sea trials off Eemshaven on the Wadden Sea.

In order for sea trials to take place the Arklow Vale was towed from the the inland building yard of Royal Bodewes in Hoogezand outside Groningen and along connecting canals to Delfzijl. From there the Rotterdam registered newbuild entered the River Eems estuary on the Dutch-German border.

The distinctive bow of Arklow Vale has a straight-stem that slices the waves coupled by an upper slope to deflect wave resistance. In all the design is to reduce on energy costs.

A main engine consisting of a MaK 6M25 1740 kW with Siemens Gearbox and Berg controllable pitch propeller provides a speed of around 14.5 knots.