#PortChristening - Arklow View a newbuild cargoship which was launched last week without official ceremony as previously explained on Afloat, will however be given the opportunity of a christening ceremony, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Royal Bodewes, the Dutch shipyard in Hoogezand, which has a further 8 newbuilds out of 10 cargoships on order for Arklow Shipping, announced they are to hold an official handing over of yard no. 722 with a naming ceremony but held in the port of Delfzijl.

The Dutch port is reached from the Bodewes yard by canal through Groningen and this is how the leadship, Arklow Vale with a tug arrived at Delfzijl during November.

It was from this port on the edge of the Ems Estuary on the German border, that the Bodewes 5,100dwt Trader Series Arklow Vale or ‘V’ class vessel entered saltwater for the first time. Likewise this is where her sister will follow in her wake.

The near 87m long leadship Arklow Vale had made a passage through the waterway to carry out trials off Eemshaven on the Wadden Sea which leads into the North Sea.

She later made her inaugural maiden voyage last month for the shipping companies Dutch subsidary, Arklow Shipping Nederland B.V.. This involved a coastal voyage to the Belgium port of Ghent to load her first cargo bound for northern Spain.