Newbuild MV Arklow Resolve departed the Dutch north-east port of Eemshaven for the Wadden Sea on the southern North Sea for shipbuilder sea trials this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
This is Arklow Shipping Ltd.'s latest newbuild, which represents the fifth of seven Eco-Traders of the 6,800 dwt series completed so far. It was built by the Royal Bodewes shipyard in Hoogezand, near Groningen. Likewise with the rest of the class, the newbuild is Irish-flagged and registered in the homeport of the Co. Wicklow based shipowner.
After launching in late January and the completion of construction, Arklow Resolve was recently towed from the inland shipyard to Delfzijl. From there, the newbuild under its own power, made the short passage to Emshaven, the port on the Ems estuary opposite Germany.
At a speed of 11.4 knots, Arklow Resolve was heading further into the Wadden Sea, which is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world.
The 105m length overall (LOA) dry-cargo ship was also in the vicinity of Borkum, an island and a municipality in the Leer District in Lower Saxony, north-western Germany. Borkum is the largest and westernmost of the East Frisian Islands in the North Sea and is due north of the Dutch province of Groningen.
During the sea-trails, Arklow Resolve was in waters where a ro-ro passenger ferry had also departed from Emshaven to connect Borkum, this involved the Westfalen, which was inbound to the island, taking 50 minutes. While another ferry, Münsterland was outbound with a return crossing but to Emden on the German side of the Ems Estuary, which takes 2 hours 10 minutes.
Westfalen and Münsterland are operated by AG EMS ferries whose names sound similar to those of the former Irish-state owned B+I Line, which saw their Munster built by Werft Nobiskrug GmbH, Rendsburg, Germany, in 1968 and the larger Innishfallen built by the same shipyard in 1969.
Also that year, a sister of Innisfallen, the Irish built Leinster was launched from Verolme Cork Dockyard (V.C.D.). Collectively, the modern-designed drive-through (stern-bow) ro-ro ferry trio during the 1970's transformed their Irish Sea routes and on the Celtic Sea with the Cork-Swansea connection. The link to the Welsh port, however in 1980 was switched to Pembroke Dock.
As for Arklow Shipping, they have been a partner in ferry operations, albeit domestically, in Munster, when they were original partners of Cross River Ferries running the short-cut link in the centre of Cork Harbour. ASL's partner in the joint venture was Cobh based Marine Transport Services (owned by DSG) when the ferry shuttle-service started in 1993, as Afloat highlighted their 30th anniversary last year.
The shipowner’s stake, however, was bought out by DSG in 2007, and they remain the current owners running twin vehicle ferries, serving between Glenbrook (Passage West Pier) and Carrigaloe (Rushbrooke Pier) on Great Island, Cobh.
