VESSEL REVIEW | Arklow Rose & Arklow Resolve – Irish owner to deploy 6,800DWT bulker pair on shortsea routes

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Bodewes recently handed over two new vessels to Irish dry cargo transport company Arklow Shipping. Arklow Resolve and Arklow Rose are the fifth and sixth units, respectively, in a series of seven multi-cargo ships being built by Royal Bodewes for the same owner as part of the latter’s fleet expansion program to meet growing market demand.

Designed to ensure flexibility in cargo transport

The construction contract for the seven ships was awarded to Royal Bodewes in early 2021, and deliveries to Arklow Shipping commenced in February 2023 with the hand-over of series lead ship Arklow Racer. The succeeding ships were then delivered to the owner at a rate of one every three months. All vessels in the series will be operated on Arklow Shipping’s shortsea routes within northern Europe.

The RINA-classed Arklow Resolve and Arklow Rose each have an LOA of 104.93 metres (344.26 feet), a moulded beam of 15 metres (49 feet), a maximum draught of 6.612 metres (21.69 feet), a moulded depth of 9.5 metres (31 feet), a deadweight tonnage of 6,800, and a gross tonnage of 4,145. Each ship has a total cargo capacity of approximately 8,800 cubic metres (310,000 cubic feet) and can carry a combination of bulk (particularly paper, coal, wood, and grain) and general cargo also including dangerous goods.

Proven propulsion arrangement and safety features

The cargo on each ship is kept in two holds separated by portable bulkheads and with pontoon type hatch covers. The holds also have fixed CO2 fire suppression systems while the ships themselves are fitted with ballast water treatment systems.

Each ship is fitted with a hatch cover gantry crane that is mounted forward of the wheelhouse and that can be fixed into position when not in use. A free-fall lifeboat and a centre-mounted deck crane are meanwhile located aft of the accommodation block on the superstructure.

Power for each vessel is provided by a Caterpillar-MaK 6M25C six-cylinder main engine with a rated output of 1,740 kW (2,330 hp), ensuring speeds of up to 12 knots. Also fitted is a 300kW electric bow thruster for added lateral manoeuvrability during berthing/unberthing and navigating in port waters.

Arklow Resolve and Arklow Rose will be homeported in Arklow in County Wicklow on Ireland’s southeastern coast and will operate alongside the other ships in Arklow Shipping’s 38-strong multi-cargo fleet. This number also includes a series of ten 5,100DWT open-hatch, single-deck vessels that were handed over by Royal Bodewes in 2018.