After completion of a long-term contract, Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington sold a 28,580mtdw double hull ocean tank barge to private interests in South America.
The 502’ x 84’ x 42’ depth x 8.5’ light / 35.6’ loaded draft black oil barge was originally built in 1980 by General Dynamics Corp. at a cost of US$19.7 million as a single hull barge and extensively rebuilt and converted to double hull in 2000 to meet U.S. OPA’90 regulations. The ABS +A1, Oil Tank Barge has a capacity of abt. 188,000bbl cargo at 90% in 18 coiled and heated cargo tanks and 6,800LT segregated ballast in nine epoxy coated tanks. Barge is fitted with two 12 million BTU Volcanic Hopkins heaters, 1,000HP bow thruster and a 86’ deep notch.
Marcon acted as sole broker in both the sale and the 2,780nm tow from the Gulf Coast using the 5,750BHP, 126’ x 36’,Vanuatu flag, Main Iron Works built tug “Isabelle” (ex-Jabbar), owned and operated by TradeWinds Towing LLC of New Orleans, to whom Marcon brokered the vessel in 2013.Over the past 37 years Marcon has sold 157 tank barges totaling 8,271,735bbl capacity (abt. 1.18 million long tons deadweight).
Marcon International is pleased to report six sales and one long-distance tow fixed to date this year. Several additional tug sales are pending. A 5,000HP ASD tug continues on a previously arranged long-term charter. In 2017, Marcon booked 16 sales and charters. Looking back over the past 37 years, we have averaged 40 sales/charters per year. Since our first sale, Marcon has brokered a total of 1,433 vessels and barges sold or chartered. A full list is available on request.