Marcon brokers sale and tow of double hull ocean tank barge

Barge under tow by Tradewinds Towing tug Isabelle

FEBRUARY 22, 2018 — Marcon International, Inc., Coupeville, WA, reports that it has sold a 28,580 mtdw double hull ocean tank barge to private interests in South America, following completion of a long-term contract.

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 $19.7 million as a single hull barge but was 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. 188,000 bbl cargo at 90% in 18 coiled and heated cargo tanks and 6,800 LT segregated ballast in nine epoxy coated tanks.

Barge is fitted with two 12 million BTU Volcanic Hopkins heaters, 1,000 HP bow thruster and a 86′ deep notch.

Marcon acted as sole broker in both the sale and the 2,780 nm tow from the Gulf Coast using the 5,750 BHP, 126′ x 36′,Vanuatu flag tug “Isabelle” (ex-Jabbar), delivered by Main Iron Works shipyard in 1978 owned and operated by TradeWinds Towing LLC of New Orleans to whom Marcon brokered the vessel in 2013.

Marcon has handled numerous previous sales and purchases for both buyer and seller. 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 reports it has fixed six sales and one long-distance tow 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, the firm has averaged 40 sales/charters per year.

Since its first sale, Marcon has brokered a total of 1,433 vessels and barges sold or chartered.