Marcon brokers sale of two U.S.-flag deck barges

Image: Marcon

Coupeville, Wash., headquartered Marcon International, Inc. has recently brokered the sale of two U.S.-flag inland deck barges between two U.S. West Coast companies.

The two barges (OC 261 and OC 262) were built in 1981 and 1982 by Bergeron Industries of Braithwaite, La., for a Louisiana based company. They were part of a group of four sister barges, and their original service was as ABS Ocean Deck barges working in the U.S. Gulf oilfield, and for transport of oilfield related equipment to West Africa.

They both measure 250 feet x 72 feet x 15 feet depth, and have a loaded maximum 4,800T DWT design draft of 12 feet. They have flat steel decks, and the uniform deck load is relatively light by today’s standards at 1,000 lb/sq. ft. They have two longitudinal and six transverse bulkheads, fixed towing skegs aft and a long bow and stern rake provided for a faster towing speed on the West Africa transatlantic hauls.

The barges traded in the previous owner’s ocean service under ABS Loadline, until they were all sold in late 2007 to U.S. West Coast buyers engaged in bridge construction and retrofit in the San Francisco Bay Area. The barges have been working in that service and region for the past 13 years until being recently sold.

They will now enter dedicated inland service for the new owner on the U.S. West Coast, after being refurbished and upgraded.

Marcon International reports that it concluded 12 sales during the first four months of the year – six vessels and six barges, including four inland deck barges totaling 26,400 dwt, two ocean tank barges totaling 232,911 bbl and three tugs totaling 11,350 BHP. Sales of additional vessels and barges are pending. In 2019, Marcon concluded a total of 27 sales, tows and charters including six deck and four tank barges, 13 tugs totaling 58,060 BHP, one platform supply vessel, one crewboat and two research / survey vessels.