MarAd approves 2 vessels for flag transfers, 1 scrapping

MarAd approves 2 vessels for flag transfers, 1 scrapping    The U.S. Maritime Administration has approved two applications to transfer U.S.-flag vessels to a foreign registry and flag.
   ITB Barge Co. of Seattle, has received approval to sell the 2,061-gross-ton barge “ITB 240-2” to 629643 B.C. Ltd. of Richmond, British Columbia, a Canadian corporation, and transfer the vessel to the Canadian registry and flag. The barge was built in Houston in 1967.
   ES Marine in Edmonds, Wash., has received approval to sell the 1,043-gross-ton freight barge “Point Hope” to Coastland Wood Industries Ltd., a Canadian corporation, and transfer the vessel to the Canadian registry and flag. The barge was built at Morgan City, La., in 1997.
   MarAd also approved an application to scrap a U.S.-flag tanker. OMI Challenger Transport in Secaucus, N.J., will sell the 67,856-gross-ton tanker “Marine Columbia” to Miarianna Shipping Ltd., a St. Vincent and the Grenadines corporation, and transfer the vessel to Tuvalu registry and flag for scrapping in Bangladesh. The tanker was built in Japan in 1974.
   MarAd must approve all U.S.-flag vessel transfers and scrapping as part of section 9 of the 1916 Shipping Act.