B03-047

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comments on seven separate waiver applications under MARAD's Small Passenger Vessel Waiver Program. The following are the foreign-built, or vessels with lost documentation, that have applied to carry 12-passengers or less in the domestic trade:

MARAD has the authority to issue a waiver of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws under certain circumstances as provided by P.L. 105-383 as amended.

Written comments referencing the above-mentioned dockets, respectively, may be submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 400 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590-0001 by 5:00 p.m. August 8, 2003. Comments may be submitted electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. All comments are available for review between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Electronic versions of these documents are available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

For further information contact Michael Hokana, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, MAR-830, Room 7201, 400 - 7^th St., SW, Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-0760.

July 09, 2003

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 B03-048

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has approved three applications under section 9 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended. They include:

• Western Overseas, Inc., Toledo, OH, has received approval to sale the 75,272-gross-ton oil carrier S/R NORTH SLOPE to Snow Drop Company Limited, a British Virgin Islands corporation, and transfer said Vessel to St. Vincent and The Grenadines registry and flag for scrapping in China.

The vessel was built in 1979 in Avondale, LA.

• Seasafe LLC, Mesa, AZ has received approval to sale the 2,938 deck barge RED BARGE to Global Rigging & Transport Canada Corporation, a Canadian corporation, and transfer said Vessel to Canadian registry and flag.

The vessel was built in 1943 in Portsmouth, NH.

• Canal Barge Company, Inc., New Orleans, LA has received approval to sale the 2,540 deck barge CBC 2264 to Transatlantic Cement Carriers, Inc., a Panamanian corporation, and transfer said Vessel to Panamanian registry and flag.

The vessel was built in 1982 in New Orleans, LA.

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The mission of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is to promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. MARAD also seeks to ensure that the United States enjoys adequate shipbuilding and repair services, efficient ports, effective intermodal water and land transportation systems, and reserve shipping capacity in time of national emergency.

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