Onthe sidelines of the Shipping 2014 conference in Connecticut sources with tiesto the agency tipped the Jones Act carrier as one of the top contenders in thefight for funds from the Title XI ship financing programme.

Theytold TradeWinds that JR Gray Barge and other domestic operators withapplications under review are still in the running too. But they noted MarAd foundTOTE’s particularly appealing because it is tied to an order for “eco” ships.