The LASH Leaders

The world’s first LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) operator today operates the world’s largest LASH fleet.
Central Gulf Lines pioneered LASH operations, beginning in 1969 with the world’s first LASH vessel, M/V ACADIA FOREST, and adding a sister ship, M/V ATLANTIC FOREST, in 1970.
Both of these 860-foot-long, 46, 500-ton, 83 LASH barge-capacity vessels serve U.S. Gulf ports, UK/North Europe and the Middle East.
The company’s LASH system demonstrated cargo shipper and operational advantages both foi areas that contain back-up inland river systems, as well as for major and developing port areas that are not connected to such inland systems. Initial operating experience proved the soundness and versatility of LASH as an effective transportation system, and Central Gulf proceeded with a $120 million fleet expansion program that encompassed the building of three LASH vessels and more than 600 LASH barges.
These new LASH vessels, S.S. GREEN VALLEY, GREEN HARBOUR and GREEN ISLAND inaugurated in late 1974 the first LASH service to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and other South East Asian points, serving U.S. Gulf and East coast ports outbound and inbound. Sailings every 25 days were established, resulting in positive acceptance by exporters and importers. Largest cargoliners of their type, the vessels carry 89 LASH barges, are 893 feet long, have a service speed of 22 knots and a deadweight of 46,039 tons.
Central Gulfs world-leading LASH barge fleet now numbers 1,430 units. In addition, the company has developed and operates four float-on/ float-off barge feeder vessels called FLASH. The FLASH carriers are shallow-draft vessels that carry from eight to 15 LASH barges to and from ports that cannot accommodate oceangoing liners and that were formerly served only by indirect means involving numerous transhipments of cargo.
The FLASH vessels are towed by seagoing towboats between the LASH ocean carrier that calls major ports and the many outlying ports that Central Gulf serves.
Central Gulf re-entered the Middle East trade in the fall of 1975, offering LASH service regularly from U.S. Gulf and East coast ports to ports in the Red Sea and Arabian-Persian Gulf. Today, Central Gulf operates seven LASH vessels on regularly scheduled sailings to the Middle East, while continuing to maintain its established service commitments to the United Kingdom, Europe and South East Asia.
Expanding its Middle East service to provide shippers with additional advanced shipping methods, Central Gulf in June of 1976 began operating the new roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) vessel S.S*. Arizona from U.S. Gulf and East coast ports direct to the Saudi Arabian ports of Jeddah and Dammam. The 19,543-ton Arizona is one of the fastest (23 knots) and most advanced ships of its type in the world Central Gulf in 1971 became an affiliate of Trans Union Corporation, a multi-division company headquartered in Chicago and active in the fields of transportation, manufacturing, real estate leasing, and water and waste treatment. Central Gulf heads up the corporation’s Ocean Shipping Group. The affiliation with Trans Union has enabled Central Gulf Lines to proceed with plans for continued growth and expansion of its fleet, while providing for continuation and broadening of comprehensive transportation services for firms engaged in foreign trade.
Entering its fourth decade of service, Central Gulf Lines is the world’s largest LASH operator and one of the United States’ leading vessel owners and operators. The agents in Singapore for Central Gulf Lines, Inc., are Orient Lloyd Sdn. Bhd.