Page 5: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 15, 1971)

One-Thousandth LASH Lighter Launched along on contracts to build 425 lighters for Prudential-Grace Lines,

Inc., and 396 lighters for Pacific

Far East Line, Inc. The shipyard production line is turning out two lighters daily.

The Avondale^built lighters for

Prudential-Grace are of double-skin construction throughout. Walk- ways on either side of the lighter have been eliminated to increase the width of the hatch opening to 29 feet 5 inches. The length of the hatch opening is 44 feet. Like the

Equitable lighters, these lighters are fitted with three lift-on lift-off hatch covers. Forward and aft are five-ton hand winches fitted with 130 feet of wire having a four-foot eye on one end. A pair of 24-inch kevels is located outboard of the hand winches at either end of the lighter.

The lighters that Avondale is building for Pacific Far East line are of double-skin construction and have a hatch opening of 44 feet by 29 feet 5 inches. The hatch covers are built in four sections and op- erated by two hydro-mechanical units. Each hydro-mechanical unit controls two hatch cover sections, which fold forward and aft in an upward motion. Guide rollers ride a forward and aft track on the out- board section of the hatch opening to facilitate easy opening and clos- ing.

Pacific Far East Line has also ordered the first prototype fiber- glass lighter and is scheduled to be- gin service tests of it soon. The fi- berglass lighter, fitted out exactly like the company's steel lighters, was built by Arben Marine Corpor- ation, of Costa Mesa, Calif., where it has completed shop tests.

A third lighter contractor, Gen- eral Steel Tank Company, of Reids- ville, N.C., is building 400 LASH lighters for the Holland-America-

Hapag Lloyd group (Combi Line), which has plans to operate two

LASH ships in the U.S. Gulf-North

Europe trade. These lighters are being built at New Ross, Ireland, by a subsidiary of General Steel

Tank Company, and by the parent firm in the United States.

LASH lighter assembly lines at the Westwego plant of Avondale Shipyards are turning out two lighters daily. Fabricated lighter sections are assembled, sandblasted, and painted on their way to the launching ramp. Avondale is presently working under contracts to provide a total of 821 lighters for two steamship companies.

Another

Star'built towboat enters service

LASH inventor and designer Jerome L. Goldman stands with the one-thousandth LASH lighter just before its launching at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans. More than 2,500 of the standard-dimension lighters will ultimately be built to serve the 22 LASH ships now operating or ordered.

A significant milestone in the

LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) construction program was reached in October, when the one-thou- sandth LASH lighter was launch- ed.

The 1,000 LASH lighters ac- count for about 20,000,000 cubic feet of cargo space, according to

LASH inventor and designer Je- rome L. Goldman.

Mr. Goldman, who is president of Friede & Goldman, Inc. and

LASH Systems, Inc., the firms re- sponsible for the design and li- censing of LASH ships and light- ers, said some 600 additional light- ers are to be built under present contracts. Contracts for still more lighters to serve seven LASH ships ordered in the summer of 1971 will be placed soon, he said.

All the LASH lighters have standard dimensions to permit easy interchange from ship to ship, trade route to trade route. They are 61 feet 6 inches long; 31 feet 2 inches wide; 13 feet high, with a maxi- mum fresh water draft of 8 feet 8 tches. 'Cargo capacity is 372 long tons in about 20,000 cubic feet of space.

Equitable Equipment Company, of New Orleans, La., has built 410 lighters for Central Gulf Steamship

Corporation to serve that com- pany's two LASH vessels in the

U.S. Gulf, United Kingdom, North

Europe trade. These lighters have double-skin steel construction in the forward and after peaks and the double bottoms, while the sides are single-skin. The hatch opening is 44 feet by 26 feet, served by three panel-type self-centering hatch cov- ers that are watertight.

The Equitable lighters are equip- ped with four winches secured to the lighter deck by padeyes that provide rotation as required during marshaling or towing. Four 24-inch kevels are used with the lighter deck gear. Quick-connection vent fittings are provided at each end of the lighter. The interiors of these and all LASH lighters contain lashing padeyes to secure cargo.

Avondale Shipyards, Inc. is well

BUILDERS OF STEEL VESSELS: • TUGS • SCOWS • FISHING VESSELS • WORK BOATS

SHIP REPAIRS & REBUILDING:

ALL TYPES OF VESSELS

Facilities Include: 3 MARINE WAYS (2 COVERED) — MACHINE SHOP

Skilled staff with a background of 62 years' experience

STAR SHIPYARDS LIMITED

Office & Yards: 61 Duncan Street, New Westminster, B.C., Canada

Telephone: (604) 521-0731

Shown running her trials is the new twin-screw towboat "Mercer Straits", built for RivTow

Straits Limited, Vancouver, Canada, by "Star", the shipyard where quality construction is a continuing tradition. Named after the Mercer family, former owners of the yard, she is the second vessel to be built since the change of ownership in November 1970. The tug is 92'6" long by 24'6" moulded breadth by 11' draft, and is powered by twin General

Motors, Series 149, V-16 diesel engines with a combined output of 1800 b.h.p. at 1800 r.p.m. She entered service in mid-July.

November 15, 1971 7