The
lighter aboard ship (
LASH) system refers to the practice of loading
barges (
lighters) aboard a larger
vessel for
transport. It was developed in response to a need to transport lighters, a type of unpowered barge, between
inland waterways separated by open
seas. Lighters are typically towed or pushed around
harbors,
canals or
rivers and cannot be relocated under their own power. The carrier ships are known variously as
LASH carriers,
barge carriers,
kangaroo ships or
lighter transport ships.