Ceremonial ship launching

thumb|1908 launch of the Brazilian battleship [[Brazilian battleship Minas Geraes|Minas Geraes]]

thumb|The U.S. Navy's is launched sideways into the [[Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin, 2017]]

Ceremonial ship launching involves the performing of ceremonies associated with the process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a nautical tradition in many cultures, dating back millennia, to accompany the physical process with ceremonies which have been observed as public celebration and a solemn blessing, usually but not always, in association with the launch itself.

Ship launching imposes stresses on the ship not met during normal operation and in addition to the size and weight of the vessel represents a considerable engineering challenge as well as a public spectacle. The process also involves many traditions intended to invite good luck, such as christening by breaking a sacrificial bottle of champagne over the bow as the ship is named aloud and launched.

Methods

There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching". The oldest, most familiar, and most widely used is the end-on launch, in which the vessel slides down an inclined slipway, usually stern first. With the side launch, the ship enters the water broadside. This method came into use in the 19th century on inland waters, rivers, and lakes, and was more widely adopted during World War II. The third method is float-out, used for ships that are built in basins or dry docks and then floated by admitting water into the dock.

Stern-first

thumb|Destroyer slipping into the water stern-first during her launch from the [[Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard on 25 March 1943]]

thumb|right|Stern-first launch of the battleship in 1915 at the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard]]

Normally, ways are arranged perpendicular to the shore line (or as nearly so as the water and maximum length of vessel allows) and the ship is built with its stern facing the water. Where the launch takes place into a narrow river, the building slips may be at a shallow angle rather than perpendicular, even though this requires a longer slipway when launching. Modern slipways take the form of a reinforced concrete mat of sufficient strength to support the vessel, with two "barricades" that extend well below the water level taking into account tidal variations. The barricades support the two launch ways. The vessel is built upon temporary cribbing that is arranged to give access to the hull's outer bottom and to allow the launchways to be erected under the complete hull. When it is time to prepare for launching, a pair of standing ways is erected under the hull and out onto the barricades. The surface of the ways is greased. (Tallow and whale oil were used as grease in sailing ship days.)

A pair of sliding ways is placed on top, under the hull, and a launch cradle with bow and stern poppets is erected on these sliding ways. The weight of the hull is then transferred from the build cribbing onto the launch cradle. Provision is made to hold the vessel in place and then release it at the appropriate moment in the launching ceremony; common mechanisms include weak links designed to be cut at a signal and mechanical triggers controlled by a switch from the ceremonial platform.

On launching, the vessel slides backwards down the slipway on the ways until it floats by itself.

Sideways

alt=|thumb|Sideways launch of littoral combat ship in 2018

Some slipways are built so that the vessel is side-on to the water and is launched sideways. This is done where the limitations of the water channel would not allow lengthwise launching, but occupies a much greater length of shore. The Great Eastern designed by Brunel was built this way, as were many landing craft during World War II. This method requires many more sets of ways to support the weight of the ship.

Air-bag

Sometimes ships are launched using a series of inflated tubes underneath the hull, which deflate to cause a downward slope into the water. This procedure has the advantages of requiring less permanent infrastructure, risk, and cost. The airbags provide support to the hull of the ship and aid its launching motion into the water, thus this method is arguably safer than other options such as sideways launching. These airbags are usually cylindrical in shape with hemispherical heads at both ends.

Traditions

Ancient

thumb|French ship of the line [[French ship Friedland (1810)|Friedland being launched stern first on 2 May 1810 in Antwerp]]

A Babylonian narrative dating from the 3rd millennium BC describes the completion of a ship: Favor was evoked from the monarch of the seas—Poseidon in Greek mythology, Neptune in Roman mythology. Ship launching participants in ancient Greece wreathed their heads with olive branches, drank wine to honor the gods, and poured water on the new vessel as a symbol of blessing. Shrines were carried on board Greek and Roman ships, and this practice extended into the Middle Ages. The shrine was usually placed at the quarterdeck, an area which continues to have special ceremonial significance.

Canada

In Canada, Aboriginal peoples will perform ceremonies at the launching of vessels along with other methods of launching.

France

French ship launchings and christenings in the 18th and early 19th centuries were accompanied by unique rites closely resembling marriage and baptismal ceremonies. A godfather for the new ship presented a godmother with a bouquet of flowers as both said the ship's name. No bottle was broken, but a priest pronounced the vessel's name and blessed it with holy water.

Japan

thumb|[[Aiko, Princess Toshi|Princess Aiko cuts a rope with a silver axe at launching ceremony of Mirai II]]

Japanese ship launchings incorporate silver axes which are thought to bring good luck and scare away evil. Japanese shipbuilders traditionally order the crafting of a special axe for each new vessel; and after the launching ceremony, they present the axe to the vessel's owner as a commemorative gift.

United Kingdom

thumb|upright|Eidsvold launch card in [[Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collection item 450/1, launched at Elswick 14 June 1900 for the Royal Norwegian Navy.]]

Sponsors of British warships were customarily members of the royal family, senior naval officers, or Admiralty officials. A few civilians were invited to sponsor Royal Navy ships during the nineteenth century, and women became sponsors for the first time. In 1875, a religious element was returned to naval christenings by Princess Alexandra, wife of the Prince of Wales, when she introduced an Anglican choral service in the launching ceremony for battleship . The usage continues with the singing of Psalm 107 with its special meaning to mariners:]]

At the 2024 launching of CalMac ferry Glen Rosa, newly-qualified welder Beth Atkinson named the ship and pulled a lever to similarly smash a bottle, of single malt from the Ardgowan distillery at nearby Inverkip. The first identified woman sponsor was Lavinia Fanning Watson, daughter of a prominent Philadelphian. She broke a bottle of wine and water over the bow of sloop-of-war at Philadelphia Navy Yard on August 22, 1846.

thumb|Minesweeper launched at the Gulf Shipbuilding Company, [[Chickasaw, Alabama in 1943.]]

On 15 December 1941, the United States Maritime Commission announced that as a war-time measure all formal launching ceremonies would be discontinued for merchant ships being constructed under its authority, though simple informal ceremonies could continue without reimbursement to builders.

In recent history, all U.S. Navy sponsors have been female. In addition to the ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the bow, the sponsor remains in contact with the ship's crew and is involved in special events such as homecomings.

Incidents

sank moments after her launching at a shipyard in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland on 3 July 1883. As Daphne moved into the river, the anchors failed to stop the ship's forward progress. The starboard anchor moved only , but the port anchor was dragged . The current of the river caught Daphne and flipped it onto its port side, sinking it in deep water. 124 died including many young boys, some of whose relatives were there on shore.
launched on 21 June 1898. Albion created a wave with her entry into the water after the Duchess of York christened her. The wave caused a stage to collapse on which 200 people were watching; it slid into a side creek, and 34 people drowned, mostly women and children. This was probably one of the first-ever ship launchings to be filmed.
In 1907, the Italian ocean liner capsized and sank upon launch.
In 2011, the luxury boat SS Jiugang sank at launch in Lanzhou, China.
North Korean destroyer Kang Kon capsized while being launched sideways on May 21, 2025 at Chongjin. The ship was righted and officially launched the following month.

References

External links

Photos of the 8 Dec 1984 launching ceremony of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFsG 58)
An online exhibit of ship launching ceremonies from the first half of the 20th Century
Short video of ships being launched sideways