Float-out
Encyclopedia
Float-out is the process in modern shipbuilding
that follows the keel laying and precedes the fitting-out
process. It is analogous to launching
a ship, a specific process that has largely been discontinued in modern shipbuilding. Both floating-out and launching are the times when the ship leaves dry land and becomes waterborne for the first time, and often take place during ceremonies celebrating and commemorating that event.
, i.e. an inclined building platform sloping toward a body of water into which the ship would be launched.
After the hull has been substantially completed, sluice gates are opened and the drydock fills with water. The dock gates are then opened and the ship is pulled out by tugboats to a berth where the remaining construction continues. This usually includes further construction of the superstructure, attaching of masts and funnels, and the installation of equipment and furnishings.
The completed ship will usually return to drydock for installation of other equipment, propulsion parts, and the painting of its hull.
The first superliner
to be constructed in this manner was the SS United States
. But the history of ‘floating” ships rather than “launching” goes back more than one hundred years before that vessel's construction. The SS Great Britain
designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
was constructed in drydock and floated on July 19, 1843. She is currently in Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
and MS Freedom of the Seas
took place after completion and delivery to their owners, in the case of Freedom of the Seas after her first transatlantic crossing.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
that follows the keel laying and precedes the fitting-out
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
process. It is analogous to launching
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch: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...
a ship, a specific process that has largely been discontinued in modern shipbuilding. Both floating-out and launching are the times when the ship leaves dry land and becomes waterborne for the first time, and often take place during ceremonies celebrating and commemorating that event.
Launching
Prior to the large-scale use of drydocks (building or graving docks) for constructing ships, most vessels were constructed on a slipwaySlipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
, i.e. an inclined building platform sloping toward a body of water into which the ship would be launched.
Contemporary shipbuilding
The launching of ships has been largely replaced by the “floating” process. After a ship is ordered for construction, its keel is laid in a drydock. Construction of the ship continues in the dock, usually in the form of prefabricated units that are assembled.After the hull has been substantially completed, sluice gates are opened and the drydock fills with water. The dock gates are then opened and the ship is pulled out by tugboats to a berth where the remaining construction continues. This usually includes further construction of the superstructure, attaching of masts and funnels, and the installation of equipment and furnishings.
The completed ship will usually return to drydock for installation of other equipment, propulsion parts, and the painting of its hull.
The first superliner
Superliner (passenger ship)
A superliner is an ocean liner of over 10,000 gross tons. The term was coined in the late 19th century, when ocean liners were rapidly increasing in size and speed...
to be constructed in this manner was the SS United States
SS United States
SS United States is a luxury passenger liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines designed to capture the trans-Atlantic speed record....
. But the history of ‘floating” ships rather than “launching” goes back more than one hundred years before that vessel's construction. The SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain was an advanced passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York. While other ships had previously been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first...
designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
was constructed in drydock and floated on July 19, 1843. She is currently in Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
Naming ceremony
Ships which are launched typically are christened and formally named at their launching ceremonies, even though they are not completed until later. Some recent passenger vessels which were constructed in drydocks were not formally christened when floated out. The naming ceremonies of RMS Queen Mary 2RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
and MS Freedom of the Seas
MS Freedom of the Seas
MS Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. It is the namesake of Royal Caribbean's Freedom class cruise ships, and can accommodate 3,634 passengers and 1,300 crew on fifteen passenger decks...
took place after completion and delivery to their owners, in the case of Freedom of the Seas after her first transatlantic crossing.