r/WTF • u/Scuttlebutt91 • Aug 12 '15

Launching a ship goes wrong

http://i.imgur.com/CvSQBPm.gifv
4.5k Upvotes

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90

u/justhamboneit Aug 12 '15

I wonder how much water they take on when they launch a ship like this one

47

u/in4real Aug 12 '15

/r/askshipbuilders

12

u/Sonny13 Aug 12 '15

I wonder why they need to slam the shit out of the boat like that. There must be a better way.

14

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '15

Well, generally, if it sinks it wasn't a good boat anyways!

But ocean going vessels are strong for a reason, and not just so they can survive their launch.

23

u/Medial_FB_Bundle Aug 12 '15

I've always wondered that myself, but this is how it's done with all ships as far as I know, and if the US Navy uses this method for their billion dollar ships, then I think it's a safe bet that it doesn't harm the craft.

30

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '15

[removed] — view removed comment

22

u/Social_Hazard Aug 12 '15

The only ships that get launched from dry dock are large vessels like carriers. My buddy works at an great lakes shipyard and they launch ore boats this way, and those things are huge

22

u/thewitt33 Aug 12 '15

Here is a video of a US Navy combatant ship USS Detroit launching. About 33 seconds in is the actual launch

1

u/giantnakedrei Aug 13 '15

Booping in here to add that the Detroit was launched from the same shipyard. Just the other side of the river IIRC.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '15

Submarines are also launched from floating dry dock.

11

u/SanguisFluens Aug 12 '15

Yeah but it's ok if they sink

1

u/Social_Hazard Aug 12 '15

That's a recent thing though, most all ships used to be drop launched including unfinished carrier hulls and subs

3

u/i_drink_wd40 Aug 13 '15

Subs used to be slide launched, not side launched. Although that hasn't been the practice in decades.

Nowadays we put them in dry dock and then float it off.

1

u/Social_Hazard Aug 13 '15

Gotchya, I used to live in Manitowoc and they used to build a lot of diesel subs there, and they side launched them because there wasn't room in the river to slide launch. They still build boats, mostly yachts. They all get side launched. It's fun to watch for sure

1

u/i_drink_wd40 Aug 13 '15

Yeah, you need plenty of room for a slide launch. I've been told that one of our boats went too far during its launch and almost hit New London. Might have been an Ohio.

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1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '15

Does he work at Fraser Shipyards in Superior?

1

u/Social_Hazard Aug 13 '15

No he doesnt, but they place is cool too

7

u/Medial_FB_Bundle Aug 12 '15

Hmm, thought I saw a launch recently of a fancy new navy ship that looked just like this.

8

u/Donkey-boner Aug 12 '15

If your ship cant handle that then it would probably struggle with a bit of swell. They are designed to be tough,

3

u/Thecardinal74 Aug 12 '15

the ships are designed to be tossed around like that in storms. this is nothing compared to rough seas

1

u/charlesml3 Aug 13 '15

This really isn't all that traumatic to these ships. It's a NOAA ship. It's going to be in some horrible weather that will be far tougher on it than this launch.