The Wagstaff & Hatfield yard used an age-old method for launching its vessel. In this seemingly straightforward method a vessel is allowed to slide stern first down a greased inclined plane that leads to the water.

Stories from the Launch Ways at the Wagstaff & Hatfield Shipyard



email Kerr Canning

This launching system has several phases and each phase can produce unexpected events; a few examples are told in the following story from Jack Wagstaff (See the link Stories).


Stories

Launch Way and Big Shed Image: Half tide.

Launch Way and Big Shed Image: Three quarters tide.

The Mary A. lying alongside one of the Big Shed’s lunch ways:

An example of a hull structural member called "bitts".