# supertankers launch



## skiny (Oct 1, 2013)

hi everyone .
born on the riverside and the riverside was my playground, Old enough to remember the supertankers that were launched from wallsend slipway,(all eccept the last one Everett wells) what puzzeled me then and still puzzels me now was how they made the ship move after the bottle of plonk was broken over the bow.
Iv herd about cradles and bilge timbers, but was there a mechanism that held the ship in place or pushed it ????


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## David Campbell (Mar 11, 2008)

skiny said:


> hi everyone .
> born on the riverside and the riverside was my playground, Old enough to remember the supertankers that were launched from wallsend slipway,(all eccept the last one Everett wells) what puzzeled me then and still puzzels me now was how they made the ship move after the bottle of plonk was broken over the bow.
> Iv herd about cradles and bilge timbers, but was there a mechanism that held the ship in place or pushed it ????


skiny. If you bring up Google Books and search- Popular Science February 1933, there is an article called "How Biggest Ship Was Safely Launched" referring to the "Normandie" and there is an illustration of the Launching Mecnanism.


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## skiny (Oct 1, 2013)

cheers i.ll get it up now as i have to have some distraction from aircraft.


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## skiny (Oct 1, 2013)

all so simple even back then .all the old guys iv asked over the years havent been able to answer me when iv asked the question ,within 10 minutes on here.I recon you deserve a big round (Applause)


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

Here is a lovely link to a much smaller ship being launched but look out for the "Jesus pin" which is small and automated here but is the same principle whatever is launched.

Enjoy.

http://gcaptain.com/quadcopter-jumbo-kinetic-video-croatia/


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## David Campbell (Mar 11, 2008)

skiny. I have added the image to gallery Engine & Ship Mechanics, glad you liked it. Noticed you are from Hebburn, Drydocked there October 1954 at Palmers on British Scientist where we converted to Heavy Oil from Diesel took 2 weeks, sadly, never been back.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

There was also a machine that measured the Launch velocity's in which one end of the string, yes string, was attached to the vessel and the other to the recording machine, the readings were used to calculate the amount of drag chain required on similiar sized/weight vessel's. It was known as a Travel Measurer. The weight of drag chain required on a new size/weight vessel was usually based on a best guess by the experienced launch team until the first readings were taken.


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day nav,sm.4th.oct.2013.06:33.#5.re:super tanker launch.enjoy.i did.it was a great video.thank for posting.regards ben27


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## mr g elliott (Feb 25, 2013)

skiny said:


> hi everyone .
> born on the riverside and the riverside was my playground, Old enough to remember the supertankers that were launched from wallsend slipway,(all eccept the last one Everett wells) what puzzeled me then and still puzzels me now was how they made the ship move after the bottle of plonk was broken over the bow.
> Iv herd about cradles and bilge timbers, but was there a mechanism that held the ship in place or pushed it ????


cant remember any ships launched at wallsend slipway


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## skiny (Oct 1, 2013)

very nice video ,you dont see to many ships being launched that way anymore,

david,then you would have been surrounded by shipyards,on one of the dirtiest rivers in europe,all changed now ,no yards to speak of but what used to be palmers is now tyne repair with the dock still in use.


a few shots of whats left of the :yards:
leslies which was next to palmers with swanhunters slipway oppersit



swanhunters dry docks


the area that was hebburn ferry with swanhunters oppersit


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## David Campbell (Mar 11, 2008)

skiny. Thanks for the photos on Photobucket. would much rather been there with the dirty river than what it looks like now, the Tyne was a vibrant place then, so feel a bit sad. Dave.


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## John King (Feb 4, 2007)

mr g elliott said:


> cant remember any ships launched at wallsend slipway


Correct mr elliot wallsend slipway had a drydock and built engines. Cheers John K


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## David Campbell (Mar 11, 2008)

*Hebburn 1960*

skiny.. Found this photo in Tyne ships, A ship just launched would be frightening if it was coming towards you from whatever slipway



Title should be Hebburn 1946


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## David Campbell (Mar 11, 2008)

skiny Acknowledgement to a great Tyne site,

http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/index.html


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## Steve Hodges (Feb 12, 2007)

David Campbell said:


> skiny.. Found this photo in Tyne ships, A ship just launched would be frightening if it was coming towards you from whatever slipway


Yes, it was! I was opposite on the south bank of the Tyne when they launched the big Texaco -Great Britain, was it? -in 1971. The police kept the public well back, but some photographers must have talked them into being allowed to go right down on the riverbank. The stern got closer and closer, and bigger and bigger, until their nerve broke and they just ran like hell! We were convinced it was going to hit the bank but someone had done their calculations right! I seem to remember that the wave generated actually broke right over the riverbank. I later sailed on similar ships myself, but that was my most memorable impression of the size of the brutes.


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