The next step once a mega-cargo ship is constructed in the shipyard is to perform ship launch. The obvious question in your mind will be - How Ships are launched into the water or sea and what are different ship launching methods?

When the ship is built, the entire load of the ship is taken by the keel blocks. Once ready for the ship launch, the forward and aft cradles are constructed and welded to the hull. Now, the weight is ready to be shifted from the keel blocks to the cradles. The ship, along with the entire cradle structure is made to slide along the slideway, to the adjacent water body, where the load is balanced by the buoyancy, a process which we will understand in detail a little later.

The ship can be launched end on, stern first (that is, the stern of the ship is made waterborne before the forward part), or sideways. Usually, end launching is preferred as it ensures better load distribution on the slipway and the cradle. However, in case of shipyards where the extent of the adjacent waterbody is insufficient to accommodate the length of the ship, side launching is preferred.

Traditionally, ship launching in the water is done using four main types of methods. These methods are:

1. Gravitational type launching
2. Floating-out type launching
3. Mechanical Type launching
4. Airbag launching

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