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Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching 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. Since most of the fitting-out process is interior work, this stage can overlap with latter stages, such as the sea trials.
After a vessel has been floated (in contemporary shipbuilding) or launched (in traditional shipbuilding), it is then towed out of its drydock and moored at a fitting-out berth. While still afloat, its construction is then continued. Depending on the type of vessel, fitting-out can last weeks or many months. Vessels with comparatively little space for human occupation, such as oil tankers, bulk carriers and container ships, can take the least time for fitting. Conversely, passenger ships take the longest. The process can include:
Whatever construction is completed during fitting is also dependent on the shipyard’s capabilities and the availability of equipment prior to floating. For example, Queen Mary 2 was originally to have its propeller pods installed prior to floating, but this was not done until the fitting-out stage.
Contemporary ship construction usually has the vessel returning to drydock several times for installation of propulsion mechanisms (such as propulsion pods in contemporary vessels) and for the painting of surfaces below the waterline.
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship in active duty with its country's military forces. The ceremonies involved are often rooted in centuries-old naval tradition.
Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation (classification) and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle. Preliminary design of the vessel, its detailed design, construction, trials, operation and maintenance, launching and dry-docking are the main activities involved. Ship design calculations are also required for ships being modified. Naval architecture also involves formulation of safety regulations and damage-control rules and the approval and certification of ship designs to meet statutory and non-statutory requirements.
A dry dock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, and other watercraft.
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, 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, and for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers towed by automobiles and flying boats on their undercarriage.
USS Scranton (SSN-756), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Scranton, Pennsylvania.
A cofferdam is an enclosure built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out. This pumping creates a dry working environment so that the work can be carried out safely. Cofferdams are commonly used for construction or repair of permanent dams, oil platforms, bridge piers, etc., built within water.
Azipod is a trademark azimuth thruster pod design, a marine propulsion unit consisting of a fixed pitch propeller mounted on a steerable gondola ("pod") containing the electric motor driving the propeller, allowing ships to be more maneuverable. They were developed in Finland jointly by the shipbuilding company Masa-Yards and the ABB Group, which produces them.
Very large floating structures (VLFSs) or very large floating platforms (VLFPs) are artificial islands, which may be constructed to create floating airports, bridges, breakwaters, piers and docks, storage facilities, wind and solar power plants, for military purposes, to create industrial space, emergency bases, entertainment facilities, recreation parks, mobile offshore structures and even for habitation. Currently, several different concepts have been proposed for building floating cities or huge living complexes. Some units have been constructed and are presently in operation.
Float-out is the process in 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.
The Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) was the largest pre-World War II shipbuilding and repair company in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, existing from 1902 to 1996. It built 355 mostly major seagoing vessels, 18 of which were submarines. During its existence, the wharf operated 12 floating docks and in its heyday employed 7,000 people at one time.
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft. It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and it can last from a few hours to many days.
USAS American Mariner was a United States Army research vessel from January 1959 to 30 September 1963. She was originally assigned to the DAMP Project by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to attempt to collect radar signature data on incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Caribbean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Her initial operations involved providing radar track on the Atlas missile, which was under development at the time. Subsequently, she provided track on other types of missiles as they proceeded through their development and operational stages. In September 1963 the original contract was transferred to the USAF until the completion of the testing phase in 1964.
Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is the first of her class, whose ships are the largest passenger ships in the world. Her hull was laid down in November 2007 and she was completed and delivered to Royal Caribbean in October 2009. At the time of construction, Oasis of the Seas set a new capacity record of carrying over 6,000 passengers. The first of her class, she was joined by sister ships Allure of the Seas in December 2010, Harmony of the Seas in May 2016, and Symphony of the Seas in April 2018. Oasis of the Seas conducts cruises of the Caribbean from her home port of PortMiami in Miami, Florida.
HMAS Canberra (L02) is the first ship of the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and is the second largest in the Navy, succeeded by its sister ship HMAS Adelaide (L01). Construction of the ship started in Spain in 2008, with the hull launched by Navantia in 2011. The hull was then transported to Australia in late 2012 for completion by BAE Systems Australia. Canberra was commissioned on 28 November 2014.
Vitus Bering is a Russian icebreaking platform supply and standby vessel owned by Sovcomflot. Built by Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she and her sister ship, Aleksey Chirikov, were ordered on 16 December 2010, shortly after the joint venture agreement between STX Finland Cruise Oy and United Shipbuilding Corporation had been signed. Delivered to the owners on 21 December 2012, Vitus Bering will be used in the Arkutun-Dagi offshore oil field in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The Viktor Lenac Shipyard is situated on the northern Croatian Adriatic coast, 3 km from the largest Croatian port It was founded in 1896, and was among the first in the world to deal with ship lengthenings. It is quoted on the Zagreb Stock Exchange with ticker VLEN-R-B.
INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is an aircraft carrier constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the Indian Navy. It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India. It is named 'Vikrant' as a tribute to India's first aircraft carrier, Vikrant (R11). The name Vikrant means "courageous". The motto of the ship is "Jayema Saṁ Yudhi Spr̥dhaḥ",means "I defeat those who fight against me".
RFA Tideforce is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Launched in 2017, the ship entered service with the RFA in 2019.
Yuriy Kuchiev is an icebreaking gas condensate tanker operated by the Greek shipowner Dynacom. The vessel, built at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, utilizes the double acting ship principle to allow independent operation without icebreaker escort in ice-covered seas. The vessel was delivered to the owner in August 2019.
RV Atair is a research vessel owned and operated by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH). She is expected to enter service in late 2020 and replaces a 1987-built research vessel also named Atair.
