18. Side Launching
As the Chinese state-owned shipyard constructing the Titanic II does not have a dry dock, the ship will be side launching from a 200m slipway. That would make it the largest side-launched vessel in history and will require a significant extension to the shipyard’s facilities.
Side launching involves an oiled slideway, or slipway, that extends into the water. It is one of the most commonly used ship-launching systems. There are two side launching methods: one involves the ship’s own weight sliding it into the water, and the second consists of the slipway and the ship being moved into the water as one, with the ship’s buoyancy and stabilizers steadying it.