Marine Link
Monday, December 15, 2025

Keel Laying News

09 Dec 2025

U.S. Coast Guard Authenticates Keel for Offshore Patrol Cutter

© US Coast Guard

The Coast Guard authenticated the keel for the future Coast Guard Cutter Pickering during a ceremony Monday in Mobile, Alabama. Keel authentication is a time-honored shipbuilding tradition marking the formal start of a vessel’s construction. During the ceremony, the sponsor’s initials are applied to a ceremonial keel plate that will be installed on the cutter, symbolically indicating the keel is “truly and fairly laid.” Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, attended the event along with Rep.

09 Dec 2025

HII Hosts Keel Laying of Virginia-Class Attack Submarine Barb

© HII

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division hosted the keel laying ceremony today for Virginia-class attack submarine Barb (SSN 804).SSN 804 will be the third U.S. Navy submarine to carry the name Barb. The first, SS 220, was commissioned in 1942. During World War II, the submarine conducted missions under the command of Eugene “Lucky” Fluckey, earning the submarine four Presidential Citations, a Navy Unit Commendation and eight battle stars for outstanding service. The second, SSN 596, was a nuclear-powered submarine commissioned in 1963.

21 Nov 2025

NOAA to Hold Keel-Laying Ceremony for New Charting, Mapping Vessel

© NOAA

NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will celebrate the keel-laying for Navigator, the second of two new charting and mapping vessels being constructed for NOAA. The vessel is being built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC., in Houma, Louisiana.The keel-laying is a centuries-old maritime tradition that formally recognizes the start of a ship's construction. During the ceremony, the initials of the ship’s sponsor will be welded onto a steel plate that will be incorporated into…

20 Nov 2025

Freire Shipyard Celebrates Keel-Laying of Dana V Research Vessel

© Freire Shipyard

Freire Shipyard has celebrated the keel laying of the new flagship research vessel for the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU -Technical University of Denmark). Measuring 70 meters length and 16 meters beam, with accommodation for 38 people, the Dana V is set to become a world-class platform for research and education.Successor to the Dana IV, the Dana V was designed by the Knud E. Hansen A/Sconsortium, Odense Maritime Technology A/S and Naval Architects, with environmental sustainability at its core.

26 Apr 2024

Strategic Marine Starts Work on a Bermuda Fast Ferries

Director Rudolph Cann of Bermuda's Department of Marine and Ports Services and Strategic Marine CEO Chan Eng Yew exchanging tokens of partnership and collaboration. Image courtesy Strategic Marine

Earlier this month Strategic Marine hosted the keel laying ceremony for 2 x 40m 550 Passenger Fast Ferry for the Government of Bermuda, with the Director of the Department of Marine and Ports Services for the Government of Bermuda and various supply partners participating in the project.

30 Dec 2020

Construction of RoRo Ferry Powers Relaunch of Germany's FSG Shipyard

Keel laying with masks: Klaus Müller, Project Manager at DNV GL, Philipp Maracke, FSG’s CEO, Simone Lange, Flensburg’s Mayor, and Thomas Jansen, Chairman of the Works Council. Photo credit: FSG/Marianne Lins

In a traditional keel-laying ceremony at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), the first hull segment of the newbuilding number 782, weighing more than 50 tons, was lowered by crane onto the blocks. In accordance with maritime custom, a 1-euro coin was placed under the keel for good fortune. The keel laying of the RoRo ferry to be built was performed by Philipp Maracke, CEO of FSG, Klaus Müller, project manager of this newbuilding project at the classification society DNV GL…