However, the keel laying symbolically recognizes the joining of modular components and the ceremonial beginning of a ship. Today, fabrication of the ship may begin months before and some of the ship's bottom may actually be joined. In earlier times it was the 'laying down' of the central or main timber making up the backbone of a vessel. Keel Laying: This is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. Under Construction: Contract has been awarded to a builder for new construction or conversion. Just as there are many milestones in the life of a Navy ship, there are currently a number of significant milestones and evolutions involved in bringing that ship to life.Īuthorized: Funding approved by Act of Congress for new construction or conversion. Each vessel has its engines taken apart and greased, so that they will keep well. It takes a long time to put a ship out of commission, and sometimes several months to put it back into commission.

All fuel, stores, guns, ammunition, etc, is removed, and the flag is pulled down. Out of commission, that is when all men belonging to the Navy are removed, and a ship-keeper, (who is a civilian) is placed aboard.Vessels are only placed in ordinary when there are no men to man them. This way of keeping vessels is most disastrous, because the machinery all goes to ruin, the stores spoil and the whole ship gets dirty and neglected. In ordinary, which means the same as in reserve, but with only four or five men on board, to keep off trespassers.In reserve, which means partially provisioned, partially coaled and partially manned vessels in this condition never put to sea.Ready for sea - which means all provisioned, armed, and properly manned.

Around 1900 there were four ways of keeping vessels:

Ship construction terms and definitions