Launch day!

Launching a schooner combined tradition, ritual, spectators, and celebration with technical challenge and danger to workers and vessel alike. In preparation, a launching crew built a pair of sliding, or launching, ways beneath the schooner and topped them with a cradle, which was wedged up to take the vessel's weight as the blocks beneath were removed. Greasing the ways allowed the vessel in its cradle to slide into the Kennebec River, always at high tide. Much could go wrong if the vessel fell off her cradle, stuck fast, or overshot the launch and crashed into the opposite shore. When all went well, the sponsor christened the new vessel with sparkling wine or flowers, and a celebration followed. Whether aboard the newly floating vessel or ashore, guests often discovered that the traditional launch-day punch had a kick, even though Maine was a dry state.

Bath, Maine · United States