Rob’s Waterco☺ler

In June 2001 my family and I were fortunate to be able to participate in the last wedge rally for a ship launched on the inclined ways at Bath Iron Works, Bath ME.  Subsequent to the launching I was the commissioning Electronics Officer and took the ship through several deployments, including Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.  Below is a news article clip that explains the significance of the event.  What is not explained is the day before the launch, all the shipyard workers, crew and guests drive wedges between the ways and the structures the ship was built on.  This painting is from that event, know as a wedge rally.

CHANGING WAYS TRADITION YIELDS TO EFFICIENCY AT BIW On Saturday, the Mason will be the last BIW-made vessel to slide into the Kennebec River during its launch.
By   DENNIS HOEY Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (ME) June 21, 2001
Page 1A

At precisely 3:25 p.m. Saturday, Bath Iron Works will end 117 years of shipbuilding tradition. That is when the 5,800-ton Navy destroyer Mason (DDG 87) will be released from its cradle, beginning its descent along greased, inclined building ways. The vessel will reach speeds of up to 12 mph before its hull crashes into the Kennebec River. It will be the last time a Navy destroyer is launched at BIW using the inclined building ways.

The finished watercolor done wet-in-wet style.  1/2 sheet, cold pressed Winsor Newton paper.

and some along the way shots…

And some pictures from the results of the hard work…

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 12:42 am and is filed under inspiration, studio, techniques, wet-in-wet.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.