Launch

Launch may refer to:

Boating

Gaming

Other uses

Ceremonial ship launching

Ceremonial ship launching is the process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a naval tradition in many cultures, dating back thousands of years. It has been observed as a public celebration and a solemn blessing.

In addition to the size and weight of the vessel, ship launching imposes stresses on the ship not met during normal operation, and represents a considerable engineering challenge, in addition to a public spectacle.

Ship launching involves many superstitions intended to invite good luck, such as christening by breaking a sacrificial bottle of champagne over the bow as the ship is named aloud and launched.

Methods of launch

There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely used is the end-on launch, in which the vessel slides, usually stern first, down an inclined slipway. The side launch, whereby the ship enters the water broadside, came into 19th-century use on inland waters, rivers, and lakes, and was more widely adopted during World War II. The third method is float-out, used for ships that are built in basins or dry docks and then floated by admitting water into the dock. In all cases heavy chains are attached to the ship and the drag effect is used to slow the vessel once afloat until tugboats can move the hull to a jetty for fitting out.

Launch (boat)

A launch is an open motorboat. The forward part of the launch may be covered. Prior to the era of engines on small craft, a launch was the largest boat carried on a sailing vessel, powered by sail or by oars. In competitive rowing, a launch is a motorized boat used by the coach during training.

History

Originally a launch was the largest boat carried by a warship in the age of sail. The word comes from the Spanish lancha ("barge") and Portuguese, from Malay lancharan ("boat"), from lanchar ("velocity without effort").

In the Age of Sail, a ship carried a variety of ship's boats of different sizes and used for different purposes. In addition to the launch, examples include the jolly boat, captain's gig, pinnace, and cutter. Distinctions among the smaller vessels were clear, both in design and purpose. In the age of motorized ships, these distinctions of size and purpose have largely disappeared, but the terms continue in use.

In the 18th century, a launch was used to set the large anchors on a ship. The launch of that era had a square transom and was about 24 feet long. In 1788 Captain Bligh was set adrift in Bounty’s launch.

Business

A business, also known as an enterprise, agency or a firm, is an entity involved in the provision of goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are prevalent in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and provide goods and services to customers in exchange for other goods, services, or money. Businesses may also be social not-for-profit enterprises or state-owned public enterprises targeted for specific social and economic objectives. A business owned by multiple individuals may be formed as an incorporated company or jointly organised as a partnership. Countries have different laws that may ascribe different rights to the various business entities.

Business can refer to a particular organization or to an entire market sector, e.g. "the music business". Compound forms such as agribusiness represent subsets of the word's broader meaning, which encompasses all activity by suppliers of goods and services. The goal is for sales to be more than expenditures resulting in a profit.

Business (disambiguation)

A business is an organization involved in the trade of goods, services, or both, with consumers.

Business may also refer to:

See also

Business (EP)

Business is the debut EP from New Jersey, rock band Jet Lag Gemini,. Recorded in Madison, NJ at Northshore Studios when two of the band members were still 15 years old, the EP was released June 6, 2006 on Doghouse Records.

Track listing

References