Keel laying

Keel laying is the formal placement of the first block or assembly of the hull on the building dock or berth, the second of the four traditional construction milestones after steel cutting and before launch and delivery. Its date carries regulatory weight: a ship’s keel-laying date, or the equivalent stage of construction, fixes which edition of the SOLAS, MARPOL, and class rules applies to her, since rule changes typically bind ships contracted, keel-laid, or delivered after stated dates. The modern equivalent stage is defined as assembly of at least 50 tonnes or one percent of the estimated hull material.