Probably everything you need to know will be in:
Robert G. Skerrett "The Baptism of Ships" U.S. Naval Institute
Proceedings, XXXV, No. 130.
No date was given for this publication but it is referenced in
_Naval_Customs:_ "Traditions & Usage" Lieutenant Commander Leland P.
Lovette, U.S.N., U.S. Naval Institute, 1939 Annapolis, Md.
Quickly, in France in the 18th Century the launching ceremony was
analogous to the baptism ceremony. The wine was drunk rather than poured
on the ship. When "Old Ironsides" was launched (around 1790) a bottle of
madeira from the cellar of Honorable Thomas Russell (a Boston merchant).
In 1858 the U.S.S. Hartford was launched with three bottles of water,
Hartford Spirngs, Connecticut River and sea water.
I don't know what the current form would be but _Naval_Orientation_ June
1945 (NAVPERS 16138 Revised) has a form for launching a ship. Much to
my amazement, the English Book of Common Prayer does not. Special
services for use at sea, including before, during and after a tempest,
but nothing for a launching. There is a "Additional Services Book" to
which I do not have access, I will cherish the illusion that there is one
there.
Billie Grey
On Tue, 20 Jun 1995, Diana Botluk wrote:
>
> Hi, all! When you christen a ship, you say, "I christen
> thee in the name of...May God bless this ship and all who
> sail her." Our maritime law professor has asked me to find
> "authority" for this. It doesn't have to be anything
> official; a book on protocol or an encyclopedia entry would
> do. I tried our main library and broad online searches with
> no luck. Does anybody have an idea?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Diana Botluk, Reference Librarian, Judge Kathryn J. DuFour
> Law Library, Catholic University of America, Washington,
> D.C., 20064, (202)319-6253, fax:(202)319-5581
>
> botluk@law.cua.edu
>
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