After a vessel has been floated (in contemporary shipbuilding) or launched (in traditional shipbuilding), it is then towed out of its
drydock and moored at a fitting-out berth. While still afloat, its construction is then continued. Depending on the type of vessel, fitting-out can last weeks or many months. Vessels with comparatively little space for human occupation, such as oil tankers, bulk carriers and container ships, can take the least time for fitting. Conversely,
passenger ships take the longest. The process can include: • completion of the superstructure, • installation of the ship’s power plant, engines, and other machinery, • interior equipment and systems, including
electrical,
plumbing, and
HVAC, • finishing of interior spaces, • and installation of
furnishings. Whatever construction is completed during fitting is also dependent on the shipyard’s capabilities and the availability of equipment prior to floating. For example,
Queen Mary 2 was originally to have its propeller pods installed prior to floating, but this was not done until the fitting-out stage. Contemporary ship construction usually has the vessel returning to drydock several times for installation of propulsion mechanisms (such as propulsion pods in contemporary vessels) and for the painting of surfaces below the waterline. ==References==