Keel Laying Ceremony
Keel Laying Ceremony Countdown
The Keel Laying Ceremony for the future USS Wisconsin SSBN 827 will be held on her “hull number date”
August 27, 2025 (8/27)
The ceremony is a private event hosted by General Dynamics Electric Boat at their Quonset Point, RI facility.
Join Us At a Watch Party
To allow as many Wisconsinites as possible to experience this unique naval tradition, we will be hosting watch parties throughout the state where we will live stream the ceremony in real time. Join our mailing list to keep up to date on where the Watch Parties will be happening
The Keel Laying Ceremony
The Keel Laying Ceremony symbolizes when the ship begins to transition from design to reality by marking the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction.
In earlier times, the Keel Laying was the "laying down" of the central or main timber making up the backbone of a vessel. Today, fabrication of the ship may begin months before some of the ship's bottom may actually be joined. However, the Keel Laying Ceremony (also referred to as the Keel Authentication Ceremony) symbolically recognizes the joining of modular components and the ceremonial beginning of construction of a ship.
During the Keel Laying ceremony, the Ship’s Sponsor, Dr. Kelly Geurts, will authenticate the keel by welding her initials onto a metal plate. The plate with her initials will then be permanently affixed to the ship and Dr. Geurts will proclaim the keel to be “truly and fairly laid”.