The fixed, heavy-duty foundation laid on the slipway of a shipyard to support the immense weight of a vessel under construction. These tracks provide a stable base for the keel blocks and form the stationary path over which the sliding ways move during a ship's launch. They must be precisely aligned and heavily reinforced to prevent the hull from shifting or twisting as it is built.
Heard on the job
Inspect the timber on the starboard groundway before we grease it for the launch tomorrow morning.
Also heard as
- ground ways
- standing ways