Vertical wooden or steel shores that support the overhanging sections of a ship's bow and stern on the launching ways. They transfer the immense weight of the vessel down to the sliding ways while keeping the hull upright as it slides into the water. Once the ship is floating, the poppets are knocked away or float free.
Heard on the job
Make sure the forward poppets are securely wedged before we knock out the keel blocks.
Insider tip
The forward poppets take massive crushing loads right as the stern lifts off the ways, making them a critical failure point in traditional slipway launches.