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'{{short description|Open motorboat}} [[File:1910 Mathis Launch.jpg|thumb|1910 Mathis launch, 15 horsepower universal engine, at [[Saranac Lake, New York]]]] [[File:Launch Boat 1.jpg|thumb|An Iranian launch, used for fishing]] A '''launch''' is an open [[motorboat]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch |title=Launch (3) noun |work=Merriam Webster |accessdate=October 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/launch#launch-2|title=Launch (2) noun |work=Oxford Dictionaries |accessdate=October 29, 2014}}</ref> The forward part of the launch may be covered. Prior to the era of engines on small craft, a launch was the largest boat carried on a sailing vessel, powered by sail or by oars. In competitive rowing, a launch is a motorized boat used by the coach during training. ==History== {{main|Ship's boat}} Originally a launch, or a [[longboat|long-boat]], was the biggest boat carried by a warship or a merchant vessel in the [[age of sail]].<ref name="Young1863">{{cite book |first1=Arthur |last1=Young |first2=James |last2=Brisbane |title=Nautical Dictionary: Defining the Technical Language Relative to the Building and Equipment of Sailing Vessels and Steamers, Seamanship, Navigation, Nautical Astronomy, Naval Gunnery, Maritime Law and Commerce, General and Particular Average and Marine Insurance, and Other Terms Relating to Maritime Affairs ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8RpTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA44|year=1863|publisher=Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green|pages=44–45}}</ref> The word comes from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''lancha'' ("barge") and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], from [[Malay language|Malay]] ''[[Lancaran (ship)|lancaran]]'' ("swift boat"), which in turn derived from ''lancar'' ("velocity without effort").<ref>{{cite book |title=Collins English Dictionary |edition=Second |publisher=Collins |location=London, Glasgow |year=1986 |page=868 |isbn=0 00 433135-4}}</ref> In the age of sail, a ship carried a variety of [[ship's boat|boats]] of different sizes and used for different purposes. In addition to the launch, examples include the [[jolly boat]], [[captain's gig]], [[Pinnace (ship's boat)|pinnace]], and [[Cutter (boat)|cutter]]. Distinctions among the smaller vessels were clear, both in design and purpose.<ref name=Folkard1863>{{cite book |last=Folkard |first=Henry Coleman |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hw3e4k&view=1up&seq=1 |title=The Sailing Boat: a Treatise On English And Foreign Boats, Descriptive of the Various Forms of Boats And Sails of Every Nation; With Practical Directions for Sailing, Management |location=London |publisher=Longman, Green, and Roberts |year=1863}}</ref> In the age of motorized ships, these distinctions of size and purpose have largely disappeared, but the terms continue in use. During the [[Demak Sultanate]] attack on [[Portuguese Malacca]] of 1513, lancaran were used as armed troop transports for landing alongside [[penjajap]] and [[kelulus]], as the [[Javanese junk|Javanese junks]] were too large to approach shore.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of Malaya |last=Winstedt |first=Sir Richard |publisher=Marican |year=1962|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> In the 18th century, a launch was used to set the large anchors on a ship. The launch of that era had a square [[transom (nautical)|transom]] and was about 24 feet long. In 1788 [[Captain Bligh]] was set adrift in [[HMS Bounty|''Bounty'']]’s launch. ==Civilian use in the UK== On the [[River Thames]] the term "launch" is used to mean any motorised pleasure boat. The usage arises from the legislation<ref>Thames Conservancy Act 1932</ref> governing the management of the Thames and laying down the categories of boats and the tolls for which they were liable. ==Military launches in the UK== {{main|Motor Launch}} ''Motor Launch'' was the designation for a type of vessel used in [[World War II]] by the [[Royal Navy]] and some other navies{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} for inshore work defending the coast from submarines. They were typically {{convert|60|to|115|ft|m|adj=on|disp=or}} long and carried relatively light armament – a few [[depth charge]]s, a gun and a few [[machine gun]]s. == Sports == In competitive [[Rowing (Sport)|rowing]] the term "launch" is used to refer to any motorized boat used by the coach to follow practicing boats during workouts.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}<!-- the word launch does not appear in the Wikipedia article on Sport Rowing --> == See also == *[[Type Two 63 ft HSL|RAF rescue launch]] *[[Cabin cruiser]] *{{annotated link|Slipper launch}} *{{annotated link|Naphtha launch}} * [[Picket boat]], a naval launch == References == {{Reflist}} {{Ship's boats}} [[Category:Boat types]] [[Category:Ship's boats]] [[Category:Motorboats]] {{ship-type-stub}} [[fr:Chaloupe]] [[pt:Lancha]]'