"dry docking, first day in dry dock and preparation of the dry dock"

"To prepare the dry dock, keel blocks are set into position and lines and men to handle the vessel are readied. A qualified dockmaster supervises the operation. Dock-based winches are usually used to position the ship in the dock." http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/shipbuildingrepair/drydocking.html

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Note added at 18 mins (2005-03-02 20:12:01 GMT)
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Compare: \"La revisión y puesta a punto de la embarcación se ha realizado en las instalaciones de Astican en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, donde para poder varar el barco, debido a las singularidades de los dobles cascos de los catamaranes, se construyó una “cuna de varada” de 26 metros de largo, especialmente diseñado para ser utilizado por las tres embarcaciones rápidas de las Líneas Fred.Olsen Express, y que ha supuesto un coste de 30 millones de pesetas para la compañía.\" (http://www.mgar.net/breves3.htm)
Here, \"cuna de varada\" fits very well with \"dry dock\"

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Note added at 27 mins (2005-03-02 20:20:45 GMT)
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The \"cuna\" is porbably the \"blocks\":
\"Once the ship is positioned in drydock, dewatering of the dock begins. As the ship just touches down on the blocks, pumping is stopped. Divers will verify that the ship is properly resting on the blocks, and that the blocks are in the correct location. Upon verification, dewatering will continue.\" http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/swos/dca/stg4-05.ht...