It might be rare to watch a ship being launched down a ramp these days but the charm of such an occasion was not lost on the 5,000 people who turned up to see just that in Croatia last week.

Siem Car Carriers’ 7,000-ceu pure car/truck carrier Siem Ashanti provided the focal point as the large crowd descended on Rijeka-based 3 Maj Shipyard to marvel at the old-fashioned — yet spectacular — floating method.