The list of ship launches in 1887 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1887.
| Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 January | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Cargo ship | For D. & C. MacIver.[1] | |||
| 10 March | Devonport | For the Royal Navy[2] | |||||
| 25 March | Stettiner Vulcan AG | Stettin | Protected cruiser | For the Beiyang Fleet | |||
| 26 March | Barrow | For Thorsten Nordenfelt.[3] | |||||
| 31 March | Ramage & Ferguson & Company | Leith | Fatshan | For Hong Kong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Company[4] | |||
| 7 April |  United States | Thomas Quayle's & Sons | Samuel Mather | Wooden freighter | For R. John W. Moore, et al. | ||
| 9 April | Armstrong Whitworth Elswick yard | Elswick | For the Royal Navy | ||||
| 23 April | George W. Brown & Sons | Hull | Emmie May | Humber Keel | For P. Simpson.[5] | ||
| 27 April | George W. Brown & Sons | Hull | Tug | For Frederick Palmer.[6] | |||
| April | Albert Dock Shipwright Co. Ltd. | Hull | Catherine | Fishing vessel | For Henry Toozes.[7] | ||
| 9 May | Blackwall Yard | Blackwall | For the Royal Navy[8] | ||||
| 10 May | Chantiers de la Seine | Argenteuil | Yacht | For chocolatier Henri Menier | |||
| 25 May | Barrow Ship Building Co. Ltd. | Barrow-in-Furness | Sludge carrier | For Metropolitan Board of Works.[9] | |||
| 25 May | Barrow Ship Building Co. Ltd. | Barrow-in-Furness | Steamship | For R. Singlehurst & Co.[10] | |||
| 7 June | Chatham Dockyard | Chatham | For the Royal Navy[11] | ||||
| 5 July | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Passenger ship | For White Diamond Steamship Co.[12] | |||
| 6 July | Charles Joseph Bigger | Londonderry | Steamship | For W. Johnston & Co.[13] | |||
| 6 July | Charles Joseph Bigger | Londonderry | Steamship | For Londonderry Bridge Commissioners.[14] | |||
| 23 July | Germania | Kiel | For Kaiserliche Marine | ||||
| 2 August | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Cargo ship | For Torrey & Field Ltd.[15] | |||
| 6 August | United States | Wolf and Davidson | Steamer | A building, with over one hundred people on the roof, collapsed when it was hit by a wave caused by the launch. Nine people were killed and nine seriously injured.[16] | |||
| 20 August | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Anglesey | Ferry | For London & North Western Railway.[17] | ||
| 22 August | Harvey and Co | Hayle | Carnsew | Iron-screw steamer | [18] | ||
| 3 September | Barrow Ship Building Co. Ltd. | Barrow-in-Furness | Hainaut | Barque / Tanker | For American Petroleum Company.[19] | ||
| 17 September | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Oceania | Passenger ship | For Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. | ||
| 22 September | Stettiner Vulcan AG | Stettin | For Kaiserliche Marine | ||||
| 18 October | Blyth Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth | Steamship | For Charles Hill & Sons.[20] | |||
| 28 October | Pembroke Dockyard | Pembroke Dock | For the Royal Navy | ||||
| 5 November | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | ship | For D. & C. MacIver.[21] | |||
| 19 November | Charles Joseph Bigger | Londonderry | Maiden City | Barque | For William McCredie Dickie.[22] | ||
| 19 November | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Barque | For T. & J. Brocklebank.[23] | |||
| 14 December | W. Allsup & Sons Ltd. | Preston | Paddle steamer | For Mayor, Aldermen & Burgesses of the Borough of Preston.[24] | |||
| 17 December | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Arcadia | Passenger ship | For Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company.[25] | ||
| Unknown date | Laing | Sunderland | Durban | For Union Steamship Company. | |||
| Unknown date | W. Allsup & Sons Ltd. | Preston | Steamship | For private owner.[26] | |||
| Unknown date | Charles Joseph Bigger | Londonderry | Steamship | For private owners.[27] | |||
| Unknown date | John Brundrit | Runcorn | Percy | Mersey flat | For John Brundrit.[28] | ||
| Unknown date | W. Allsup & Sons Ltd. | Preston | Tug | For Daniel W. Allsup.[29] | |||
| Unknown date | John Bell | Grimsby | Rosebud | Fishing trawler | For Tom C. Gray.[30] | ||
| Unknown date | Charles Joseph Bigger | Londonderry | Steamship | For Charles & Edward Singleton.[31] |