Davit & Launching Appliance Servicing in King Abdullah.

Davit and launching appliance servicing

Davit and launching appliance servicing covers the examination, testing and repair of the equipment that lowers and recovers lifeboats, rescue boats and davit-launched liferafts: davit arms and structures, winches, brakes, falls, sheaves, limit switches, stored power systems and remote controls.

Much of the historical injury record around lifeboats involves the launching system rather than the boat itself, from falls parting to brakes failing during recovery. vslSafety coordinates authorised technicians for the make installed, and the test weights or water bags needed for load testing, around the vessel’s port call.

Regulatory requirements and who can do the work

• SOLAS regulation III/20.11.1 requires launching appliances to be thoroughly examined at each annual survey and then subjected to a dynamic test of the winch brake at maximum lowering speed with the empty craft. At least once every five years, the test is carried out with a proof load of 1.1 times the weight of the survival craft or rescue boat with its full complement of persons and equipment.
• SOLAS regulation III/20.4 requires falls to be inspected periodically, with special regard to areas passing through sheaves, and renewed when necessary or at intervals of not more than five years, whichever is earlier.
• Resolution MSC.402(96), mandatory since 1 January 2020, requires annual and five-year work to be done by certified personnel of the manufacturer or of a service provider authorised by the flag Administration, following the maker’s manuals.
• Launching appliances are designed and tested under chapter VI of the LSA Code. The new SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13 for lifting appliances, applicable from 1 January 2026, does not cover dedicated life-saving launching appliances under the LSA Code; those remain under chapter III.

The boat, hook and winch are usually examined together; see lifeboat inspection and servicing for the boat and release gear side.

Inspection and testing intervals

Item	Requirement	Interval	Reference
Launching appliances	Visual inspection for readiness	Weekly	SOLAS III/20.6
Lifeboat davits on cargo ships	Boat moved from stowed position to show launching appliance works	Weekly, weather permitting	SOLAS III/20.6
Davits (except free-fall)	Lifeboats turned out from stowed position	Monthly	SOLAS III/20.7
Davit, winch and brake	Thorough examination and dynamic brake test with empty craft	Annual survey	SOLAS III/20.11.1; MSC.402(96)
Winch brake	Dynamic test with 1.1 times fully loaded craft	At least every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.1; MSC.402(96)
Falls	Inspection; renewal	Renew at not more than 5 years, or earlier if deteriorated	SOLAS III/20.4
Davit-launched liferaft hook	Examination and test; overhaul with 1.1 load	Annual; at least every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.3

What the service includes

• Examination of davit arms, cradles, pivots, tracks and foundations for corrosion, misalignment, deformation and excessive free play
• Inspection of wires, sheaves and blocks for kinks, broken wires and corrosion, and lubrication of wires, sheaves and moving parts
• Winch examination, including the braking system, brake linings, centrifugal governor and winch foundation
• Functional checks of limit switches, remote control wires, stored power and hydraulic systems, and electric power supplies
• Annual dynamic brake test: the empty boat is lowered and the brake applied abruptly at maximum lowering speed, followed by reinspection of stressed parts
• Five-year overload test with water bags or weights at 1.1 times the fully loaded mass
• Renewal of falls, with wire certificates, and cut-off samples where required by flag or maker
• For free-fall boats, examination of the launching ramp and the secondary means of launching
• For liferaft davits, examination of the single-arm davit and a manual and automatic release test of the hook

Launching appliance types covered

Typical installations include gravity luffing and pivot davits for enclosed lifeboats, slewing and A-frame davits for rescue boats and fast rescue boats, single-arm davits for davit-launched liferafts, and free-fall stern ramps with a secondary launching davit or crane. Frequently encountered makers include Palfinger (Harding, Schat-Harding), Viking Norsafe, Fassmer, Hatecke, Vestdavit, Davit International and Survitec, along with many Asian manufacturers fitted at newbuild yards.

Common defects and PSC deficiencies

• Heavy corrosion of davit arms, sheave pins and foundations, or seized sheaves
• Falls with broken wires, corrosion or lack of lubrication, or no evidence of renewal within five years
• Limit switches bypassed or not working, and hand crank interlocks defective
• Winch brakes slipping, contaminated linings, or no record of the annual dynamic test
• Gripes, harbour pins or tricing pendants damaged or missing
• Annual examination carried out by persons without a valid make-and-type certificate

The joint Paris and Tokyo MoU concentrated inspection campaign on lifeboat launching arrangements in 2009 identified launching appliances as a recurring source of serious deficiencies, and they remain a common detention item.

Certificates and documents you receive

The authorised service provider issues a report of thorough examination and operational test, a statement of fitness for purpose as required by MSC.402(96), copies of the provider’s authorisation and the technician’s certificate, and a load-test record including test-weight or water-bag calibration where applicable. Where falls are renewed, the wire rope certificate is provided. Reports are countersigned by the master or company representative and kept on board for the life of the equipment.

How to prepare the vessel

Check whether the port allows boats and rafts to be lowered to the water and whether a harbour master permit is needed. Five-year load tests need water bags, a filling pump and a clear area beneath the boat; confirm who supplies them. Make sure winch power is available, the boats are ready to lower and the maker’s manuals are on board. When falls are due, order the correct wire in advance through wire rope and rigging services so it can be fitted in the same visit.

Information needed for a quotation

• Vessel name, IMO number, flag and class
• Port, berth or anchorage, ETA and ETD
• Davit and winch maker, model and serial numbers, and the craft each serves
• Number of lifeboat, rescue boat and liferaft davits
• Scope: annual examination, five-year load test, fall renewal or repairs
• Date of the last annual and five-year tests and last fall renewal
• Whether water bags, test weights or class attendance are required

vslSafety coordinates a suitable authorised provider at the vessel’s port; final acceptance rests with flag, class and the attending surveyor.

Frequently asked questions

How often must lifeboat davits be load tested?

SOLAS regulation III/20.11.1 requires a dynamic winch brake test after the annual thorough examination, using the empty craft lowered at maximum speed. At least once every five years, the test is repeated with a proof load of 1.1 times the weight of the craft with its full complement of persons and equipment. The five-year test is often combined with the release gear overhaul.

How often do lifeboat falls need to be changed?

Falls must be renewed when they show deterioration or at intervals of not more than five years, whichever comes first, under SOLAS regulation III/20.4. They also need periodic inspection, paying particular attention to the lengths that pass through sheaves. The older practice of turning falls end for end at 30 months is no longer required by SOLAS.

Does SOLAS II-1/3-13 apply to lifeboat davits?

No. The new SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13 on lifting appliances and anchor handling winches, which applies from 1 January 2026, excludes dedicated life-saving launching appliances covered by the LSA Code. Lifeboat, rescue boat and liferaft davits continue to be examined under SOLAS chapter III and MSC.402(96). Other deck cranes, including stores and provision cranes, fall under the new regulation.

Who can carry out the annual davit examination?

MSC.402(96) requires the annual thorough examination and operational test to be done by personnel certified for that make and type, working for the manufacturer or a service provider authorised by the flag Administration. Personnel certificates are valid for three years. Crew may carry out weekly and monthly checks and routine maintenance but not the annual or five-year work.