We test, examine and repair lifeboat and rescue boat davits across the UAE: the SOLAS five-yearly dynamic load test, the annual thorough examination, winch brake tests, fall wire renewal and hydraulic repair on davits and their winches. We attend vessels alongside in all emirates, at Fujairah and Khor Fakkan anchorages and in drydock, using water bags and calibrated load cells.
Davit work is usually driven by a date: the survey window, the PSC inspection risk, or a vessel’s next departure. We plan the test, the water, the surveyor and any repairs as one job so the vessel is not held up.
What we work on
- Gravity davits for lifeboats, with their winches, brakes and centrifugal governors
- Rescue boat and fast rescue boat davits, often single-arm with hydraulic luffing and slewing
- Free-fall lifeboat launching and recovery arrangements
- Liferaft launching davits
- Davit hydraulic power units, hand pumps, accumulators and cylinders
- Davit fall wires and their terminations
The regulations, in plain terms
SOLAS and the LSA Code set the requirements for davits and their winches. MSC.402(96), which applies to lifeboats, rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear, sets out the annual thorough examination and the five-yearly thorough examination and testing, and the rules on who may carry them out. Requirements for authorisation of service providers are set by the flag state, so tell us your flag and class when you ask for a quote and we confirm what documentation your surveyor will expect before we book.
SOLAS also requires falls used in launching to be turned end for end and renewed at set intervals or when worn. We check the fall wire record at every visit.
The five-yearly dynamic test
The five-yearly test proves the winch brake can stop and hold the load. In outline:
- Inspection before the test: davit structure, sheaves, pins, wire, winch, brake linings and governor, and any hydraulics.
- Test load prepared: water bags (or the boat with added weight) filled to the required test load, normally 110% of the davit’s SWL, read on a calibrated load cell.
- Dynamic brake test: the load is lowered at the winch’s lowering speed and the brake applied, and we check that it stops and holds within the limits the maker sets.
- Lowering speed recorded and compared with the maker’s figures.
- Examination after the test: checks for deformation, cracks, brake slip and leaks.
- Report and certificate, with load cell calibration reference and photos.
Our guide to the davit five-year load test explains the preparation in detail, and the proof load tool shows the test load for a given SWL.
Annual thorough examination
Each year the davit, winch and fittings are examined: structure and welds, corrosion, sheave and pin wear, wire condition, brake linings and operation, governor, limit switches, and hydraulic components. A brake test is done with the boat or a test load as the procedure requires. Findings and recommended repairs are written into the report.
Hydraulic davit repair
Rescue boat and some lifeboat davits use hydraulic luffing, slewing or winch drives. Typical faults we find:
- Leaking luffing cylinders with pitted rods from salt exposure. See cylinder repair.
- Flat accumulators that leave the davit unable to recover the boat on stored energy, often from a failed bladder. Pre-charge is checked with a gauge and corrected with nitrogen.
- Hand pumps that will not build pressure because of worn check valves.
- Hoses aged by sun and heat, which should be renewed as a set rather than waiting for one to burst. See hose management.
- Winch motors and brake valves passing, so the boat creeps when stowed.
What we commonly find in UAE conditions
- Brake linings contaminated by grease or hardened by heat, failing to hold at test load
- Corroded sheave pins and seized sheaves
- Fall wires with corrosion inside the strands near the terminations, where salt and humidity sit
- Limit switches and control boxes damaged by water ingress
What drives the cost
Davit work is quoted per visit. The number of davits on the vessel, access at berth or anchorage, the water supply, any brake or hydraulic repair found during the examination, and fall wire renewal are the main factors. Testing several davits in one visit costs less per davit.
What to send for a fast quote
- Vessel name, flag, class and location with dates
- Davit and winch type, make and SWL, with nameplate photos
- Date and copy of the last annual and five-yearly reports
- Fall wire certificate and renewal date
- Any known defects or hydraulic problems
