Davit

Boat suspended from Welin Quadrant davits; the boat is mechanically 'swung out'
HMS Victory in the 19th century, showing her boats suspended from wooden davits
Gravity multi-pivot on cruiseferry Scandinavia
Gravity Roller Davit
Gravity multi-pivot davit holding rescue vessel on North Sea ferry
Freefall lifeboat on the Spring Aeolian
Frapping line
Labeled Tricing
Gripe
Steps to launch davit
Roller Gravity Davit

A davit (/ˈdvɪt/)[1] is any of various crane-like devices used on a ship for supporting, raising, and lowering equipment such as boats and anchors.[2]

Davit systems are most often used to lower an emergency lifeboat to the embarkation level to be boarded. The lifeboat davit has falls (now made of wire, historically of manila rope) that are used to lower the lifeboat into the water.[3] Davits can also be used as man-overboard safety devices to retrieve personnel from the water.

The maintaining and operation of davits is all under jurisdiction of the International Maritime Organization. The regulations are enforced by the country's own coast guard.

  1. ^ Moore, Sir Alan Hilary; Nance, R. Morton (1925). Last days of mast & sail : An Essay in Nautical Comparative Anatomy. Clarendon Press, Oxford. p. 247. OL 26571876M.
  2. ^ Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House
  3. ^ "Davit Systems | Applied Technical Services". Atslab.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-02-21.