The workboat davit is a dedicated lifting device on board a vessel used for launching and recovering workboats or lifeboats. It is normally stowed on the inboard side and extended outboard during operation to lift or lower the boat. It is an important piece of deck equipment. We provide professional transport services from manufacturing plants and repair workshops to shipyards, ports, or ship repair bases. Davits can be shipped individually or together with workboats, winches, release mechanisms, and other supporting equipment in the same batch.

Common Types

• Gravity Davit (Track type, Tipping type)

• Swing-out Davit (Luffing type)

• Pivot-out Davit

• Single-arm Davit

• Gravity Luffing Arm Davit

• Four-bar Linkage Davit

• Platform Davit

• Free-fall Davit

Key Transport Challenges

• Irregular Shape and Complex Structure: Davits typically consist of multiple components including the davit arm, base, hinges, sheaves, winch, and control mechanism. The overall shape is irregular, making stable placement on a flatbed difficult.

• Numerous Moving Parts Prone to Damage: Precision components such as the davit arm pivot, sheaves, hinge mechanisms, and winch gears are sensitive to impact. Improper loading during transport can cause deformation or jamming.

• Wide Variation in Single-Unit Weight and Size: Small davits weigh hundreds of kilograms, while large gravity davits can reach several to over ten tons. The davit arm extended length can reach several to over ten meters, exceeding standard container dimensions.

• High Precision Requirements for Base Mounting Surface: The davit base and deck mounting surface must remain flat and free of dents; otherwise, on-board installation alignment accuracy will be affected.

• Numerous Accessories: Davits are often accompanied by winches, wire ropes, limit switches, control boxes, and other accessories. If shipped separately, missing or incorrect parts may occur during on-site assembly.

• Difficult to Determine Center of Gravity: The connection between the davit arm and base is complex. The center of gravity depends on the arm angle and stowed position, requiring careful calculation during lifting and loading.

Our Transport Solutions

1. Packaging & Securing

• For small/medium davits, use wooden crates or steel-frame boxes for overall packaging. Install temporary supports between the davit arm and base to prevent hinge stress from swaying during transport.

• For large davits, use bare stowage. Adjust the davit arm to its minimum stowed position and temporarily lock it with chains or wire ropes to reduce stress on the hinges.

• Cover the base mounting surface with rubber pads or wooden boards to prevent impact damage.

• Wrap precision components such as winches and sheaves with bubble wrap or rubber sleeves. Pack control boxes individually in waterproof bags.

• Consolidate wire ropes, spare parts, limit switches, and other accessories onto pallets with detailed packing lists. Ship together with the main equipment.

• All lashing points must avoid weak areas such as pivots and hydraulic cylinder piston rods.

2. Lifting & Handling

• Lift using the davit's built-in lifting lugs or mounting holes on the base. If no clear lifting points are available, use nylon slings for basket lifting, passing through the main structural beams of the davit.

• Use a spreader beam or multi-point slings to ensure smooth lifting and prevent relative rotation between the davit arm and base.

• Use nylon slings or soft slings during lifting to avoid metal-to-metal contact that could damage paint and machined surfaces.

• The loading/unloading site must be level and firm. Lay steel plates or road mats to distribute pressure if necessary.

3. Transport Modes

• Standard container: Suitable for small/medium davits. Secure steel frame or wooden crate to the container floor. Fill both sides with air bags or wooden dunnage.

• Open-top container or flat rack container: Suitable for davits exceeding height or width limits. Bare stowage or steel frame fixing. Weld base and secure with straps.

• Breakbulk vessel: Suitable for large or batch davits. Stow on deck or in holds. Weld base to vessel structure and secure with chain lashing.

• Small davits: Flatbed or enclosed van. Weld or secure the davit to a steel frame or wooden frame before fixing to the vehicle.

• Large davits: Low-bed hydraulic modular trailers. Apply for oversize transport permits in advance for over-width or over-height conditions. Plan the route.

• Road Transport:

• Sea Freight:

• Multimodal Transport: Road + sea combination for door-to-door service.

4. Value-added Services

• Pre-shipment photos and videos of davit condition, key components, and packaging details.

• Assistance with shipping marks, packing lists, and component numbering diagrams for easy on-site assembly.

• Workboat davits can be shipped together with workboats, winches, release mechanisms, etc., in a single batch for unified customs clearance and one-time handover on site.

• Coordination of crane offloading at destination port and placement at designated shipyard storage area or near the installation location.

Our Advantages

• Years of experience handling various marine davits and lifting equipment; familiar with lifting points and securing requirements for gravity, swing-out, single-arm, and other davit structures.

• Davit arm locked in stowed position before shipment; protection measures applied to hinges and sheaves. Arrival condition: moving parts rotate freely, ready for installation without on-site repair.

• Base mounting surface protected throughout transport with soft wood or rubber padding, ensuring paint and flatness remain intact. Direct positioning for shipyard installation.

• Accessories and spare parts packed by category and labeled with numbers. After opening, parts can be assembled directly by number without searching.

• Davit main body can be shipped together with companion winches, control boxes, and wire ropes in a single batch, reducing client coordination and multiple receiving efforts.

• Oversize davits: road transport permits processed in advance with route planning, ensuring legal and compliant passage.

• Stable breakbulk and flat rack container slot resources on major global routes; flexible transport option selection based on delivery schedule.