Why deck gear is assessed separately
Deck gear, windlass, davit, tender crane, passerelle, bimini and cleats, takes the most load but gets the least attention. Buyers look at the engine and cabins and skip it; yet a davit or windlass failure is both costly and dangerous. On charter and gulet boats this gear is used constantly, by different people, so it wears far faster.
What we check
- Windlass: operation under load, motor and gear noise, chain stripper, emergency manual operation.
- Davit and tender crane: hydraulic/electric operation, lifting capacity, rope and sheave wear, deck mounting reinforcement.
- Passerelle: extend/retract mechanism, corrosion, deck mount.
- Bimini, awnings: frame corrosion, fabric tears, fastenings.
- Cleats, padeyes, bollards: cracks at deck mount, leaks, backing plates.
- Tender and outboard: general condition (outboard measured separately if needed).
For gulet and charter
On a commercial boat deck gear is used many times a day; a davit failure means you cannot launch the tender for guests at anchor. The survey shows parts needing maintenance or renewal soon, graded A-B-C. Plan it with the gulet survey and fleet services.
Testing under load
Deck gear looks fine running light; real condition shows under load. On survey we follow this order:
- Windlass: lowering and recovering a few metres of chain while measuring motor current with a clamp meter and checking voltage drop.
- Davit: lifting and lowering with the tender on; pressure loss, leaks and the tender creeping down while held.
- Passerelle: flex and noise at the mountings when fully extended under walking load.
- Cleats and bollards: under line load, looking from below for leak stains and backing plates.
Looking from below the deck
Whether a fitting is sound is judged from below, not above. Where headlining can be removed we check bolts, backing plates and moisture around them. On a cored deck, high moisture readings around a fitting show water has reached the core and are reported as a separate finding.
FAQ
Is deck gear included in the survey?
Yes; windlass, davit, passerelle, bimini and deck fittings are part of the pre-purchase survey. The tender outboard is assessed separately.
Do you test davit capacity?
We observe operation under load as far as is safe and note the maker's capacity rating if available. No overload testing is done.