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USN Welin gravity davits

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  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Thursday, August 15, 2019 12:45 PM

Hello;

    I thought that was "griped in ", not Gripped in . 

  • Member since
    May 2010
Posted by amphib on Thursday, August 15, 2019 8:01 AM

What GMorrison has included is helpful I'm sure but it only tells part of the story. On the attack transports and probably others, the Welin davits were "triple banked" meaning that one set of davits was used to stow three boats. One one deck, one above it on swing out cradles, and the third hung over the side on the falls.

So from the point described in the text the procedure would be:

Pins in place the falls were then reversed to let the first boat down to rest in cradles on the deck. The falls were then raised to their top position. The pins were now removed and the arms travelled outboard. When they reached their outboard position the falls would be dropped to pick up the second boat.

As done for the first boat the second boat would be raised and brought inboard. Once the davit arms reached the top position the pins would again be inserted. At this point a second set of cradles would be swung into postion over the first boat and under the second one. Pins out the second boat would be lowered into the upper cradles and the falls released.

The falls would be fully raised and the pins removed. The davit arms were now free to travel to their outboard position where the falls would now drop to pick up the third boat. The third boat would be raised to its upper position but it would be left hanging from the falls outboard of the ship. It would be gripped in and left in this postion as a ready lifeboat.

Sounds more complicated than it really was. When the command came "away all boats" all three boats in the triple bank cold be launched in about ten minutes.

There is more to it. The davit arms were connected by a horizontal beam. If I remember correctly the lifting falls were hung from pullies in the beam although the rigging went back through the beam to the davit arms. There also was a heavy weather pendant that could be used to pick up a boat above high waves although I don't remember how it was then transferred to the normal lifting tackle.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Thursday, August 15, 2019 7:52 AM

GMorrison

Hells Yeah!

Thanks for posting that link.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 11:12 PM

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    September 2010
USN Welin gravity davits
Posted by retdfeuerwehr on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 2:48 PM

Hoping against hope that some ex-squid will remember (however slightly that may be) how the Welin gravity davits were rigged on Navy ships in the 50s - 70s. Specifically, the davits used to raise and lower LCVPs on amphib vessels.  Thanks

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