Lifeboat and Davit manufacturer Schat-Harding has re-engineered its range of on-load release hooks. The new hooks are designed to provide a safer solution.
All Schat-Harding cruise tenders and lifeboats are already fitted with this new generation hook, complementing the second-generation hook designs fitted into the KISS and Freefall boat range. And from May 2007 all remaining types of boats leave the factory fitted with the new hooks.
The second generation of hooks has also been retrofitted for some owners, such as Celebrity Cruises.
Schat-Harding Freefall boats and KISS boats both have new hook designs based on the locked pipe system. In this system the tail of the hook is held in the locked position within a 3 - 5 cm deep steel pipe. It is clearly visible and can only be released by a 110 degree turn of the operating lever.
Conventional davit-launched boats are now fitted with variants of Schat-Harding’s LHR hook range, based on a wearless cam system. The tail of the hook engages with the cam in the locking shaft when the shaft is in the locked position, and has 3 cm of contact area. When the on-load release is activated by rotating the locking shaft a roller in the tail of the hook contacts with the cam area, ensuring no need for tolerances and no wear on the assembly. This hook does not depend on close tolerances either during manufacture or use, and is also visibly safe because the open/close indicator is external and is integral to the locking shaft.