The heads of the davit arms of ___ davits are swung out in horizontal arcs. This type of davit is not mechanical and never changes height. The bow davit must go out first, then the stern davit out second, and they must face each other. Only small vessels are allowed to carry these types.

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Gravity davits are the simple, non-powered lifeboat supports. Since they rely on gravity rather than a powered mechanism, the height of the boat doesn’t change during deployment—the motion is accomplished by the boat swinging outward as it is lowered. The heads of the two davit arms move in horizontal arcs, with the bow arm deployed first and the stern arm second, and the arms are kept facing each other to cradle the boat securely as it lowers. This straightforward, light-weight design is why these davits are limited to small vessels. Other davit types use mechanical power or a different deployment geometry, which involves height changes or different motion paths.