Exam Question

### (a) Lifeboat Davit Limit Switches
**Purpose:**
The primary purpose of a limit switch on a lifeboat davit is to act as a crucial safety device. As stated in the provided context, its function is to **"cut power to the davit winch motor before the davit arms reach the hard stops."** This prevents the winch from continuing to hoist once the lifeboat is in its final stowed position. Without this intervention, the motor could pull the arms against their mechanical stops, leading to **"catastrophic damage could occur to either the motor, the gear box, or the wire ropes."** SOLAS regulations mandate that this switch must activate to stop the winch when the davit arms are a minimum of 12 inches (or approximately 300mm) from the hard stops.
**Types and Operation:**