MOB Equipment

medium 25 models total

Man-overboard equipment answers a different question than a lifejacket: not how does the person stay afloat, but how does the bridge team find them again. A lit, smoking marker at the exact drop point turns a five-minute recovery into a search that can run past the point of survival.

Read more — MOB Equipment explained ▾

What distinguishes MOB equipment from general life-saving appliances

A lifejacket keeps one person afloat and face-up. MOB (man overboard) equipment solves the separate problem of locating that person again once they are in the water and the ship has continued moving. Every vessel carries a lifebuoy with a self-igniting light and a buoyant smoke signal at the bridge wings, released the instant someone goes over the side. The smoke gives a bearing by day, the light gives one by night, and both mark the position, not the person, since currents and wind quickly separate a swimmer from the exact point they fell.

Man overboard marker at the ship's rail — MOB equipment mounted on the bridge wing rail, showing the quick-release bracket, the buoy body with its painter line, the self-igniting light and smoke float, and the pole and flag that mark the drop point on the water.

Main components

Lifebuoy with self-igniting light and smoke signal

Mounted for quick-release at both bridge wings on most vessels, rigged to deploy automatically or by pulling a pin. The light activates on contact with water and burns for a minimum duration; the smoke signal ignites simultaneously and burns for several minutes, long enough for the officer of the watch to get a compass bearing before initiating a Williamson or Anderson turn.

MOB marker pole / danbuoy

A free-standing pole with flag, radar reflector and often a self-igniting light, deployed alongside the lifebuoy on many bridges. It sits higher out of the water than a lifebuoy and is easier to hold visually in a seaway, and the radar reflector lets the bridge team re-acquire the position on the ARPA even after losing visual contact in fog or darkness.

Recovery equipment

Getting a person back aboard is a separate hazard from finding them. Recovery ladders, cargo nets rigged over the side, purpose-built recovery slings, and davit-launched recovery baskets let the crew lift someone who may be unconscious or hypothermic and unable to help themselves climb. A rigid MOB boat or the ship's rescue boat remains the primary recovery method on most vessels; the equipment above bridges the gap until it is launched.

Selection considerations

Burn time of the self-igniting light and smoke signal against the vessel's typical manoeuvring time for a turn-back.
Radar reflector performance of the marker pole at the ship's typical sea state.
Recovery method the vessel actually uses — davit, crane, net or ladder — since the equipment must match the freeboard and crew numbers available.
Stowage and quick-release arrangement at the bridge wing, checked against the actual reach of watch officers, not just a catalogue drawing.

Regulations and class

SOLAS Chapter III and the LSA Code set the carriage requirement of lifebuoys with self-igniting lights and smoke signals at the number and position appropriate to the vessel's length, with at least one at each bridge wing. Class surveys check the lights and smoke canisters against their marked expiry dates at each annual and renewal survey, and the self-igniting lights are tested for illumination on the same schedule as other pyrotechnic-adjacent LSA items.

Typical faults

Fault	Consequence
Self-igniting light battery past expiry, not replaced	Light fails to activate on water contact — no bearing available at night
Smoke signal corroded into its bracket	Release mechanism jams during the drill or the real event, delaying deployment
Danbuoy flag faded or torn from UV exposure	Marker becomes hard to distinguish from wave crests at distance
Recovery net stored wet and left to rot	Net fails under load exactly when it is needed for an unconscious recovery

What to look for in a supplier

Batch traceability on self-igniting lights and smoke signals, since class inspectors check expiry dates individually.
Compatibility of the quick-release bracket with the existing bridge wing fitting — retrofits often need an adapter.
Recovery equipment rated for the crew's actual lifting capacity, not a generic maximum.
Availability of replacement smoke and light cartridges as separate items, not only as a full unit.

Run the actual release mechanism during drills, not just the man-overboard manoeuvre — a bracket that has corroded shut is the single most common reason the lifebuoy never leaves the rail.

Inspector Mode Show All 25 total

17 manufacturers · 25 models

Daniamant

L160

Application

SOLAS/MED approved lifebuoy light for night visibility

Common Failures & Inspection Points

Area: Lifebuoy light battery expiration and certification validity
Check: Verify battery replacement date, inspect expiration label per LSA Code para 1.2.3, confirm SOLAS/MED/USCG certification current. Lithium models should show 5-year maintenance-free certification.
Area: MOB equipment inflation systems and CO2 cartridge integrity
Check: Check danbuoy/horseshoe for physical damage, corrosion on CO2 cylinders, activation pins secured. Verify cartridge weight (typically 33g) matches specification. Test inflation (per manufacturer service intervals, usually 3 years).
Area: Recovery line degradation and attachment integrity
Check: Inspect floating lines for UV damage, abrasion, mildew. Verify line length matches specifications (test by measurement). Check all attachment points (carabiners, clips, D-rings) for corrosion, cracks. Ensure stainless steel (316) hardware used. Load test clips per ISO 15085 (minimum 375kg for boarding ladders).
Area: Danbuoy mounting bracket and quick-release mechanism
Check: Verify bracket securely fastened to pulpit/rail (rail distance 300-310mm typical). Test quick-release deployment manually (should separate without binding). Inspect bracket for corrosion, bent fasteners. Confirm safety pin or lanyard present and functional. After practice/test deployment, full re-certification required.
Area: AIS/DSC MOB beacon battery age and transmit verification
Check: Verify battery manufacture date (7-year max life for lithium models). Confirm activation method (water-activated vs manual). For active units: test transmission range (5nm typical) with portable AIS receiver if available. Check waterproof seal integrity and GPS module responsiveness. Certificate of type approval must be current.

Typ-universelle Inspektionspunkte fuer MOB Equipment (verifiziert, 2026-06).

MOB Equipment

What distinguishes MOB equipment from general life-saving appliances

Main components

Lifebuoy with self-igniting light and smoke signal

MOB marker pole / danbuoy

Recovery equipment

Selection considerations

Regulations and class

Typical faults

What to look for in a supplier

17 manufacturers · 25 models

Daniamant

C-Hero

Lifesling

Plastimo

SOS Marine

Switlik

C-Hero (Harken Industrial)

Crewsaver

IKAROS (Datrex)

Jon Buoy

Jonbuoy

Jonbuoy (Ocean Safety)

Lalizas

Mustang Survival

Ocean Safety

Ocean Signal

Viking