Hi Joe
Thats right once a year
Normaly to test the free fall arrangement you attach the boat to the davit and release it to check the release mechanism.
If there is no davit only a skid then you have to instal equipment for simulated free fall . Its only a device that holds the boat in position durring release . Most lifeboat manufacturers have this device for their equipment .
Keep on the god work

S.Saxlund

Yes, Some old model of Free Fall lifeboat's davit does not have the davit with real mean, That mean, the "davit" of old model just is the ramp only. Then, The lifeboat just launching by release it self from the hook point.

New model of free fall davit has disigned the part of davit with hydrolic or electric arm that it could lift the lifeboat out of the ramp and lower the lifeboat to water. So the lifeboat could lauching the water by two method : Free Fall or Arm Lower.

The method of lower the lifeboat by arm usually use in drill purpose. And ofcourse, the freefall method always use in emergency case