For 25+ years MDO has designed davits, cranes and rescue-boat systems for shipyards and offshore operators worldwide — built to work when the sea is at its worst.
MDO — Maritime Design Office — brings together 25+ years of specialist engineering for the marine life-saving equipment industry. From first concept sketch to class certification, we design the systems that get a crew off a vessel safely, in any sea state, on any ship.
MDO designs steel structures for the marine life-saving industry — with or without certification from the major approval societies — and supports every stage that follows, from first concept sketch to class certification.
Every project starts with a concept sketch, translating operational requirements into an initial structural concept before detailed engineering begins.
New designs are fully engineered in 3D using the latest Autodesk software, with exchange support to a wide range of other CAD platforms.
Finite element calculations performed entirely in-house, so every design — however complex — gets to an efficient, verified model.
Beyond engineering and calculation, we handle reporting, instructing and visualising — plus structural drawings, certified or not, depending on what your approval society requires.
A selection from our full range of designs, realized in partnership with Global Davit — covering rescue, offshore and wind-energy applications.
Remote-operated cranes for unmanned platforms and vessels, built to launch a life raft, lifeboat or rescue stretcher — plus purpose-built variants for the offshore wind industry, engineered for generator housings, transition pieces and supply vessels.
Launch and recovery systems for fast rescue boats, available with wave compensation, shock absorption, anti-pendulation heads — or any combination the sea state demands.
Winch packages sized to the davit or crane they serve — electric, hydraulic or wave-compensated drive, selected to match vessel power and duty cycle.
Space-saving davits that combine cargo handling with survival-equipment launch. Available in fixed, fast-rescue, gravity or hydraulically driven configurations, sized to the vessel and launch requirement.
Designs shown above are a selection of our full range, realized in partnership with Global Davit.
Life-saving capability isn't a separate product line at MDO — it cuts across every system we design. Whether it's applied to a crane, a davit or a launch and recovery system depends entirely on the vessel and client requirements, not on a fixed catalogue item.
LSA specialized. MDO is one of the leading design agencies in the maritime rescue sector. Our team doesn't stop at the drawing board — we manage Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) certification too, working closely with classification and approval societies from first concept to final sign-off. See Company → Certifications & compliance for the full list of societies we work with.
Founded in 1998 by partners who had already made their mark in maritime survival equipment, MDO has grown into a tight team of specialists — centrally located in the Netherlands, with fast links to shipyards on one side and our largely German client base on the other.
Our designs are made primarily for Global Davit, a German manufacturer with a worldwide customer network of shipping companies and shipyards. MDO is responsible for the technical solution to every challenge that network brings us — standard or special, each one handled with the same care.
NCS-Hydraulik is another long-standing client, with a completely different product range. For this German company we design tailor-made hydraulic solutions — from hydraulic cylinders to fully equipped containers for mobile onshore drilling rigs.
Close working relationships with all major classification and approval societies keep our time-to-certification short, whether it concerns type-approval or a single-piece special.
Nine specialists, one design office, twenty-five-plus years of maritime rescue engineering.
Reach out directly to the specialist best suited to your project.
The whole team travelled to Athens to mark the occasion, taking in the city's ancient sites, a bike tour through the centre, a visit to a local winemaker, and no shortage of good meals along the way.
In those strange Covid-19 times we said farewell to Ferry de Jong — not with the big party he deserved, unfortunately. We thank him for his years of leadership and wish him a healthy, well-earned retirement.
Wil jij een cruciale rol spelen in het ontwerpen en ontwikkelen van levensreddende apparatuur?
Bij MDO bv zijn we gepassioneerd over het creëren van innovatieve oplossingen die mensenlevens kunnen redden. Ons team bestaat uit experts op het gebied van life-saving equipment, en we zijn op zoek naar een enthousiaste en gemotiveerde technisch tekenaar / constructeur om ons team te versterken.
Ben jij klaar om je talent in te zetten? Stuur je cv en motivatiebrief naar mdo@mdo.nl. We kijken uit naar je sollicitatie!
Solliciteer nuDo you want to play a crucial role in designing and developing life-saving equipment?
At MDO bv, we are passionate about creating innovative solutions that can save people's lives. Our team consists of experts in the field of life-saving equipment, and we're looking for an enthusiastic, motivated technical draftsman / constructor to strengthen our team.
Ready to put your talent to work? Send your CV and motivation letter to mdo@mdo.nl — we look forward to receiving your application!
Apply nowWhichever way you'd rather reach us — a quote, our office, or a general question.
Send us your vessel type, the system you need and any deadline you're working to, and we'll come back with what MDO can do for you.
Request a quoteFor anything that doesn't fit a specific project or quote, reach the office directly:
