Later, stronger davits would be fitted for two lifeboats on the skid beams. Quarterboats were not so vulnerable as would appear at first sight when swung outboard, although there were occasions when they did go by the board, as did boats stowed on chocks on the deck or on skid beams. The quarterboat davits were weak in design in the 1840s and 50s, resembling in shape a straight round bar, bent rather sharpl y in the top portion. Later davits had the quarter-circle radius bend, as seen today, and were stronger. The earliest type of davit tackle hung from a simple swivel hook from the ball at the end of the davit, and the guy and span attached below the ball could get tangled if the davit was swung round.

  The tip of the early davits was sometimes merely a slight swelling in the diameter with a vertical hole for the hooked bolt, or else a cube shape with corners rounded off. It was late in the century before the spectacle plate was fixed atop the ball, for the guys and span to prevent this fouling.

  The boat gripes for quarterboats were rope spans attached to the lower part of the davits then led under the boat, over the gunwales, and down to an inverted hook on the davit or bulwark. A ring on the end of each gripe slipped over the hook and was held fast when the boat falls were tightened. Sometimes alight griping spar was fitted between the davits, but not of the heavy padded type one sees on modern vessels. In heavy weather the quarterboats would be hove up tight to the davit heads and lashed to them slightly canted.

  By the 1860s and 70s lifeboats were stowed either upright or inverted on strong skid beams spanning from bulwark to bulwark, and secured by separate gripes on each side of the boat, with a special sliplink tightened by a lanyard. If stowed upright, the boats would rest in shaped chocks, the outboard part being hinged so that by releasing a locking pin with a mallet it would fall down completely clear of the top of the skid beam, thus enabling the boat to be slid or skidded outboard to the davits. The inboard chock would also hinge down if there was a third, middle, boat on the skids to be slid to the davits. The spacing of the skid beams supported the boats at about one-seventh of their lengths from each end. The davits were the round bar radial type of modern pattern which could be held in sockets either inboard or outboard. At sea the davits would be triced together by their fall tackle, and in coastal waters the boats would usually be swung outboard in readiness.

  British boat gunwales were built with a solid top or cap but it was usual for American boats to have open gunwales with the timber heads exposed. The practice of fitting covers on boats dates from the steamships, which emitted much soot and cinders. Sailing vessels usually kept their boats open as this helped preserve them against rot, and any  water accumulating inside helped to keep them tight; there was always a drain hole to release any excess. Later in the century we find wooden covers fitted, and canvas ones with a ridge pole, tightened on buttons around the gunwale, although there is mention of the Challenge of 1851 being fitted with awnings for her boats. There was no rule about this. The looped grab lines were seldom seen on the clipper ships' boats but eventually became a requirement for lifeboats. Up to approximately midcentury the suspension hooks or rings for the boats were on short slings attached to the keel close up to the bow and stern and the boat was prevented from canting by steadying lines from each side of the hull to the sling. Later in the century the sling hooks were on rigid bars not quite so far apart, and supported at their top ends by passing through a short thwart or platform. Sometimes the sling hooks were attached to the upper inner side of the stern and sternpost or transom, and contemporary paintings of the earlier American clippers suggest this in some instances for the quarterboats.

  Good boats were made of teak or mahogany planking, or at least their sheerstrakes, with larch, cedar or pine planking. Their proportions and form varied considerably with their origin, some being built in the shipyard and others by small boat builders, and the captain frequently had his own small gig for pleasure sailing. The names given to the various forms of boats originated from their usage rather than a specific build, and it is difficult to identify precisely what was meant by a given name. 'Cutter' in particular was loosely used for a variety of boats which could be carvel or clinker built. American boats tended to be carvel built more often than the British. The drawings indicate average forms, sheer, etc. for British boats; American boats being similar for the most part, although there were some types indigenous to the American builders, with pronounced sheer more like their whaleboats and rather narrower. At one time the term 'cutter built' was synonymous with 'clinker built'.

  For other forms of lifesaving there was often a type of lifebuoy carried on the poop for quick release. Up to the 1850s this was in the form ofa cross with two copper ball floats on the end of each arm, and afoot stirrup at the bottom whereby a person could stand upright in the water while holding the top part of the cross, which also could carry a small pennant. Later a horseshoe lifebuoy made of cork was introduced, the two arms being hinged at the middle, to which was attached a small staff and pennant, weighted at the bottom to keep it vertical. Later still came the well known circular lifebuoy made of cork, 30 in. in diameter with a cross-section of 6 X 4 in., covered with stitched canvas; but this type was seldom seen on the tea clippers until later in their life.