Most commercial operators opt for a canister pack strapped to a cradle mounted on the deck or cabin roof, employing a float-free design with a hydrostatic release, which reads water pressure and automatically deploys the raft. The canister preserves vessel interior space, protects the raft from the elements and physical damage, and minimizes the risk of the raft being trapped below decks in an emergency. Any raft of a capacity of more than six persons is too bulky and heavy to be manhandled through companionways anyway.

Most raft containers are constructed of heavy, rigid fiberglass, although some newer models are made of a lightweight plastic material. The best canisters have lips and seals that prevent water from getting inside. Look for handgrips on the container so that the unit can be deployed manually, even with bulky survival suit mittens on.

THE CRADLE

A properly-designed float-free cradle should be welded to the deck of a steel or aluminum boat or through-bolted with backing plates on a fiberglass vessel.Glen Justice

Some operators use close-fitting cradles without straps to secure the raft so that it will float free in the case of a sinking, without need for a hydrostatic release. This design simplifies manual launching but raises the possibility that a wave sweeping over the vessel could yank the raft canister out of its cradle.

The cradle setup must be designed to ensure easy deployment under unforeseeably adverse conditions, and every effort has to be applied to ensure that, once out of the cradle, the raft doesn't tangle in rigging or deck gear.

The Coast Guard and some other agencies advocate – and require on commercial vessels – a hydrostatic release mechanism on the cradle strap. Good idea, but they are expensive, require replacement every two years, and can prevent manual launch if not properly installed or if crew members don't understand how to use them.

They may be a better idea on steel boats or sailboats with heavily-ballasted keels, but most wooden and fiberglass boats will sink slowly, if at all, giving the crew plenty of time to manually deploy the raft. And in the case of fire you want that raft off there fast. The last thing you ever want to do, especially in cold northern climes, is go into the water. Waiting for your boat to sink far enough for the hydrostatic release to let go of your raft can be a scary proposition.

INSTALLATION

Install the raft where it is accessible, easy to deploy, clear of any rigging and protected as much as possible from assault by boarding seas and heavy spray. Canisters are designed to shed water, but most are not waterproof. Water that works its way into the canister quickly degrades the raft and its components, including the CO2 cylinder and its fittings.

Whatever you spend on your raft, the investment is diminished if safety is compromised by improper installation or if people do not know how to use it.

Be sure you know exactly how the painter, weak link and hydrostatic release are to be connected to the cradle or boat. Coast Guard inspection teams often find these items incorrectly installed. Improper attachment may prevent the raft from deploying.

Read the manual. Better yet, participate in a training session where a raft is deployed, and practice boarding it, both from in and out of the water. Brief passengers and crew so they can deploy it if you are incapacitated.

INSPECTION AND REPACK

Remember that although you can buy many kinds of rafts from many catalogs and dealers, you want get yours inspected and repacked facilities approved by the Coast Guard and the manufacturer. There aren't as many such facilities as you might think, and it's important to know where the nearest station for your brand is located (for information, see link below).

Remember also that self-inflating rafts are often classified as hazardous materials, so they cannot be carried on passenger planes and can incur additional charges for shipping.

If a vessel is required by the Coast Guard to carry a life raft, that raft must be inspected and repacked annually at an approved facility (the one exception is that a new raft doesn't have to be inspected until the second year).Steven Callahan

The law does not require rafts that are carried voluntarily to be repacked on a regular schedule. However, failure to do so can invalidate warrantees and, in the event of an accident, may be used by an insurance company or plaintiff's attorney as evidence of an unseaworthy vessel and careless operation. Some newer rafts have a standard three-year repack schedule, and warranties are up to 12 years.

It can be aggravating to pay several hundred dollars each year for inspection and repack, especially if it is on the boat only during the season and is stored indoors the rest of the time. In non-mandatory situations, it may seem logical to stretch inspection intervals, or overlook them altogether. But there are good reasons not to.

Inspections detect small leaks and minor repairs can be made before problems become major and expensive. A raft can deteriorate quickly, especially if it gets wet inside the canister, and the only way to know that fabric is rotting or seams are delaminating is by inspection. Gas cylinders are also inspected and weighed, and valves examined to ensure that the raft will inflate if called upon to do so.

Furthermore, fifth-year inspections use the raft's own inflation system, after which the bottle is hydro-tested and the valve and firing head are rebuilt. At 10 years and every year after, a floor seam test is conducted.

Inspections are also a great opportunity to examine your raft while it is open, and re-packers generally welcome owners who want a look at their rafts. It allows you to become more familiar with your raft, get to see any problems that may be developing, have a chance to add supplementary items and come away with greater faith in your purchase.