Hello!!
I am trying to install a new life raft in my boat and seems it's not going to be as easy I expected...
My old liferaft was slightly smaller than the new one and also one of the plastic pieces of the mounting system was broken when releasing the old liferaft... I've been unable to find a exact size of the mounting system to use the same old holes, so seems that I'll have to do new holes.. But I am unsure if the piece where the liferaft is attached has to be released in order to put nuts ... All your comments and suggestions will be more than welcomed!
Here are some pics...
I have the same liferaft mounting location on my B36(2002), and yes, you will need to undo the four securing screws for the hatch garage lid, these are seen in your photo nearer to the four corners of the garage. You won’t be able to remove the hatch garage lid because it is fitted under the traveller for the main sheet for your boom, but removal of the screws will allow the hatch garage forward end to be raised sufficiently to enable you to reach under it to attach the nuts to the bolts you will use to secure your cradle mountings, I used “U” clamps. It’s not a particularly easy task, while on the other hand it’s very easy to fumble and drop the nuts, and then you need some means to be able to retrieve those nuts, so the job can be a little exasperating. It’s worth having a couple of blocks of wood to use as props to hold the forward end of the lid up while you’re groping around under it. Make sure that the bolts you use to secure the mountings are only just long enough for the job, because you don’t want them to scratch the acrylic for your companionway hatch, or worse still for the hatch to become jammed and immovable when you screw the hatch garage lid back down. Also a second person would be helpful for the spanner work, though not essential.
I did try hanging the liferaft off the pushpit rails on the port side during one season, but a near miss with another boat where the occupants were too engrossed with what they were doing to see where they were going made me think again about it’s location.
