I am currently involved in a
refit aboard a 2014
Beneteau Oceanis 45 that is used for open ocean/passagemaking cruising and have run into the problem of where to mount a canister housed
Liferaft on this
boat.
In keeping with the easiest deployment location advised by many cruisers, I would like to have it mounted on the stern pushpit rail. Here, someone of lesser strength can deploy the raft with the pull of a
single pin. Quick and Easy.
However, Due to the small size of the
Beneteau Pushpits on this model, mounting the rack that holds the
liferaft could become a problem due to strength of the pushpits and small size of same, especially in a rough or following sea.
Another alternative I have considered is mounting the rack up on the sprayhood behind the
mast where it can hinder forward vision and increase time/effort at deployment quickly. Forward of the
mast also introduces the same problems. The boatowner couple are in their mid 60's and healthy but not weight lifters.
There is a dedicated Liferaft
storage Location under the rear seat of the
cockpit that is handy for using, but in Beneteau's wisdom, allowing for the "wow" factor of an electrically operated rear swim platform, I am hesitant to use this location for fear of losing
electrical power under the conditions that might warrant the use of the raft. Rendering it unusable. Stowage here would also dictate Brand/Model selection due to being a smallish area. A case of the tail wagging the dog.
There is one other possibility.
The
boat is equipped with a quite substantial custom aftermarket
aluminum tubed rear arch where with the dingy is launched and retrieved. It also supports 3, 42 inch framed
solar panels on top. A nice setup and very strong.
I am considering mounting the liferaft "cage" under the bottom side of the arch much like a drawer is mounted to the underside of a table. Here, it would be easier to deploy than a
deck mounted location but would place some weight higher on the boat which I do not want to do.
The liferaft the owner is considering is a Viking RescYou Pro 4.
Placing the liferaft down below or in a locker is not an option, hence the necessity of using a canister.
If anyone out there has experience with this model boat or has a suggestion that might be workable concerning the above, or even
advice on this liferaft, I would certainly appreciate any help given.
All options are still on the table except the two mentioned above concerning mounting down below or in a locker.