[Ready4Freddy]

Pics on the TAMUG site clearly show a common case mount - the life raft mounted on the starboard aft quarter stanchions, outside the lifelines. Immediately inboard the lines is the radar mast. If the boat rolled to starboard (port tack in the prevailing SE winds), the raft would have deployed when it rolled, and quite possibly become fouled on the radar mast / antenna.

Ramius, given that liferafts are required (besides just good offshore common sense) - yes, it would have been quite negligent not to have one onboard.

It’s easier to find a place for a trunk that big on a motorboat, but on a 38ft sailboat there aren’t too many good places for it on deck. Again... I know it ~can~ be done, it just isn’t common. All I’m saying is that it’s not necessarily fair to allege some kind of negligence for not having one.

[Ready4Freddy]

Good pic showing liferaft mounting:

Other pics on site show that the raft case is directly athwartships the radar mast, suggesting that in a roll the raft may have fouled on the mast. Not saying that it's necessarily a bad location for the raft, since hardly anyone expects their boat to turtle, but food for thought.

Pics on the TAMUG site clearly show a common case mount - the life raft mounted on the starboard aft quarter stanchions, outside the lifelines. Immediately inboard the lines is the radar mast.