What is the safest way to board a liferaft directly from the deck of a sinking vessel, if conditions allow?

A. Always jump into the water first and swim to the raft afterwards, regardless of whether dry boarding is possible

B. Board directly and dry if at all possible, by stepping or climbing into the raft from the vessel before it is fully submerged or while the raft is held close alongside — entering the water unnecessarily increases the risk of cold shock, injury, and separation from the raft

C. Boarding dry from the deck is never possible and should not be attempted under any circumstances

D. The order of boarding (dry from deck vs from the water) makes no practical safety difference

A. The HRU is simply a decorative bracket with no functional release mechanism

B. The HRU only operates if manually armed by an officer before each voyage

C. The HRU automatically releases the liferaft from its cradle if the vessel sinks to a set depth (typically around 4 metres), allowing the raft to float free and inflate even if no one has manually launched it — a critical backup if the crew cannot reach the raft in time

D. The HRU prevents the liferaft from ever being launched manually, for safety reasons

A. Throw the raft container into the water first, then worry about the painter line afterwards if there is time

B. The painter line should be cut immediately after the raft inflates, to allow it to drift freely

C. Check the area below is clear, secure the painter line to a strong point on the vessel before releasing the raft, throw or lower the raft container into the water, then pull the painter line firmly to inflate it — never let go of the painter line until the raft is confirmed inflated and the line is needed to bring the raft alongside

D. Inflate the raft while it is still in its container on deck, then carry the inflated raft to the side