Life Raft

[bimini_tom]

Can anyone give me ideas on the best place on the 36 SX to mount a life raft. I do not want it in the tower. Looking for a place that I can access the under side to attach the washers and nuts. I also wanted to install rod racks, maybe in the cabin, but I do not know where I can find solid ground to set the screws in the cabin overhead.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[BOAT BULLY]

Look Into Several Manufactures. Depending On The Size You Need, You Can Find One That Is Portable That Will Fit In The Storage Locker Under The Cockpit Seats. I Think This Looks The Best. The Boat Has Great Lines And I Have Not Seen Any That Look Good Mounted The The Bow Or The Tower.

Best Of Luck,

Boat Bully

[River Ghost]

Ours is located under the bench seat on the hardtop

[HisDoghouse]

I went with a Revere Offshore Elite 8 person in the valise. On my 38 Open, I have it sitting in the upper bunk on the starboard side of the salon. I chose the Offshore Elite because, for an 8 person raft, it was only 71 lbs. I didn't want something in the close to 100 lb range that would be hard to handle. I also didn't want to put something up on the tower that could hang up if released underwater on the tower legs.

When I get it inspected in three years and have it repacked, I may decide to change to a hard mount and will look closer at my options then.

[dnkstarr]

I chose the Winslow offshore. I keep it on the port side down below most of the time. If I am doing a crossing such as from St. Marteen to St. Thomas I will move it up top under the seats along with my ditch bag. I chose the Winslow because it is light enough for almost anyone to deploy. I have seen some cradles mounted on the bow areas but personally did not like the way they looked up there, and agree with HisDogHouse in regard to the raft getting tangled up in the tower.

I have never look at placing rod racks. I just use the rod storage in the salon floor of the 36 SX.

[bimini_tom]

Thanks for the input but I already bought a 6 man packed in a hard shell so I need to mount it some where. I do not like the tower so I guess the bow deck is my only choice. Just hoped someone on the forum had one mounted and could give me an idea on how to through bolt the mount on the bow.
dnkstarr, how does your 36 handle between the islands. I vacationed on St Johns and took a boat from St Thomas to St Johns. Also took a day sail to the BVI's and experienced some good size seas. I'd love to hear your stories.

[dnkstarr]

My wife and I lived in St. Thomas for six years, we owned a luhrs 320 open then. Yes the seas can get rough there and is even bigger here in Anguilla. The average seas for offshore in the vigrin islands and here in the northeast caribbean are 3 to 5 feet but can be calmer. It will sure make a good seaman out of you, quick.
We used the 32 to travel to most all of the islands and fished the famous North Drop quite frequently catching many Blue and White Marlin not to mention the numorus Wahoo and Yellow Fin Tuna.
When we sold our 32 last July the orginal gas engines had 2600 hours on them and were still running like a singer sewing machine.

We purchased a used 36 SX with 450 hp Cummins, so far love them. With the help of some friends my wife and I ran the boat down here to Anguilla from Palm Beach, Florida on its own hull, what a trip!! Down through the Bahamas, Turks, Dominican Republic, dodged the first hurricane of the season in San Juan then on to St. Thomas and finally St. Marten where we keep the boat.

This is our second Luhrs and Love the boats. I will post pictures and such on a different thread.

Regards,
Starrfish 2

[bimini_tom]

Thanks for the short story and the pictures. As I sit in the office in NJ it took me to a better place for a while.

[irishrogue]

we have a 6 man offshore raft mounted on the bow of our 32 Open. drill all the way through the deck and bolt with the nuts and fender washers in the cabin on the headliner. for a clean look, cut bolts down as needed and place finished nut caps on ends after nylong nuts....watch where you drill so you dont hit the curtain track on the headliner....

[irishrogue]

here ya go....

[CrazyIslandMoFo]

My raft is on port bow hard top.. out of the way, looks... "safe". Almost disapears among radar and other antene,Easy to reach mounting bolts.

[Douglas Fairchild]

Make sure you bed in the holes with glass. Luhrs have balsa core decks. You do not want water getting in there.

[chrisbakas]

hi there how did u go with installing the life raft, im trying to install 1 myself i have a 340 convertible 2000 model. im trying to avoid of having bolts coming into the headliner if possible. has anyone removed the headliner???????? if so could you give us some tips on removing it. thanks