the rigid lifeboats are filled on deck and lower with a davot (or however you spell that), they do NOT work when the ship is not straight. The old ones uses a LOT of muscle power to lower. They are great if they can deployed, because you will be dry. Now if only the ship would just stray absolute straight, when it's sinking... This huge disadvantage is one of the reason why we got infatibles ones. (also much smaller)

The inflatible onces are mounted in big canisters. They can be throw out manually or when the ship sinks a build in devices slices the cannister from it's mount and let the liferaft surface. They are deployed in the water, so only way to get to them is to jump in the water and climb in them. Getting in one is a pain in good conditions, waves makes it much easier to board, but makes the stay inside miserable. Most liferafts have 50/50 chance of getting deployed in the water upside down. The underside is black and does not provide shelter from wind and rain, so you have to manually flip them over. You have to climb up on the bottom, preverbily with 2 man. Grab the lines on the bottom, stand on the edge and lean back.

and yes, getting wet is bad, but if you can only show me a methode of getting in to a liferaft, without getting wet... Thats why you should have a pair of clothing in your ditch kit. (if you have one)

the sea ancors on liferafts are actually just a big fabric scoop like thingy with a line attach to it. Just find the thing in the raft, attach it to the raft and toss it out. It's suppose to drag water with it, to prevent you from blowing to far away from the ship. Searchers usually start there search from the wreck outwards.