PC2K,

Most sea-ancors are already deployed when the life-raft inflates.

And I've recently seen a 'next-generation' liferaft. It's called a Maritark (or something like that).
It looks like a stacked-up pile of tubes and is completely reversible. People get in it tru a large nylon tube that get's deployed
from the ship to the raft, keeping you dry and avoiding contact with the water.