Bob - you are right - never say never. Each case demands a separate assesment.

The point is that many boats are abandoned prematurely and this error plays out with amazing frequency.

In a storm senario (much different than fire) a raft is not a "safe" place to be. Rafts tear, tumble, and are very dangerous places, they are a last resort. A partially flooded boat with broken windows and no power can be safer than a raft.

That said your point is a good one - "you just have to evaluate the conditions at hand"

Hopefully none of us will ever need to make those evaluations
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