A new liferaft has been installed on your vessel. The operating cord should be __________.

Correct Answer: Option D — attached to the raft stowage cradle or to a secure object nearby with a weak link

USCG regulations require the liferaft painter line to be secured to the vessel's stowage cradle or a dedicated strong point via a weak link. This ensures the raft floats free if the vessel sinks quickly without manual deployment.