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Living on a boat and prepping for SHTF

25K views 143 replies 42 participants last post by  Fortress 
#1 ·
Started this thread so we can talk about this issue

I know a couple of members who have boats, so prepping for land / sea living is why I created this thread because I had some ideas to share
 
#2 ·
Thanks Von Helman, one of my problems is doing any type of major food storage, just don't have the room. Thinking of my Air conditioned storage unit on land about a mile from me. About 5' by 5' by 5'. Of course its full of useless crap, filled to the brim...

I love living aboard, been doing it about 10 years.
 
#4 ·
There are two options in prepping when living half the year on land and half on water. As you already mentioned having a storage place near the shore to store stuff in is one option.

I wonder if a large row boat of some type could be used as a barge where you could stock it up with goods and supplies and put a tarp over it and then tow it behind your boat adding all kinds of extra storage space without taking up room on your main boat.

Have you ever read the book “The Life of Pie”? A very good survival read of a young boy on a lifeboat surviving at sea with a few wild animals. Just the thought of how you would end up on a dingy with a lion, Zebra, and a hyena out in the middle of the ocean is a book worth reading. I have read it an can recommend it as a good read




book =
In the second part, it all goes wrong. The boat sinks and Pi ends up with a tiger named Richard Parker, a hyena, a zebra and an orang-utan in a small lifeboat. All the other people and animals are immediately drowned. Richard Parker eats the hyena, which had itself eaten the zebra and orang-utan, leaving Pi as the only other survivor. Food and water supplies are low. Pi starts fishing to get food for him and Richard Parker, as he doesn’t want him to die, for he would be all alone on the ocean. The very thought of being alone is worse than being stranded on a lifeboat with a 450-pound tiger. Pi makes sure, with all his zoo-keeper’s-son knowledge, that Richard Parker believes Pi is the alpha and therefore doesn’t attack the boy. 227 days pass and Pi manages to stay alive, sometimes half in delusion, mostly with thirst and hunger. After 227 days the lifeboat reaches the coast of Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Pi
 
#95 ·
There are two options in prepping when living half the year on land and half on water. As you already mentioned having a storage place near the shore to store stuff in is one option.

I wonder if a large row boat of some type could be used as a barge where you could stock it up with goods and supplies and put a tarp over it and then tow it behind your boat adding all kinds of extra storage space without taking up room on your main boat.

Have you ever read the book “The Life of Pie”? A very good survival read of a young boy on a lifeboat surviving at sea with a few wild animals. Just the thought of how you would end up on a dingy with a lion, Zebra, and a hyena out in the middle of the ocean is a book worth reading. I have read it an can recommend it as a good read








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Pi

Have not read the book. Have only seen the movie. Which made me want to read the book
 
#8 ·
I wonder if you could at least stock it up and somehow secure the tarp over it in a way that would prevent someone from getting to it or better yet if you had a dingy or a tow boat of some kind you could keep it on a small trailer locked inside a storage unit. Then keep it already stocked and covered with a tarp so if the SHTF all you had to do is get to it, pull it out and get it in the water and get the hell out of dodge. All this could be done in minutes if you are in a remote enough or (Safe enough) area
 
#10 ·
Thank you lunarkingdom, will do...

have a generator powered water maker which works good at this time with lots of spare filters and parts. It's pretty easy to make a rain trap that would fill my water tank...Lord knows it rains enough around here... I have SOME room on my boat for some extra storage of gear and food, but, alas the wife is not up to my level of belief.. Threading a thin rope at the moment... She might freak if she stumbled onto a couple hundred pounds of rice! Ha!
 
#14 ·
Ok, lets look at the round the world unassisted world record held by Jessica Watson.

A sail around the world means you leave home port, sail all the way around the globe and back to home port without stopping, taking on new supplies or repairs. It takes 6 to 8 months to complete depending on your winds. That means your boat needs to hold 8 months worth of food and supplies.

Jessica Watcon sailed a relatively small 34 foot sail boat, so loading it up was abit crowded for my tasts, but if a 16 yearold girl can stock up and survive open ocean for 7 months+ by herself, a true survivalist can too.



http://thevibe.socialvibe.com/index...n-teen-sailing-around-the-world-in-pink-boat/
 
#74 ·
Ok, lets look at the round the world unassisted world record held by Jessica Watson.

A sail around the world means you leave home port, sail all the way around the globe and back to home port without stopping, taking on new supplies or repairs. It takes 6 to 8 months to complete depending on your winds. That means your boat needs to hold 8 months worth of food and supplies.

Jessica Watcon sailed a relatively small 34 foot sail boat, so loading it up was abit crowded for my tasts, but if a 16 yearold girl can stock up and survive open ocean for 7 months+ by herself, a true survivalist can too.

YouTube- Tour of Jessica Watson's Yacht


http://thevibe.socialvibe.com/index...n-teen-sailing-around-the-world-in-pink-boat/
Had a world class sailboat for many years. One thing to consider in this scenario is the constant treat of being overtaken by power vessels that not only want to kill you, but are after your stuff. Piracy is not a thing of story books. It is alive and well today. We knew of several couples that met their end in this manner. One such couple ended up with their bodies stuffed inside their own coolers. Pirates are not beyond taking your boat and modifying it so it is hardly recognizable. The Coast Guard is always on the lookout for such vessels. Nearly all offshore boats are documented. That means somewhere on the vessel the document number is permanent to the hull, either by pressing the number into the fiberglass itself or carving the documentation number into a structural beam which can't be removed without destroying the boat. This practice is usually done to heavier displacement boats typically in excess of 32 feet. The Coast Guard has the authority to board any vessel with guns drawn without any provocation whatsoever anywhere in the world. They have more authority than even the military. When they suspect you may be less than honest, they can and will take your boat apart searching for whatever they think you're hiding. This poses no trouble for those of us that aren't under suspicion, but the bad guys have definitely met their match. Speaking from experience, it makes one quite edgy when a Coast Guard cutter pulls up to your boat and boards. Happened to us a couple of times while in Canadian waters. Fortunately, we were one of the good guys and had all our paperwork in order, so they left us in peace.
 
#17 ·
yea, a sailboat would be the way to go, however I'm on a power boat. I figure I got about a 500 NM range on full tanks... Wonder where I should go if SHTF? I'm in Miami. I could add about another 150 miles using a spare tank I have on board.. Any Ideas? The Bahamas? I could always "Borrow" a sailboat from the marina I suppose....
 
#20 ·
No, that was a different one. The record around the world is for Nonstop. As soon as you make port, you lose.

You may be thinking of the other girl, who tried it in a racing sal boat and had to stop for repairs somewhere, and then got blown over in a storm and had to be rescued.

If you are traveling in the ocean, you need the right kind of boat. a racing boat designed to be raced by a full, competent and trained crew during the heat of it. It is not what you want for around the world travel. You need something more like what the first girl had. A real boat with a heavy keel to keep you upright under sever conditions that is set up to sail solo if need be.

Ella's Pink Lady was a good boat for such a trip. A similar set up would be ideal as a BOBoat too as you can load it up with a years worth of food and supplies, and it's solid in adverse conditions. Sure it may not be as fast and menuverable as a racing boat, but when a huge storm blows up you want the boat that rights itself like a weeble (Weebles wobble but they don't fall down), not some speedy racer.
 
#21 ·
Vanishing Nomad, I'm curious about pirates after tshtf. Do you think that's a real danger for you? If so, how are you planning to handle it?

Seems to me that if pirates are a real threat, you'll need a way to repel them. And, you'll need a way to hide from them, if possible. Is there an island you plan to run to or is it the open ocean for you?

Your plan does sound like it offers a lot of adventure.

Too bad used submarines aren't more prevalent for private ownership.
 
#22 ·
I think Pirates are as much a threat as raiders are on land...only because there is so much water, and so few people who can actually sail, I feel confident that I would be fine so long as I kept to deep water.

Once things settle down, I can go ashore with little fear as most of the potential pirates will have been killed off or died as raiders on land.

Remember, they are as vulnerable on the water as you are. If you greet every boat armed to fight, Pirates will choose easier targets, just as criminals on land do when faced with either armed prey, or unarmed prey. They choose too attack weakness.

Also, there are plenty of islands to go to.
 
#24 ·
What is the shortest length of STABLE, seaworthy, craft, made for long term voyages on blue water?

I am anticipating 26 ft. Tell me why I am wrong and tell me what would be better and I will be a very happy guy.
 
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#27 ·
Ella's Pink Lady is 34 feet, and to be honest, that is a little sort to me. Considering a good storm can give you 50 foot waves, i would want at least a 50 foot boat. Although i do know someone who was fine with a 47 footer.

26 feet for open ocean? I thinking that is crazy talk. That is a day sailer for close to shore, in sight of land. I just my sailing lessons on a 22 foot, I don't see how 4 more would be that much of a difference.
 
#28 ·
Two stories of sea survival I would recommend. First is the story of the Essex and second would be Captain Cook in Antarctica. There are several books written on either subject.

I work on ship in South East Alaska during the summer and I'll tell you that it may be a viable option for survival, but it's going to be a really expensive one and only temporary. I would think more of a boat as a means of getting you somewhere safe than as a place to live for the rest of your life.
 
#29 ·
Actually I have heard somewhere that a sail boat in the 30-38 foot range is the best for a solo sailor.. They are big enough to handle almost all sea conditions. Where in the heck are you going to get in 50' waves? I would head to the Bahamas / Caribbean and lay low during hurricane season....Lots of people leave their sailboats a long way from where they live and during a SHTF scenario, I don't think many people could get to them. That would make them available to us that live next to them.... :)
 
#30 ·
Larry and Lin Pardey circumnavigated I think twice on a wooden 24 footer. Their books are a good resource and highly recommended. I've been in gale force storms in the Atlantic while delivering a 27 ft. sloop to Annapolis Md. from SWFla. So its not the size of the boat but how well build it is. Of course never forget size = comfort with regards to a long term stay aboard. The bottom line with this issue is that you have to really know what you're doing. The sea does not forgive.
That being said Coastal survival sailing is a possibility if you have the place and ability to cache supplies you can access on your boat. This also applies to those on large lakes.
Outside of a select few your chances of survival will be higher on land than at sea.
If things are bad here they will be a nightmare in the Caribbean. Imagine if EMP/SHTF stopped the supply ships/inter island craft that provide the Islands with their needed food. Only a fool will take a boat to an island where a Large number of the people will be looking for a way off.
 
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