Liveaboard Boats as a BO vehicle

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Wildboy, Nov 8, 2010.


  1. Wildboy

    Wildboy Monkey+

    Long time guest. Took the plunge, so my first post:

    Sorry if this has been asked before [I searched under "boat"], but as an option for those who live on/near either E or W Coasts, what's your opinion of a boat as a BO vehicle for when TSHTF?

    Aside from travel being limited by fuel - meaning it would be necessary to have wind propulsion as an option - are there any other negatives?

    I have in mind living aboard permanently, and then making modifications as necessary/recommended.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Really hard to garden...;) limits on fresh water.... issues with trading safety as you have to take all of your stores with you when you tie up (read pirates, inability to get out of dodge very fast)... need for a safe harbor during storms... Maintainence and repair of your boat may require specility skills...

    just a few thoughts...
     
  3. Suerto

    Suerto Monkey+

    I had planned on doing that, buying a sailboat and living aboard it.. Being as how I am from the south coast, it felt natural. It would be very self-sufficient and inexpensive (once you pay off the boat, a comfortable liveaboard SB is $80-$150k for starters), but then you gotta worry about hurricanes (atleast on the south and east coast) or tsunami.. thats the only two drawbacks I saw when pining on it..

    bigger liveaboards usually have water-makers (de-salinators).
    as long as you stay close in U.S. waters, pirates arent really an issue.
    you would have to be vigilante to incliment weather, loaded sailboats arent speedboats.
    I would recommend learning to scuba, woodworking, fiberglass repair, mechanic skillz, and how to sail..

    Being as how we have relocated to OK, thats no longer really an option. Wife alwasy wanted to have a camper, and I needed one for work a couple of years ago, so, we live in a camper.. In tornado ally.. yeah, I know.. we've been very blessed so far.

    Try living out of one bedroom of your house/apt for a month, to get an idea of what you need to downsize to live aboard a boat. That should give you a good idea.
     
  4. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    My wife and I lived aboard boats for 15 years and still have one available as a get the hell out of Dodge option. Think down-sized; how much "stuff" do you actually need? That is the limiting factor more than fuel: storage space for stuff is at a premium. Think also, that aboard a boat all your eggs are actually in one basket and that basket can sink, burn, or get impounded by governments or other pirates. Don't fool yourself into negating long-term storage items thinking that you can live on fish; fish are great but it gets old eating them three times a day for months at a time. Security is a big issue as well. Who defends all your stuff while you are ashore scrounging? Scrounging is the most time consuming event in the life of boat people and cannot be avoided. I loved living on the sea and it will always be a part of me but it definitely is not for everyone and I would weigh all the facts before jumping in. Be glad to help with any advice I can offer.
     
  5. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    .


    I was refering to a post shtf scenario... at that point i think all bets are off and Pirating would probably come back into vogue as a means of survival for some folks...
     
  6. BAT1

    BAT1 Cowboys know no fear

    I would rather have a small sub and a land based cavernous cove. I'm thinking Capt Nemo.
     
  7. Wildboy

    Wildboy Monkey+

    Thanks for the replies so far!

    Just in case it helps for your suggestions, I:
    *already hold boat captain's and scuba instructor licenses, and I am pretty comfortable in marine environments
    *am an ok mechanic, but have been reading up on boat repairs - it seems this is the major PITA for boat owners I've ever known!
    *am a good shot, comfortable with different weapons platforms
    *have EMT training
    *am thinking about mooring in the Pacific NW
    *plan to adapt solar and water desalinator tech, etc, to be as self-sufficient as possible
    *have been researching possible mooring spots and boat models for over a year now, with a timetable in mind.

    So, to be more specific, assuming I _were_ to get a boat, how might it be (or not be) suitable as a BO vehicle and what modifications would you recommend?

    Thanks again!
     
  8. Suerto

    Suerto Monkey+

    **** WD, you got me again.. lol
    Although, if you are in the "boating community" (just like any other "community") and are known, you would prolly know many of the people who would entertain privateering.. And thats the angle I was coming from, as, many of my family members on the south coast are shrimpers, and even some claim to be decendants of Jean Lafitte. As it is now, people in those types of coastal communities are fairly suspicious of outsiders and I have heard stories of them sabotaging outsiders boats and/or equipment.

    Thinking worst case scenario, being as how you couldnt outrun pirates, you would need a weopon that could reach out farther than them.. Small arms wouldnt do it, so, that leaves .50 cal or rocket launcher. think getting your hands on that and figure out a place to hide it..

    If your already part of the boating community in your area (commercial or industrial, which it sounds like you are), it would appear that you are coming from the same perspective that I was.. pretty much know everybody in your community and/or grew up on boats and/or are comfortable on the water. I would think that as far as the pirate deal, you would prolly be in the know of who is doing what. I cant think of any downside personally, but then again, I grew on boats and around crusty/rowdy/criminal type/commercial fisherman who were a tight knit group, and thats who I would suspect of being most likely to bring that enterprise to life again.

    Only problem is, if it sinks or catches fire, game over. For some, that would be a big one.
     
  9. Byte

    Byte Monkey+++

    I love the idea and have always wanted to try it. I have no experience with anything larger than a 2 man catamaran though. Something on this scale is way outa my league. I'd love to get some ocean experience though. I can't find the listing for the first ship that I fell in love with but it was much like this one:

    Boats for sale UK, Used boat sales, Commercial For Sale Former Dutch Ministry Ship - Apollo Duck

    It was fully outfitted for living very comfortably and was selling for less than $350k. But imagine what it takes to actually fuel and maintain one! Yikes.

    Byte

    ETA: If you're looking for a fast attack boat...

    http://commercial.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=113565
     
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