"Preppers and Long Distance sailors - more in commom than you might think

Stick with me for a bit.

What do long distance sailors (sailboat sailors) and 'preparers' have in common?

A lot more than you might think.

Both seek to be fully independent for extended periods of time, both seek to be self-supporting, including maintenance and repairs to their dwelling and both work at long term food storage.

Video intrude
(not typical BTW)

(more typical)

So, what can preparers learn from sailors?

Storage/stowage techniques-
Sailing the Canary Islands and weather, Canary Island cruising guides and forum. (many lists and good information on storage times)
Perfect Provisioning for a Passage
Storing Canned Food on a Boat | The Boat Galley

(New at thins? Start here)
Food for Thought: Provisioning 101 | Blue Water Sailing (New at thins? Start here)
https://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/ou-files/Food_Storage_Booklet2.pdf

What food to store? (avoiding menu fatigue)
Atom Voyages - Recipes and Provisioning
Passage meals: what we’re eating at sea


Fun read to go with
Robin Knox-Johnston - Wikipedia first non-stop solo circumnavigation.

The web is full of site with long distance sailing - and many post regular blogs/videos - and many share solid information. I included the Tarka channel as the fellow has an interesting narration style and is easy to listen to - with little in the way of bragging and some of the reef videos are stunning.

I hope this peek at another lifestyle will give you some ideas of where to look for additional information.

Enjoy.

What"

I had one of these

just the right size for sailing on Lake Mead.

mine had the fixed keel which made it a no-go to trailer up to Alaska... So it is still (I assume) out on Lake Mead.

 

I have an old navy friend who's email address in part is "familyatsea". When emailing I always add some $$ to his PayPal account because it can get expensive to send and receive in some parts of the world.

He has dodged those grubby pirates in some Muslim areas.

 

The new pirates of the Caribbean

Venezuelan pirates - the new scourge of the Caribbean

more fallout form Hugo and the failed Socialism in country....

"As Venezuela's economy collapses, a tide of lawlessness is spreading to the nearby island of Trinidad. Its fishermen now live in fear of Venezuelan pirates, discovers Colin Freeman, while Venezuelan smugglers exchange drugs and guns for basic necessities."

as folks cruise the leeward islands, they stay far out in the Atlantic to avoid these SOBs.

 

Well, if America was as free as it advertises they we would be able to procure the necessary weapons to make those pirates wish they chose a different occupation.

 

Two Words, TUG BOAT!
Not as efficient for cruising, but you get a lot more usable space, and a very tough low maintenance mobile home, and your not as big a target for crimes on the water, and if they did try it, you got a bunch of advantages to defend your self!

 

Water cannon! (I love it!)

 

Ahoy matey, load grapeshot in the 8"!

It's been my dream to live on a sailboat since I did my AIT at Cory Station in Pensacola. Might make it before retirement age... I guess some dreams just have to wait.

 

Worked with a guy at Eglin that bought one of these



47 ft Gulfsttar as a drug seizure for $400. It was a bit of a fixer-upper, but a could thou later, and he was running dinner cruses in the sound on weekend nights.

It was a license to print $$$ - and when he retired, he just sailed away....

It is more than possible if you want to take the leap...

 

Mine rides like a dream, and with the ultra low center of gravity, wave action is a non issue, even in cat 10 blows!
These older Stan built Tugs are the gold standard of blue water capable Tugs! Fuel Burn isn't all that bad ether, these big Cats just sip the fuel, about 22 gallons per hour slow cruising, hell, the gen sets can burn almost that at full load! LOL
Nice thing is I can trail a shaft and generate power with out the engine load on the dead shaft. pretty slick setup if I do say so! I have about 1900 sq.feet of living/storage space, and that storage space is about the same size as a large two car garage, has one full head, one half head, and three full staterooms! Carries around 40,000 gallons total fuel in 7 tanks, and 800 gallons fresh potable water with full water treatment capabilities capable of converting the full volume in 24 hours on a single gen set!

 

Friend of mine had the 50ft.twin mast, We crossed the Gulf 4 times in it,Bring plenty of reading material !
Added note,Coast guard men will not touch a Kotex box or even look under it !
We lived on Dolphin and Grouper !

 

Worked with a guy, when I was at Todds Shipyard -Houston from Trinidad, he was surprised I knew where it was. He'll never go back.

 

When I was younger my dream was to live on a sailboat full time.
Wife didn't share my dream, money for it was never available, so it never happened.
Also, since I couldn't do the sail thing, I switched to thinking along the line of full time RV.
She didn't like that idea either.
Now, I'm just an old prepper, got a few acres, a few chickens, a garden and some bees.
OH YEAH, and a whole closet full of TP! Wife's idea!
Gotta do what works, like this guy in this video. Tough life for a pirate....

 

A great boating channel on the utube for trawler info is DangerMarine. He's restoring a trawler. Great stuff.

 

We don't take water over the stern rail unless you back down on it hard, or you'r hogging and wallowing in wave troughs, or you make sudden turns and lean hard over, something to be avoided! She charges through most surf pretty well, and she climbs bigger waves with ease, as long as she doesn't breach and hammer, it's all good! She looks like she has a bluff bow, but she actually has a shallow "V" more like an Ice Breaker, and in fact, she has an ice rating of up to 3 feet, though I couldn't imagine ever needing that capability, but it's good to have! I do wish she had more rocker to the decks and rails, would make the rough stuff easier on us, but the low stern is a god send for dock side loading/unloading, or fishing and other over the side activities!