Could a sailboat be the ultimate bugout vehicle...?

[lightningxl]

Been a professional yachtman for 20 year live-aboard for half that time - for me a seaworthy boat is one of the best preppers vehicle. A few thoughts

Onboard water/diesel tanks approx 400 litres.

Tarp to collect rain water / poss osmosis filter to purify seawater (expensive) or solar sill.

Range motor 1litre / hour approx at 5knots (Total Range = 2000Nm) Realistically 1500 effected by sea state and tacking to windward.

Sail Range - Unlimited.

Storage for lots of tins ect - weight not a problem in boat if stored below the waterline added balast.

Fishing / potting opportunities.

Compleate 12v electric system / solar - wind.

Unlike a farm which can produce things a yacht is like a space capsual have to bring everthing in water food and every off gash (rubbish) .

Coast has plenty of prepping oppotunities and is less populated when the shtf - also if your mast has a tabernacle (Hinge) easy to drop opens up a massive european cannal system.

Anyway this site has prompted me to re-evaluate my boat as a Prepping asset and start focussing on making it effeciant.

Have the knowledge of tides/weather/navigation and seafaring skills to be comfortable and safe in this hazardest environment.

Think a vessel of some kind could be a very adventagious option for preppers - what do people think.
Any sugestions on how I could customise my boat welcome....Tim

[Maddosammo]

Sounds like a plan, ino people who have toyed with the idea before, but i think that they scrubbed it as it doesn't have a great deal of space (small vessels) so a larger more specific purpose vessel would be required. Reducing access to say canals and inland water courses.

But I would say a good idea for moving around and staying mobile and foraging.


EDIT: we do intend to use a canoe and kayaks to move around and stay mobile.

[Plymtom]

Not if you get seasick like me but seriously does it not depend on the conditions at sea? without mod cons of navigation and coms, you are back to your own skills, that's a question you have a better idea about than I do, then how much stuff can you store on an average sailboat? I can't afford one anyway My wife is so scarred of sharks she wouldn't go on one either, but in your case with your experience it could be a no brainer could it not? Yet the seas is alone a dangerous place, and not without it's human threats either even now.

[lightningxl]

Not if you get seasick like me but seriously does it not depend on the conditions at sea? without mod cons of navigation and coms, you are back to your own skills, that's a question you have a better idea about than I do, then how much stuff can you store on an average sailboat? I can't afford one anyway My wife is so scarred of sharks she wouldn't go on one either, but in your case with your experience it could be a no brainer could it not? Yet the seas is alone a dangerous place, and not without it's human threats either even now.

Tom you are right the sea is a dangerous place but we are lucky on the south coast as there are many safe habours to drop anchor - if it get proper bad up the Tamar / Lyner plenty of quite spot nr St Germains.

Not sure about human threats - Simarlian Pirates maybe?

Tend to sail coastal waters rarley more than 8 - 10 hours thought the longest single passage i've done was Barcelona to Menorca 30 something hours. GPS did'nt roll over millenium bug but am confident I can navigate aanywhere with a chart compass and depth sounder.

My boat is a 28ft motor yacht chunkier than a sail boat 6ft+ headroom 1 double 2 single berths galley and heads realistically 2- 3 people would be a push for anything more than a weekend huge amount of storage.

Realise its not for everyone but suits me fine.

Cheers T

[nightowl]

A boat generally sounds like a good idea. The benefits have already been listed but I can see a few drawbacks.
1, In an extreme situation where communication networks have gone down how will you get weather reports etc. You could be sailing into something nasty.
2, Accidents happen to even the most experienced sailors. You might get into a liferaft but who's coming to rescue you now?
3, Being offshore obviously offers plenty of protection against scavengers etc but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that there'll be plenty of other people out on boats... and not all of them friendly.

[Panther]

The short answer is YES a sailboat, or any other vessel if it's large enough, could be the ultimate bugout vehicle as long as you are an experienced yachtsman/sailor.

If you are not it would be a very dangerous/foolhardy way of trying to bug out.

(I'm ex merchant navy !!)

[short circuit]

Panther I cannot aford a boat and I cannot swim but hells bells its started to sound like a good idea to make some sort of craft even if its 1000LTR barrels fastened together in the back garden modded and kitted out with a tarp sail

[nightowl]

Was browsing a few boat sales sites out of curiosity after my dad treated himself to a new fishing boat. Some of the used sailboats have dropped down significantly in price in the current economic climate and are not as expensive generally as you might think. That said, getting a sailboat without some decent training would be foolhardy.

[tom2tom]

I always thought this!!! But their has to be some draw backs =)? Not including price lol

[Panther]

Panther I cannot aford a boat and I cannot swim but hells bells its started to sound like a good idea to make some sort of craft even if its 1000LTR barrels fastened together in the back garden modded and kitted out with a tarp sail

Sounds good to me, go for it!!