Has anyone who lives by a big lake or on the ocean considered buggning out by boat? What are the main considerations?

TRO

Oooh. BIG topic. I'll try to add some food for thought:

1. How many people will be on the boat? This will determine size.
2. Where do you plan to go with the boat? If offshore, it needs to be seaworthy enough to handle anything the ocean's going to throw at it.
3. How long do you expect to be out there? Remember that on the ocean there's water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. You'll either have to carry your supply or have a desalinator. And you'll have to stock food for the same time period. Again, affects size.
4. What part of the ocean? North Atlantic? South Pacific? Consider weather patterns and temperatures.
5. How will the boat be powered? Sail? Diesel? Gasoline? Oars? You'd hate to run out of fuel out there in blue water.

For ocean travel you'd need tools and spare parts to be able to repair any damage that may happen. The ocean is an extremely hostile environment. If your car breaks down you can walk. If the boat breaks down ..........

Hmmm. I'm thinking more scooting up or down the coast -- avoid the traffic. We'd likely never be more than a mile offshore.

tro

Stiff offshore breeze? Fog? Illness/confusion? Many things can cause you to go off course. Your boat becomes your entire survival world, and has to have everything you need.

What is your level of boating experience? Being only a mile offshore is a fallacious concept of safety. It's like saying I'll drive 60MPH in the slow lane on the freeway and never become involved in an accident.

Check out the thread; science fiction survival boat, it's about a year or so old, but it's got a lot of good info on a self-supporting blue water cruiser... provided that you've got deep pockets <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

A boat to survive in the ocean or a large lake seems to be a huge under taking just to bug out with. It has to be sea worthy and large enough to transport all you need. Its expensive. But the idea occured to me a while back, when there was a discussion about where to bug out to, have a shallow bottomed river boat. When the time comes to bug out and every one else is heading for the hills and farms, you could head for the swamps. Far fewer people would head for the swamps since they aren't as popular as say a forest for people in the camping or survival mind set. BUT, they are full of life to hunt and fish, water to filter and boil and severely lacking in marauding hordes. A much lighter, cheaper boat could be used, one which you could use to go fishing in normal times. While it wouldn't work for every situation, hurricanes for instance, I think it would make a reasonable alternative to the roads.

I would prefer to think more of Gilligan's Island, rather than just sitting on the water, a mile or so out. Let's see, I'll need a bicycle powered laptop with an encyclopedia to prepare what I need on the island, a satellite radio/transmitter and Mary Ann

No Ginger fans, eh?

mary ann would demand overtime wages for staying with you guys on damp rainy season. She would say " what the hell am I doing with a bunch of blokes in middle no where? <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />