I've been following the podcast and blog for Roz Savage, a woman from the UK who rowed across the Atlantic and is now rowing across the Pacific. Site and blog are here:

http://www.rozsavage.com/

She's growing sprouts so she has greens.

Biggest issue for her was early failure of her watermaker - apparently the hatch over it leaked and it corroded within days and was unrepairable.

Anyway, some interesting reading there, and in between all the other stories and posts, probably some useful information on longer-term survival.

Perhaps Wildman has more info on this, but when boating alone, if you decide to relieve yourself over the side, hook up a lifeline. If you lose your balance for any reason, and go over the side, you can't swim fast enough to catch a moving boat.

You are 100% correct on the lifeline.

Look at the story of the S/V MARY CELESTE (1 of the 10 greatest mysteries of the sea) and the theories about what may have happened.

This book look perfect for advancing my sailbaot preparation, thanks!

Thanks to everyone else for the tips and ideas; I am revising the mast checklist with every post. Keep it up!

It's missing a few pages from certain chapters, but if you like it, you can buy the whole book.

HERE is another Pardey book preview for you. I find their books interesting, and very useful as I make plans for my next boat.
Going sailing this evening, should be a great evening for it.

The Self-Sufficient Sailor By Lin Pardey, Larry Pardey
I have THIS Pardey book, and strongly suggest you read the lengthy preview. Again, I got many great ideas from the book.

The Cost Conscious Cruiser By Lin Pardey, Larry Pardey HERE

Reviews
Patience Wells, Editor, Sail Magazine USA
Cruisers who are handy, and willing to take off without frills should read this book. The Pardeys are almost zealous in their convictions and question the necessity of much of what cruisers today call 'standard gear.' Herein they share hundreds of their secrets. This book takes an offbeat look at how to strip down your thinking as well as your boat.

Dan Spurr, Editor, Practical Sailor
A seductive invitation to the cruising life-style, in the main because these veteran voyagers have a unique way of reducing the issues and making the break seem almost easy. The Cost Conscious Cruiser is a powerful argument for simplicity and common sense. In 30 years of cruising, their precept really hasn't changed from the first - Go simple, go small, go now. It's appealing because it makes the wild things possible.

Book Description
The pleasures and adventures of cruising under sail are amazingly affordable, say Lin and Larry Pardey. But to keep your dream on budget, financially, emotionally, and timewise, you have to decide - are you a cruiser or a consumer? In this book, a logical successor to their Self Sufficient Sailor and Capable Cruiser, they discuss topics ranging from making your getaway plans to finding a truly affordable boat, keeping your outfitting costs and maintenance time in control, then learning to feel confident as you cruise farther ahead. Their chart of the gear considered necessary by many shoreside experts, compared to that carried by several cost-conscious cruisers, will give you a convenient checklist to gauge whether you are buying true necessities or overloading your budget and boat with high-tech items that can break down and steal your sense of confidence offshore. Chapters on getting the most from your cruising funds, the attributes of successful long-term voyag! ers, how to upgrade your boat using your own hands, plus answers to the ten questions most frequently asked by potential cruisers - all will help you prepare to explore under sail.

And a shotgun.

Surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. This guy is on a 1000 day sailing trip where he won't resupply or even be within sight of land the whole time. He started with a "friend" who had to leave the boat to deal with what turned out to be a pregnancy.

Overall, you can't argue with the guy's seamanship or long-term survival ability. The website also talks about what equipment he has on board. Outside of communications and position tracking, he is pretty old-school.

He sails on a self-built ship and the overall story is pretty fascinating.

www.1000days.net

I wish I could remember the name of a book I once read, 'bout several guys who set off from Australia en route to New Zealand in a large triple cat sailboat. They got capsized, and floated around upside down for several months before landing back on Oz. Very intersting reading as to how they got food, water, etc...