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A good friend of mine recently sailed nearly around the world, from Florida around the tip of South America, across the Pacific Ocean, visited some friends in Japan, then back to the west coast, down past Mexico to the Panama canal and then north to the Caribbean, all on a 30 ft sailboat. The trip took him two years, and he said he stopped at a port about once a month, although sometimes he went up to three months without visiting civilization.
While I know he used GPS navigation, satellite weather reports, and other resources that might not be available in a SHTF scenario, I was wondering how viable a maritime survivalist strategy might be. Regardless, I'd like my chances of survival on an unpopulated Caribbean island rather than competing with 300 million other people for limited resources in mainland U.S.
With the right head and the right skills, having mastered being lonely for contact it's doable.
One part I don't like is it can be illegal to ha ve a shot gun in many ports of call.
I am curious if this friend had one, maybe tucked away in the mast step.
Sure your friend used modern navigation, but I am willing to bet he knows the old way too.
Deep water men tend to know a lot of things they might not use everyday.
You don't just buy a boat and assume the skills will come in 2 days.
I have spent some time sailing in deep water, and find it very ammusing on shore watching antics of a newbie. They always seem so surprized to discover new real estate too
I recall one time getting the scare of my life about 40 miles off Daytona Bch. I was crewing, and on mid-night watch in a foggy drizzel. I saw lights on shore and checked the modern at the time loran navigation device ((Long rannge navigation) That is lost to history now.
Anyway it said we were right where we should be and the beach and lights i could see weren't there. I found this very upsetting, and woke the captain from his sleep and he was not a happy man for it. All he could see was blackness and fog in the lights we had.
I insisted we make sail and go find out, because not much looks like a city street any 40 miles out, and sure enough we came upon a very unhappy aircraft carrier on manouvers.
It all ended nicely as everyone including me was pretty un-happy. The Navy sent us away, the Capt went to bed miffed, and my shift was done, so the next crew was just as unhappy.
Good insight. This guy was a navy intelligence officer breaking radio codes in the Mediterranean during the Israel Egypt war, a wilderness survival guide, a machinist, a college math professor, a semi-pro bicyclist and a professional fisherman. If anyone has the skillset, it's him.
It's funny you mention the shotgun. He said that many ports do not bother you about the shotgun if you have it loaded with flares and disguise it in some way as a flare gun. However, he also showed me how it is possible to hide contraband below the water underneath a boat by tying it to a cable anchored below the waterline. He said that it is necessary to put the shotgun there in some ports.
If your willing I'ld like to understand how this hiding is done.
I only have some of the skills, and I myself could not do alone what your friend has done. I can navigate off the east coast the old fahshion way and if I get lost it is a simple matter to sail north to find land. I won't know where I am untill I get on shore and buy another case of beer and ask
I know some tricks but that isn't one of them.
To me a decent shotgun is a must have in any terms of self defence. For salt water it would have to be made for that purpose, and be plastics and stainless steel.
Why's that? You think diesel stinkpots would discover a man getting away. Not much burning gas would be a problem after 200 nautical miles to sea. They would be worried about more fuel.
When the boat is out of the water, you put an I-bolt into the hull 4 feet or so below the water line and and anchor a short cable, just longer than the depth below the water line, to it with a rubber bag tied to the other end, making careful note of exactly where the bolt is located with reference to something on the deck. Then you can loosely secure the bag with a zip-tie, or just let it hang. The item can be retrieved quickly with a stick, or cut loose with a wire cutter if expecting a very thorough search. I didn't see exactly how the bolt was set up, but I saw him take a fishing rod and pull up a bag, seemingly from nowhere. When he put it back, I could not find anything out of the ordinary when probing with the fishing pole myself. I guess the idea is to position it in such a way that you really have to know where it is and be looking there to find it.
Why's that? You think diesel stinkpots would discover a man getting away. Not much burning gas would be a problem after 200 nautical miles to sea. They would be worried about more fuel.
Pirates have been on the water since the second boat existed.
Post Apocalypse...
Lack of Coasties... it'll be worse.
'Heck' NOW there are parts of the country you won't get very far.
When there is no 'regulation'....
Check your history, used to be EVERY boat carried artillery.
No doubt there have been Pirates since the 2nd boat. I might guess in shtf any nautical survivior might also be one. There is a hidden side to being a deep water sailor, which even applies to deep water fishing boat's and crews. In time nearly anyone gets dock savey, if you are on docks much.
I even played at piracy a few times. Like the time I took a guy out on his fist new blow boat with his gal. He got wicked seas sick and I put him on another power boat since his engine quite and there were no spare parts.
There was no choice but to wait on the tide as there wasn't much wind. There wasn't any beer, wine, or champain either when I came about and backed his blow boat into the dock. That sail was around 10 hours long since no wind ever came up to speak of. His gal and I had a great time once we got him off the boat too!
I took another boat, on another time. I knew the owner, but it turned out he wasn't there. I was paddlin on of my kayaks, and snuck up on a twin masted schooner off Glouster. I found some very attractive women aboard, and this sleepy but testy guy i didn't like so I tossed him over board and let my kayak free. Had another great time with the gals that time too.
Chem Guy, that's EYE Bolt, you dammned near threw me.... I think I get it now.
Ever heard of Dmitry Orlov?
He is a big advocate of maritime prepping (he lives on a boat) and believes it has a good shipping business potential for the future. Check out cluborlov.
His books are very informative and thought provoking too.
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