Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It would take me weeks to get to the coast to use a sailboat anyway, so no.
However, the Missouri River runs right by the place I live during the week, and I could use the waterway system to cover all but about 15 miles of the distance to my cabin, so while a sailboat isn't practical, a canoe is in part because I would have to portage around a couple dams, but it would be do-able.
But your in plan view. Seems senseless to hide there. Pirates have always been a problem at sea. Even now pirates in small boats take tankers.
it would be governed by the same rule as a fortress or safe house. Safe as a nutshell until someone brings a nutcracker. Then you better do the "bug out boogie". An island is the same basic scenario. You run away to an island location, fuel up, restock and haul tail when you need too. I think history has somewhat proven that any wall can fall, so you better have a backdoor.
Personally from where I live now (SF bay area), I would bug out in an petrol powered offshore racer (id have to steal one as i do not own one). Not much out there can catch them and they have huge fuel reserves. I believe this to be as safe as a car, as either way you may or may not find a gas station, but you can siphon off other vehicles. In a boat your less likely to find fuel, but your less likely to encounter other people. In a car/truck your more likely to find fuel, but also to find more people and forced to change a route when roads are blocked and there is no secondary trail.
On foot from my house it might not be a great idea, as it would take weeks to get far enough away from other people to find a secure location.
Sailboats are great for sustainability, but you are not always able to out run other boats, though you can outlast them.
Also, it doesn't have to be a tiny desert island in the ocean with a single coconut tree, there are many delta systems out there as well as lakes with tiny islands. Here in California, bugging out with a Fanboat in our delta system would give you a huge advantage, as almost no one has one. Easy to keep on the move and you can cross water or land where most cannot.
I have read most of this thread. Many interesting points, pro and con. My contributions are two old sayings and a comment:
"A boat is a hole in the water, surrounded by wood or fiberglas, into which one pours a LOT of money."
"The two happiest days in a boat-owner's life are (1) the day he buys it, and (2) the day he sells it."
I was raised along the central Gulf Coast and I know a fair amount about boats -- particularly sailboats. I know how to sail, I used to teach others how to sail, and I can testify to the truth behind both sayings.
-- Nighteyes
PS:
And BTW, there needs to be another option in the poll: "I plan to stay right where I am."
You poor saps. A sailboat is the ultimate freedom machine. And it's a lot harder to get away from ravenous hordes on your hundred acres in Nebraska or Maine or wherever that it is to pull up anchor and sail over the horizon.
Here's the thing. An equipped sailboat can make its own water and electricity. You can fish from a sailboat. If you have enough spare parts, you can pretty much sail for months. Heck, one woman I kept track of sailed her 26-footer from Rhode Island to New Zealand without ever touching land in the mid 2000s. She managed it in 120 days, even though she really didn't know what she was doing and minimal equipment. I don't know about you, but I'd rather ride out SHTF in New Zealand or Australia than in the backwoods of New England waiting for the fleeing population of Boston to discover you and your stash of food. I've known cruisers who went 6-8 months without seeing anyone at all.
It also means that you can actually sail to places in the world where societal order continues to exist. And if you're worried about pirates, then have a flotilla. Sailors are organized that way. Ten armed boats in a flotilla can do the trick, and they'll still be sailing when the stinkpots have long ago run out of fuel.
Uninhabited islands abound in the Pacific, by the way. And a lot of islands are sparsely populated with fresh water and abundant vegetation. Even in North America, there are plenty of places where you can drop anchor and not see a soul literally for weeks. Baja, the Inland Passage to Alaska, the Florida Keys, Maine, and a host of others. I mean, just gunk holing the Great Lakes will keep you out of sight for a long time -- as long as it's not winter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
