Selecting And Using A Boat As A Floating Retreat
Adam Starchild
SELECTING AND USING A BOAT AS A FLOATING RETREAT
by
Adam Starchild
Man's earliest commercial transportation of importance was
by sail boat. If you could have stood on the banks of the Nile
River, as long ago as 3000 B.C., you could have seen flat-
bottomed boats sailing upriver to the capital city of Memphis,
Egypt. The prowess of the Phoenician sailor was to become
legendary, and indeed, the spread of early civilization was due
in large part to the commerce established by the captains of
sailing ships, as they plied their trade in the ports of the
ancient seats of civilization. So reliable did sailing ships
become, in fact, that when Christopher Columbus made his fateful
voyage of discovery in 1492, his biggest problem was a crew that
became fearful and mutinous because they were sailing in
uncharted waters.
Columbus made his remarkable and unprecedented voyage --
notwithstanding the trouble that he encountered -- in slightly
over two months, carrying a party of eighty-eight persons on his
three sailing ships. Now, as a hypothetical question --: Given
the state of the geographical and navigational knowledge of his
day, could Columbus have made his voyage with any more
anticipation of success in engine=powered boats? Surprisingly,
the answer is no. For starters, considering the King's and
Queen's reluctance to finance the voyage, what might their
reaction have been if they were asked to provide and provision
three engine-powered boats of comparable size? What might have
been the result, when the Pinta put in for repairs, if Columbus
were told that engine parts were unavailable because of a
machinists' strike in Tenerife?
However, putting aside such considerations as the dependence
of powered boats on the vagaries of economics and politics, what
about their seaworthiness? Is it only the hearty -- or foolhardy
-- that dare venture forth on them? The fact is that, except in
very large sizes, the sail boat is more seaworthy than its
engine-powered counterpart. It is a little-known fact that sails
have such a steadying effect on a boat that some engine-powered
boats are equipped with a small set of sails, to be used in an
emergency.
Fortunately, the sail boat hasn't gone the way of the horse-
and-buggy, or the steam car, because a few people still think
enough of this ancient but reliable mode of travel that this
continue to manufacture sail boats, as well as do-it-yourself
kits in various stages of completion. And for the do-it-
yourselfer who's not afraid to tackle a big job (up to four years
of concentrated part-time effort), there are sail boat plans
available.
So, if you've got a yet for travel, the sailing boat might
be for you. It offers a little of the best of all possible
worlds:
It offers self containment. If your boat is large enough,
you can carry household goods, as well as the accumulated
possessions of a lifetime, that you would normally leave behind
with other forms of transportation.
It offers security. With a sail boat as a base of
operations, and with a flair for independence, you might pick up
extra money from diving, fishing, or chartering tourists on
pleasure or fishing trips.
It offers freedom. Consider, for example, the feeling of
waiting in a service station line (a possibility that still looms
in the future), as compared to being propelled over the water by
free wind power. Gasoline and diesel fuel shortages, state and
federal regulations that are imposed upon land (and air) vehicles
-- all are a form of state tyranny that you can escape on a sail
boat.
And perhaps not least, is the thrill of discovery. There
are few places, available by land vehicles, that are not overrun
and spoiled by civilization. Your discovery -- much as Columbus'
-- might be the beauty and solitude of some nearly uninhabited
island, or the peace and non-regimentation of a society less
"civilized" than the one you left behind.
As a matter of practicality your choice between a sail boat
and other forms of transportation, such as powered boats, land
vehicles, etc., is made just as you make all other choices -- by
weighing the advantages against the disadvantages. I've listed
many of the advantages of the sail boat, so what are its
disadvantages? There are only two significant disadvantages: (1)
The sail boat is relatively slow, and (2) The sail boat requires
relatively more skill to operate. It is my opinion that these
disadvantages are slight as compared to the advantages, making
the sail boat the best possible choice for a floating retreat.
Once you've made your decision to obtain a sail boat, either
by buying it or by building it from plans or kits, you'll do just
as you would if you were about to engage in any other sport,
hobby, or avocation: You will learn all you can about sail
boats, sailing techniques, maintenance, and navigational methods
and equipment.
Generally speaking, there are two basic kinds of sail boats,
the monohull and the multihull. Further, the multihull boat can
be either the catamaran (two hulls), or the trimaran (three
hulls).
Monohull
As its name implies, the monohull is a single hull boat.
It's a traditional boat, which is an advantage, because it's been
around, in some form or other, for centuries. This means that if
your choice is ultimately for the monohull, you'll have many to
choose from. The monohull can carry more weight than a
comparable multihull boat, but has the disadvantage of being
comparatively slow, with a speed of about seven knots (a knot is
equal to 1.15 statute miles per hour). Another disadvantage of
the monohull is largely one of comfort, because it heels some 20
to 40 degrees to the leeward. Another, more serious disadvantage
is the heavy keel of the monohull boat, which virtually assures
sinking if water leaks into the hull through a break. Also,
running aground in a keeled boat often results in the loss of the
boat.
Catamaran
Because of the upsurge in sail boat interest, and to
overcome the disadvantages of the single-hulled boat, the
multihulls are gaining in popularity. Actually, the multihulls
predate the monohulls, having been developed in the South Pacific
islands many centuries ago. It was probably their comparative
complexity, in an era when man was intrigued with mechanization,
that cause their decline in popularity. Now, however, catamarans
are available that are very fast, capable of 30 knots, and with a
heel of less than 15 degrees, which makes them fairly
comfortable. Moreover, if the catamaran is properly build, and
equipped with flotation material, the non-keel construction makes
it unsinkable, even if both hulls become filled with water. From
the standpoint of comfort, the catamaran scores rather poorly,
because the living arrangement is hampered by two widely
separated hulls. A more serious disadvantage of the catamaran is
its susceptibility to capsize in gusty winds (a capsized boat is
not a sinking boat, per se, but is nonetheless a serious problem
when it occurs far out to sea).
Trimarans
The three-hulled trimaran overcomes most of the problems of
both the monohull and the catamaran. Like the catamaran, it is
fast -- about 30 knots -- and relatively comfortable, with a
maximum heel of only nine degrees. Because of a large central
hull, comfortable living quarters can be arranged, and in
trimarans over forty feet long, there is a living space in the
two outer hulls, as well as in the central hull. Surprisingly,
the trimaran is less expensive initially, and has more volume,
than a monohull of the same length. For an additional advantage,
the rigging is lighter. Perhaps the principal disadvantages of
the trimaran are that it will carry less weight than the
monohull, and a large beam (width) makes it not too easy to find
a slip from which to launch it. However, slips of any width are
rare outside the U. S., so that with the growing popularity of
the trimaran, when new slips are at last built, they will be
built to accommodate this three-hulled boat. Finally, add to all
the advantages of comfort, the advantage in the fact that the
trimaran is unsinkable (if equipped with adequate flotation
material), and that, to the best of anyone's knowledge, it is
uncapsizeable. The logical conclusion is that the trimaran is
the best choice in sail boats as floating retreats.
Rigging
The best choice for rigging is a ketch or yawl rig, each
with two masts, as compared to the sloop, with only one mast.
Even though the sloop is slightly faster, a divided -- or two-
masted -- rig offers more ease of handling, as well as a greater
variety of sail plans for different weather conditions.
Boat Size
Once you've decided on a trimaran, because of its
comparatively better safety, mobility, and comfort features, what
size trimaran would suit you best? Just as with any other major
purchase,decision must be a fine balance between your needs,
desires, and budget.
The 25- to 30-foot trimaran will accommodate one or two
persons, but in a rather cramped style. Moreover, there is not a
lot of room on the 25 to 30-footer to stock supplies for an
extended cruise.
The 35-foot trimaran will take two to six people in
reasonable comfort.
The 40- to 45-foot trimaran will accommodate four to ten
persons with plenty of space.
The 50- to 60-foot trimaran is, relatively speaking, a
luxury liner. It will take from six to fourteen people.
Shopping for the Boat
If you can afford it, the best way to get a boat is to buy
it, completely built and outfitted. When you buy from a
reputable dealer, you will know it is seaworthy and reliable. On
the opposite end of the financial spectrum, you may want to buy
boat plans and build your own; however, as I pointed out earlier,
this is a major project for even the heartiest do-it-yourselfer,
requiring skill, patience and time to complete. Kits, in various
stages of completion, are available to the do-it-yourselfer. Or
you can buy a partially built boat, which you can complete. Or
you can buy a boat that is built, but not outfitted. Or you can
shop for a used boat. Before buying a used boat, however,
familiarize yourself with prices, construction principles, and
features to look for in a boat. And finally, before buying any
boat that is for any reason uninspected, have your prospective
purchase inspected for flaws by a marine surveyor who specializes
in trimarans.
Learning to Sail
Buy books that contain information on sailing and other
marine subjects. Also, it would be well to buy marine charts,
not only of your immediate area, but also of other possible
destinations. Study the books and charts. Learn as much of the
terminology of boats and sailing as you can, so you can ask
intelligent, relevant questions from experts.
After studying the subject of boating as thoroughly as
possible, there is no substitute for practice, as a means of
learning. But this doesn't mean that you should immediately buy
your cruising boat, outfit it, and go to sea. A better method
would be to buy a good, used practice boat -- about a 10- to 20-
footer -- which would give you an economical way to get the feel
of sailing.
As a practice boat, the best buy is a sloop, with one mst
and two sails. One sail can be a small jib forward of the mast;
and the other a larger mainsail aft of the mast. By no means
should your first experience in handling a sail boat be in a
catboat, which has the mast in the extreme end of the bow, and
has only one sail. A small catamaran would suffice as a practice
boat, but better yet would be a small trimaran, which will
emulate the mobility and maneuverability of the larger trimaran
that you will ultimately acquire.
Navigating
The basic principles of navigation haven't changed
considerably over the centuries, because natural navigational
aids, such as the sun, and other fixed stars, don't change their
places in the celestial sphere. Many engine-powered boat owners
find it mandatory to equip their boats with electronic direction-
finding equipment, which in the end amounts to high-price
gadgetry, to comply with local regulations. However, the sail
boat owner is, strangely, subject to fewer of these rules and
regulations. What you will need is a knowledge of a simplified
system of navigation; you'll need a sextant, either new or used;;
and you will need a battery-powered, transistorized, short-wave
radio for picking up time signals. With your sextant, practice
taking sun sights by which to calculate the latitude and
longitude of your location.
Using Your Boat
Learn to use your boat the same way that you would learn to
use any mobile equipment that requires operating skill -- by
taking short trips at first. For instance, if you live around
Los Angeles, you can take your practice trips to San Diego. From
the Puget Sound area you can visit the ports of British Columbia.
From Florida, you might even discover some of the thrill that was
Columbus', on October 12, 1492, when his first landfall was the
Bahamas Islands. Good Sailing!
Copyright 1996 by Adam Starchild
Posted by Adam Starchild
The Offshore Entrepreneur at http://www.au.com/offshore
Richard A. De Castro
taxh...@ix.netcom.com(Adam Starchild ) writes:
> Generally speaking, there are two basic kinds of sail boats,
>the monohull and the multihull. Further, the multihull boat can
>be either the catamaran (two hulls), or the trimaran (three
>hulls).
>Monohull
> As its name implies, the monohull is a single hull boat.
>It's a traditional boat, which is an advantage, because it's been
>around, in some form or other, for centuries. This means that if
>your choice is ultimately for the monohull, you'll have many to
>choose from. The monohull can carry more weight than a
>comparable multihull boat, but has the disadvantage of being
>comparatively slow, with a speed of about seven knots (a knot is
>equal to 1.15 statute miles per hour). Another disadvantage of
>the monohull is largely one of comfort, because it heels some 20
>to 40 degrees to the leeward. Another, more serious disadvantage
>is the heavy keel of the monohull boat, which virtually assures
>sinking if water leaks into the hull through a break. Also,
>running aground in a keeled boat often results in the loss of the
>boat.
A significant problem with boats of any size is repairing them. Boats have
lots of things that are essential, and break. Carrying enough spare parts to
repair rigging, for example, that breaks puts a real crimp in the storage
capacity of the boat.
Also, the ability of the boat to carry an adequate supply of fresh water is
limited. Most conventional weekend cruiser types have integral tankage for
considerably less than 100 gallons of water, cruisers who travel long distances
have to store water in smaller containers to use during the cruise. Depending
on rainwater to resupply can be a very dangerous thing, and using the various
types of desalinators require large amounts of energy, usually from the engine.
The handheld RO units aren't sufficient to handle more than survival needs, and
if you're at sea much at all, you'll need a fresh water rinse every few days
to get the salt (which causes a great deal of discomfort, and skin lesions)
off.
Sailing a small boat is also risky. Every year, hundreds of cruisers boats
are damaged from collisions with large objects - usually shipping containers
swept off of cargo ships, and just barely floating. If your fiberglass boat
(or wood, or metal) hits one of those, the results are not favorable at all.
Large marine mammals (whales) will also occasionally hit boats, causing
lots of damage. And, when a 3x4 foot hole in the boat is letting the
water (all of the water) into your boat, you'd better be pretty damned quick
in fixing it, with all the spares to hand.
>Catamaran
> Because of the upsurge in sail boat interest, and to
>overcome the disadvantages of the single-hulled boat, the
>multihulls are gaining in popularity. Actually, the multihulls
>predate the monohulls, having been developed in the South Pacific
>islands many centuries ago. It was probably their comparative
>complexity, in an era when man was intrigued with mechanization,
>that cause their decline in popularity. Now, however, catamarans
>are available that are very fast, capable of 30 knots, and with a
>heel of less than 15 degrees, which makes them fairly
>comfortable. Moreover, if the catamaran is properly build, and
>equipped with flotation material, the non-keel construction makes
>it unsinkable, even if both hulls become filled with water. From
>the standpoint of comfort, the catamaran scores rather poorly,
>because the living arrangement is hampered by two widely
>separated hulls. A more serious disadvantage of the catamaran is
>its susceptibility to capsize in gusty winds (a capsized boat is
>not a sinking boat, per se, but is nonetheless a serious problem
>when it occurs far out to sea).
Capsizing a catamaran is essentially a disaster. If the mast doesn't
break off (it almost always does), it will certainly prevent the boat
from righting. Even little hobycats (16' long) are incredibly difficult
for crews to right, and the total weight of one is well under 1,000 lbs.
Multiply that by 40 or 50, throw in cold water and a storm, and it's
liferaft time.
BTW, don't count on _anyone_, EVER rescuing you from a capsized boat.
The rescue teams (Coast Guards, etc) around the world do a great job,
and it's the "law of the sea" that other ships are to help you, but the
others may never know about your plight, or they may be unable to assist
you (during a storm, or some other problem).
>Trimarans
>Rigging
For long distance sailing, a Cutter Rigged ketch is better - better
aerodynamics, and smaller sails to handle. BTW, there are significant
differences in how boats are made with different sailplans - you just can't
add another jib and call it a cutter, or another mast and call it a ketch.
Yawls are, IMHO, dangerous for most - the mizzen main and boom are too far
aft (mostly hanging over the stern railing), and that makes them difficult
to safely handle in rough weather, and dangerous to leave out in a following
sea - if the mizzen catches the water, you can expect serious hull damage as
the mizzen mast is ripped out.
>Boat Size
> Once you've decided on a trimaran, because of its
>comparatively better safety, mobility, and comfort features, what
>size trimaran would suit you best? Just as with any other major
>purchase,decision must be a fine balance between your needs,
>desires, and budget.
> The 25- to 30-foot trimaran will accommodate one or two
>persons, but in a rather cramped style. Moreover, there is not a
>lot of room on the 25 to 30-footer to stock supplies for an
>extended cruise.
> The 35-foot trimaran will take two to six people in
>reasonable comfort.
> The 40- to 45-foot trimaran will accommodate four to ten
>persons with plenty of space.
> The 50- to 60-foot trimaran is, relatively speaking, a
>luxury liner. It will take from six to fourteen people.
I used to live (by myself) on a 45 foot sloop. It was so cramped, that
I kept most of my clothes, etc on shore. You really have to be a fan of
small, tight quarters - and if you're with another person or people, remember
that there is NO place to be alone on a small boat, there is little privacy,
and everybody had better be compatible - for a trip that can easily take
60+ days (West Coast of the US to say Tahiti).
A 50-60 foot tri will need at least six people to safely crew it. That's
getting into a fairly large boat. While great advances have been made
in recent years in making boats easier to singlehand or for older
crews to handle, all of those great devices are yet another thing to break,
and the newer boats I've seen rigged for singlehand crewing all have little
safeguards or backups built in to allow conventional crewing.
The toys have to work, all the time.
>Navigating
> The basic principles of navigation haven't changed
>considerably over the centuries, because natural navigational
>aids, such as the sun, and other fixed stars, don't change their
>places in the celestial sphere. Many engine-powered boat owners
>find it mandatory to equip their boats with electronic direction-
>finding equipment, which in the end amounts to high-price
>gadgetry, to comply with local regulations. However, the sail
>boat owner is, strangely, subject to fewer of these rules and
>regulations. What you will need is a knowledge of a simplified
>system of navigation; you'll need a sextant, either new or used;;
>and you will need a battery-powered, transistorized, short-wave
>radio for picking up time signals. With your sextant, practice
>taking sun sights by which to calculate the latitude and
>longitude of your location.
Sorry, you can't do both with a sunsight. And, you don't need a radio
if you have a good watch (doesn't need to be a "chronometer", but it
does need to have a very consistent error from day to day, and you need
to know what it is. Relying on WWV or some other government's time signal
during economic or political upheaval is dangerous.
Celestial nav isn't hard, as long as you have the right books. The wiz-bang
calculators are another thing to break (as are the plastic sextants, and
a good metal one is around a kilobuck - and you should have a backup for it,
and a plastic one for the liferaft).
You may gather from my posting that I don't think boats are a great hedge
for getting out of town in an emergency. In addition to the problems I've
mentioned, there are a couple of more:
Piracy. There are areas of the world where pirates attack small boats at
will now, in desparate times there will be more of them. Areas around
Thailand, Jakarta, the Phillipine Islands, and parts of the Carribean are
already dangerous for small boats.
What will be there when you get there? Theres no assurance that the folks
who are already living at your destination will let you stay, give or sell you
food and water, or fix your broken boat.
Skills are essential. You must be able to do everything your boat and
crew require, without assistance. You have to be able to read the
weather, without a satellite map faxed to you. You have to be able to
set a bone or remove a hot appendix, NOW. The boat will break, and you have
to be able to fix it with whatever you have at hand.
The old sailing ships were harder to operate, and required a greater body
of knowledge to command, than do modern naval ships, or modern jet transport
aircraft. The crews and officers of old learned the hard way, with many
going to sea when they were children (less than 10 years of age), and learning
at the wrong end of a rope. It was a hard life, and after two or three months
at sea the food was bad, the water was bad, the crew was sullen, and there
might not be anything else to see but the same thing, for another two or
three months.
Survival via boat is a very serious, difficult goal. People should think
long, and very hard, about it before investing the money it takes to
do it correctly. Sailing is a lot of fun, a pleasant way to spend some
time. But, it's not a viable alternative for most
people.
--
============================================================================
deca...@netcom.com Warning: I am a trained professional. No, Really!
Rick N6RCX NREMT ATP MA Do Not try this yourself - it could get ugly......
Richard A. De Castro - To those who have defended it, Freedom has a flavor
deca...@pacificnet.net the Protected will never enjoy.
-Don't Tread On Me!- =Don't Forget to Vote!=
=============================================================================
Arne Carlsten
Richard A. De Castro <deca...@netcom.com> wrote:
: A 50-60 foot tri will need at least six people to safely crew it. That's
: getting into a fairly large boat. While great advances have been made
: in recent years in making boats easier to singlehand or for older
: crews to handle, all of those great devices are yet another thing to break,
: and the newer boats I've seen rigged for singlehand crewing all have little
: safeguards or backups built in to allow conventional crewing.
: The toys have to work, all the time.
Make that "at least six people _who_know_what_they're_doing_ to safely
crew it." OJT's even less of an option here than it would be in any
survival situation.
: You may gather from my posting that I don't think boats are a great hedge
: for getting out of town in an emergency. In addition to the problems I've
: mentioned, there are a couple of more:
: Piracy. There are areas of the world where pirates attack small boats at
: will now, in desparate times there will be more of them. Areas around
: Thailand, Jakarta, the Phillipine Islands, and parts of the Carribean are
: already dangerous for small boats.
I remember getting a "pre-cast-off briefing" from a friend's father
before going for a overnight trip out of Miami: "Blah blah lifevests blah
flare launcher blah blah _assault_rifles_and_a_bag_of_ammunition_ are
stowed back here..." Sort of caught my attention; the whole family was,
if not exactly fans of Sarah Brady, less than enamored of guns. But
there'd been enough incidents involving boats disappearing, presumably
hijacked by drug smugglers and the occupants killed, that a couple of
stainless steel Mini-14s and a dozen large magazines of ball was less
odious than the possible alternative...
This thread, that memory, and a couple books (_Long Voyage Back_ by Luke
Rhinehart and _And The Sea Will Tell_ by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce
Henderson) from the <$1 bin at the used book store started me wondering
about a couple of things. Briefly: _LVB_ is nuke war fiction; following
a massive nuclear exchange a number of people attempt to escape down the
Chesapeake and out into the Atlantic on a trimaran. Raises some good
points, though I found it more than a bit annoying due to some errors and
preaching by the author. _ATSWT_ is basically a non-fiction account of
an incident that occured at Palmyra Atoll. Palmyra is supposedly one of
the most remote places on Earth (about 1000 miles south of Hawaii); while
the book's mostly concerned with the trial of the accused killers (a pair
of dopers who'd hatched the harebrained scheme of growing marijuana on
Palmyra, and had found themselves more or less marooned there with not
enough supplies, at which point they scuttled their hulk, hijacked a
nice vessel from some other visitors and killed their "hosts"), it does
have some good points about what unprepared folks may resort to in times
of crisis.
Call me paranoid, but I can't imagine venturing out on the ocean
_unarmed_; my friend's Mini-14s didn't cause me any heartache. Actually,
5.56mm seems _far_ to light for such usage. I'd much prefer a Barrett .50
BMG rifle or even deal with the hassles of registering a "destructive
device" and acquire a Lahti or similar 20mm cannon. But what's the legal
status of such weapons on the open sea? Assuming they're legally
possessed in the US, what would be their status on a US-registered
vessel? For that matter, what's the legal status of _any_ firearms at sea?
: What will be there when you get there? Theres no assurance that the folks
: who are already living at your destination will let you stay, give or sell you
: food and water, or fix your broken boat.
_LVB_ raised the valid point that many small islands, for example in the
Carribean, have to import most of their food, and even sometimes their
water. Things are quite possibly _worse_ there than where you're
starting from. In such a situation your boat might be a very attractive
target just as a means of flight.
: Skills are essential. You must be able to do everything your boat and
: crew require, without assistance. You have to be able to read the
: weather, without a satellite map faxed to you. You have to be able to
: set a bone or remove a hot appendix, NOW. The boat will break, and you have
: to be able to fix it with whatever you have at hand.
: The old sailing ships were harder to operate, and required a greater body
: of knowledge to command, than do modern naval ships, or modern jet transport
: aircraft. The crews and officers of old learned the hard way, with many
: going to sea when they were children (less than 10 years of age), and learning
: at the wrong end of a rope. It was a hard life, and after two or three months
: at sea the food was bad, the water was bad, the crew was sullen, and there
: might not be anything else to see but the same thing, for another two or
: three months.
: Survival via boat is a very serious, difficult goal. People should think
: long, and very hard, about it before investing the money it takes to
: do it correctly. Sailing is a lot of fun, a pleasant way to spend some
: time. But, it's not a viable alternative for most
: people.
Agreed. Though taking up sailing and learning as many of the traditional
skills as possible _would_ be very good survival training; you have many
of the same problems (lack of access to any supplies/tools/knowledge you
didn't bring with you, no one to call for help, chance of attack by
predatory folks, etc) _plus_ an even more unforgiving environment than
almost any place on dry land.
At any rate, it's not something I foresee as having to do any time soon;
the biggest body of water here is a muddy "lake" you'd be lucky to float
an innertube in currently...
--
Arne Gustav Carlsten
Flagstaff, Arizona
Chomh da/na le muc...
Richard A. De Castro
Arne Carlsten <a...@primenet.com> writes:
>Call me paranoid, but I can't imagine venturing out on the ocean
>_unarmed_; my friend's Mini-14s didn't cause me any heartache. Actually,
>5.56mm seems _far_ to light for such usage. I'd much prefer a Barrett .50
>BMG rifle or even deal with the hassles of registering a "destructive
>device" and acquire a Lahti or similar 20mm cannon. But what's the legal
>status of such weapons on the open sea? Assuming they're legally
>possessed in the US, what would be their status on a US-registered
>vessel? For that matter, what's the legal status of _any_ firearms at sea?
How about a harpoon gun? With an explosive head? <g>.
>: What will be there when you get there? Theres no assurance that the folks
>: who are already living at your destination will let you stay, give or sell you
>: food and water, or fix your broken boat.
>_LVB_ raised the valid point that many small islands, for example in the
>Carribean, have to import most of their food, and even sometimes their
>water. Things are quite possibly _worse_ there than where you're
>starting from. In such a situation your boat might be a very attractive
>target just as a means of flight.
>: Survival via boat is a very serious, difficult goal. People should think
>: long, and very hard, about it before investing the money it takes to
>: do it correctly. Sailing is a lot of fun, a pleasant way to spend some
>: time. But, it's not a viable alternative for most
>: people.
>Agreed. Though taking up sailing and learning as many of the traditional
>skills as possible _would_ be very good survival training; you have many
>of the same problems (lack of access to any supplies/tools/knowledge you
>didn't bring with you, no one to call for help, chance of attack by
>predatory folks, etc) _plus_ an even more unforgiving environment than
>almost any place on dry land.
Yes. But, to safely sail for survival, you'd have to learn _all_ those
skills, and be good at them.
For instance, when Coronado first came to the new world for exploration,
he burned the ships he came in - this was to motivate the troops (I guess,
I'd probably start thinking about the 16th century version of fragging).
How did he get plan on getting back home with the riches if Cibola?
He was going to build some new ships!
>At any rate, it's not something I foresee as having to do any time soon;
>the biggest body of water here is a muddy "lake" you'd be lucky to float
>an innertube in currently...
>--
>Arne Gustav Carlsten
>Flagstaff, Arizona
>Chomh da/na le muc...
Timothy Manley
In misc.survivalism deca...@netcom.com (Richard A. De Castro) said:
>A significant problem with boats of any size is repairing them. Boats
have
>lots of things that are essential, and break. Carrying enough spare parts
to
>repair rigging, for example, that breaks puts a real crimp in the storage
>capacity of the boat.
I'm a navy brat and have spent a great deal of time sailing in the bay and
in open water. Most of this was spent in a 30 year old 25' longboat with a
single mast and a tiller. It was a pretty robust piece of work.
>
>Also, the ability of the boat to carry an adequate supply of fresh water
is
>limited. Most conventional weekend cruiser types have integral tankage
for
>considerably less than 100 gallons of water, cruisers who travel long
distances
>have to store water in smaller containers to use during the cruise.
Depending
>on rainwater to resupply can be a very dangerous thing, and using the
various
>types of desalinators require large amounts of energy, usually from the
engine.
>The handheld RO units aren't sufficient to handle more than survival
needs, and
>if you're at sea much at all, you'll need a fresh water rinse every few
days to
>get the salt (which causes a great deal of discomfort, and skin lesions)
off.
there are products out there now that operate with a hand pump to create
fresh water. If you're boat is big enough, water purif tables, and/or
boiling water. But, yes, in open ocean fresh water is a big thing.
>
>Sailing a small boat is also risky. Every year, hundreds of cruisers
boats are
>damaged from collisions with large objects - usually shipping containers
swept
>off of cargo ships, and just barely floating. If your fiberglass boat (or
>wood, or metal) hits one of those, the results are not favorable at all.
Large
>marine mammals (whales) will also occasionally hit boats, causing lots of
>damage. And, when a 3x4 foot hole in the boat is letting the water (all
of the
>water) into your boat, you'd better be pretty damned quick in fixing it,
with
>all the spares to hand.
It is risky, but not so much that it's not worth it. If you're experienced
and have proper respect for the sea, then go for it. If you're not, you
may have better luck staying on land. Now, if you don't go too far from
land, and beach at night (only capable in some boats) or anchor at night
near shore, you could make it. Have your boat as your 'home' and then have
foraging trips ashore.
>
>I used to live (by myself) on a 45 foot sloop. It was so cramped, that I
kept
>most of my clothes, etc on shore. You really have to be a fan of small,
tight
>quarters - and if you're with another person or people, remember that
there is
>NO place to be alone on a small boat, there is little privacy, and
everybody
>had better be compatible - for a trip that can easily take 60+ days (West
Coast
>of the US to say Tahiti).
>
My plan (I live in SF, but have family land in OR) is, if the need arises
(must be serious) is to take a boat up the coast. NW sailing is rough, and
you should be experienced, the water can be really, really rough and a lot
of land is very rocky. But, there are enough inlets and little beaches
that make good landings and hide-aways.
>Celestial nav isn't hard, as long as you have the right books. The
wiz-bang
>calculators are another thing to break (as are the plastic sextants, and a
good
>metal one is around a kilobuck - and you should have a backup for it, and
a
>plastic one for the liferaft).
>
>You may gather from my posting that I don't think boats are a great hedge
for
>getting out of town in an emergency. In addition to the problems I've
>mentioned, there are a couple of more:
>
>Survival via boat is a very serious, difficult goal. People should think
long,
>and very hard, about it before investing the money it takes to do it
correctly.
> Sailing is a lot of fun, a pleasant way to spend some time. But, it's
not a
>viable alternative for most people.
I agree with you 101%. I've been in a boat as a kid that capsized. I've
seen accidents in the Bay (even in a river). It's not easy. You need to
know what you're doing. Even if you plan to hug the coast and beach like
the ancient sailors, you need a boat that can handle that (most sailboats
have a fin).
It's not even a good way if you know what you're doing, or maybe think you
know what you're doing. If you ever plan to do it, take a trip. Do it
when it doesn't count to see what it's like.
Same thing goes for your cache, or hide-away. You should take the trip
there on foot, on bike, in car, anyway you think you would have to go.
Just to do it, so it's not new if you have to do it.
--
tim