Living on a houseboat to escape SIT-X

What's the chance of adding a sail and making it to New Zealand in one of these?

I was looking at the 'ETAP' range of small sailing yachts.
They're not as roomy as the houseboats,of course,but rated 'unsinkable' and more suited to open water.

But definitely,I'd have zero qualms about a canalboat if it was a choice between that or a squalid flat in twoccerville.

Everyone whos posted here seems to think this is a good survival idea. I fail to understand. Yes, living on a houseboat in modern times certainly has its appeal. No neighbors, no lawn to mow, ease of moving, etc... I think it would be a fantastic way to live. As a survival retreat? Not so certain there. Eventually fuel would run out, yes, you have the wind, but should "pirates" find you, I dont think that would be sufficent. Almost impossible to grow anything in bulk. Yes, you could have gardens on land and return to them, but should they be robbed, you cant defend them.

If something goes wrong, and you are caught in a storm and sink, then what? Everything is gone, and you get stuck in a dingy. Boats in my experience require a good deal of work and cash. I remember something about a hole in the water you throw money into.

Now on the flip side of that, using a boat the same way you would use a overland vehicle as a way of getting out of dodge I could see. Have one set up with your gear in it, when TSHTF jump in and head up a river to a planned cache or retreat. That would make a good deal of sense, and thinking on that line, I should look into that. But to go out and equip a full size boat to survive sit-x I think would be a long term mistake.

But as Ive said 100 times on here, to each their own, we all have our own preferances and needs when it comes to getting prepared.

land is more forgiving than the ocean, but i would second the ideat for a sitx cache and boat to travel with but not a long term solution. un less you got that sweet sail boat from that movie water world.

Hi, I´m a brazilian guy and I love boats and AIRBOATS !!

I would like to know were I can found a Airboat plan ( Free ) or some book to teach me how to made an airboat, by my hands. I love airboats. I never take a ride with an airboat. Here in Brazil there ano NO manufacturers and supplies for airboats. I want to make ONE only airboat, for me and my sons.

Anyone know were I found any informations about airboats and hull projects ?

I would like to love to receive informations :

Fernando Cesar Galdiano
Avenida Barao do Bananal 329 Jardim Novo Mundo
Ribeirao Preto - SAO PAULO - BRAZIL CEP 14092-000


God bless you all and all your families. Stay with God.

One living on a houseboat can be fun.

You can arm your boat and even the coast guard will not be wise to it.
Some boaters have salute guns old style navel cannons.
www.cannon-mania.com...
blackpowder-cannons.com...

If you have a good built one you can load it with BBs to 0# lead shot and use it for defence.
Many can be converted to fire from a lock firing mechanism allowing them to be fired with a lanyard.
www.cannon-mania.com...
www.cannon-mania.com...

I have one that friends have borrowed for trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.

I have built cannons with bores to 2 3/4 inch and fired them with shot or ball.

At 100 feet a 2 inch bore navel gun loaded with BBs is nothing short of awesome.

For a house boat a fisherman friend in Louisiana lives on a old 50 foot grain barge. he took off the covers added some steel beams across the hold and put two ocean shipping container on it.
a little welding in windows and doors and you have a floating house.

With his he got three Stern-drives from hurricane wrecked boats and welded them in for power.
The stern-drive grain barge plus his fishing boat can go up river when a hurricane is coming like during Hurricane Katrina he went about 50 miles up the mississippi and had no damage and was back in a few days to help with the recovery work.
His next project is to add two jet drives one on each side of the bow to make steering the barge easier.
Every thing he used to build his house boat has been cheap because it all was got from insurance company salvage sales of hurricane damaged boats.

He is a fisherman but for years has made more money as a boat salvage company.
The coast guard requires all sunken boats be recovered from the water after a hurricane for every one you see washed ashore there are three that sunk. and the insurance companies or the government pays good money to have them removed.

[edit on 14-10-2008 by ANNED]

Theres a guy in the south west of the UK who has converted a flat bottomed barge into a house boat, its parked up in an estuary somewhere, the bit I like about it is that even at high tide its still only got about 2 meters of water under the hull so if its sank all the accomodation and living section would still be out of the water.The house bit is on top of the barge and the bit inside the hull is only used as storage and a workshop. Its got a four point anchor system so it does not move off its location. When the tide goes out it sits on a sandbar makining painting and caring for the hull easy. IIRC he was planning on 4 solar panels and two micro turbines but they had not been fitted at the time of the article being written. If neccessary the barge can quickly be towed to another location by something the size of a pilot boat. I think there is also someone living on a HB on an island in the middle of one of the English lakes, Windermrere or Derwentwater , not sure which.

This is an interesting concept. I was just looking at Yachts so one can just chill on the ocean and travel so if the crap happens in one region you can travel to another. I never thought of that idea when I did a thread similar to this about where to go if the Crap hits the fan. Good Thread.