Bug Out Boat?

[B yond]

There have been lots of (frequently closed) threads about bug out bags, What to do if SHTF, etc. One thing I don't recall being mentioned is a bug out boat. I just can't be the only one who has thought of this.

For those of us who live near rivers, lakes, oceans, etc., a bug out boat could be a life-saver. It could allow us to transport more people, supplies, defensive weapons, food, and ammunition. It could be the only means of escape when the roads are blocked or your vehicle is disabled.

Here's the discussions point-

What kind of boat would you choose, and what supplies (esp. guns and ammo) would you want it to be able to carry? Would it be simply a means to transport people and supplies, or a vehicle/temporary residence you would try to stay in and defend?

I was thinking it would be mostly for transport when other means aren't feasible. I think a 9-12 foot inflatable with a small electric outboard would be best. The boat would be long enough to carry a decent amount of gear and to keep long guns on the floor and out of sight, and the electric motor could be run off of a solar panel in daylight. Being inflatable it would break down for easier transport over land, and could double as a shelter in a storm.

Apologies to the mods if this is off-topic.

 

[Birdmang]

Take the bus from the new dawn of the dead and put it on a boat.

This is crazy, honest.

 

[thunder173]

Living along the shoreline of Lake Huron,..I have often pondered this,..but in a different light. I am already where I want to be,....but my kids are not. My thinking was along the lines of THEIR bugging out of the southern Metro area,...and getting to me,..or me bugging IN to them to evacuate them OUT of the metro mess. I think I'd want as low a profile as possible,..traveling at night along the coast line as much as possible,...putting into isolated jetty's and bays along the way when I could, and staying out of sight during the day,..and avoiding any contact with anyone if I could. I am not a sailor,..so I don't want to get too far out,...and I really wouldn't trust a rubber boat,..or an electric motor to do the job I'd need to do because of distance and the stuff we have on the big lakes. It gets bad,..it gets there in a hurry. Be an interesting proposition,......wonder if others might have input on this.

 

[B yond]

This is crazy, honest.

Well, I appreciate the input.

I was thinking of a boat mostly as a means to an end. If I need to get my gear and X number of people from here to there and the roads are washed out or driving is not an option for whatever reason a boat seems logical (to me ).

I'm envisioning what I think are realistic scenarios here, like Katrina or the floods in the midwest that seem to happen every couple of years. I'm not too worried about zombies (yet ).

 

[ROAshooter]

a canoe would be much preferable than an inflatible......and its impossible to have a solar cell deliver enough power to drive a trolling motor

 

[david_the_greek]

well, here in Detroit a boat could be a suitable option. My brother has a Cal25 that has a fair amt of storage space, sails, and a motor for getting in and out of harbors. I know that for me or me and my girlfriend, we could put enough food on there to hold off land for a while. I bet a single chap, equipped with a water purifier, toilet paper (or... the lake), food and some material to pass the time, could last 2 weeks on that little guy. Nothing I'd PERSONALLY want to stay on too long, but then again being in a burning and rioting city isn't my idea of a great time (well... I guess that's not all true ;-)!)

 

[X-Rap]

I don't live in flood country for a reason. I have however pondered the Katrina situation and believe if I lived in bottom land that was prone to flooding I would simply attach some strong D rings to the downstream side of my house and tie my fishing boat up and release it from the trailer with the cover on and gear stored inside and the bilge pump turned on auto.
If serious flooding happened I would punch through the roof and take the boat out of the danger area (population center) and camp for a while.

 

[PandaBearBG]

Makes sense if you live near a lake front or river. I understand a majority of us do not are pretty land locked and this seems silly, but if things got hairy I'm pretty sure that driving away in a boat is easier than driving (or running) out of a city that probably is already clogged with cars and accidents. I have a friend who lives in upstate New York and that place is covered in rivers and alot of people there have boats well before they have a car. On a lake your untouchable and can easily move somewhere if you feel unsafe.

 

[Kindrox]

If I need to get my gear and X number of people from here to there

Probably the biggest problem is "there". Unless "there" is right next to your water, you are "there" without transportation.

I'd say a better plan would be if you can live on your boat.

 

[Cosmoline]

What did people use during Katrina?

 

[Fred Fuller]

There are people who use live-aboard sailboats for that purpose. I know of one individual (quite wealthy) who keeps a speedboat prepared as one possible rapid exit from his big-city waterfront office building. So yes, it does happen.

But unfortunately this is off topic for S&T. There are any number of boards for which it would be a suitable topic- Frugal Squirrel's, TB2K, etc- but we need to keep our focus here.

lpl