Houseboats

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1244

I was driving around Fernandina Beach a couple of months ago on the way to a pulp mill when I saw what looked to be a barge with a mobile home on top. Gave it some thought.

ENERGY
-solar PV can offer all the electricity needed to operate most simple appliances.
-A sail can move the boat
-wind turbine for electrical generation is especially useful with the ocean air.
-fuel wood can be gathered on shore and transported to the boat. a fine option for cooking and boiling water

SECURITY
-being on the water and mobile offers numerous places to hide. Most civil unrest is projected to occur in city centers, houseboats have an inherent safety feature as far as location. If it gets rough, pull up the sail.
-Piracy is a concern for the more paranoid out there. Having guns is not unreasonable. corpse disposal is a simple matter

FOOD
-hope you like seafood
-proximity to the shore still allows hunting/gathering

WATER
-transporting it from land is the simplest option
-desalination is possible but requires energy.

SEWER
simply not a problem

ISLANDS
all sorts of uninhabited places out there big enough to do some gardening or free ranging of livestock. In a collapse situation, these places will be left to nature.

STORMS
this is a major concern. The boat would have to be able to withstand whatever storms are expected in the area. Knowing of an approaching storm can allow escape. In a collapse scenario, is NOAA still up and running?

EXPOSURE
sun, heat, weather, salt, separation, all can take a toll on a human body. Contingencies and preparations would need to be in place.
_________________
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984

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Accept the Facts.