Feasibility of Marine Bug Out in case of Economic Collapse

@Laurence (and others)
Thanks for the thoughts. I was very clear when I started this thread that there would, most likely, be those here who would remain moot on this topic, for some obvious and some not-so-obvious reasons. I imagine there are a few here who have already prepared such an option and, for them, discretion is well-advised. I understand and respect this. A marine option in the event of such a collapse seems quite realistic, especially for those of us who would regard the sea as our 'home' -- at least there is a tremendous advantage to executing a survival strategy in an environment where we are most competent, familiar, and comfortable -- 'at home' so to speak. Based on what I've gotten from here thus far, I still think the biggest concern is that most boats (and to a lesser extent - People) are still very dependent on land-based infrastructure and services which are likely to become quite scarce.

My purpose in starting this thread was to peel back the layers of the onion a little bit... what would be some of the issues that might be the more subtle, less-obvious, yet significant things to consider that would improve the viability of a sea-borne option. My thought was that THIS group of people in particular, might be able to share the most relevant insights and thoughts.

@RER, yes I've been on the docks and heard those speculations on which boats to 'appropriate' when TSHTF... I just look at them and observe that if their bug-out plan is that ad hoc and spur-of-the-moment, they will be among the earliests of casualties. And I've had people ask me if I will wait for them at the dock too... my response: "Only if you have first prepositioned with us what will be needed for your survival during the mission and have a skill to contribute to the effort. Otherwise any attempts to board will be met with the same resistance reserved for hostiles at sea.

This is NOT a GAME.

Sorry about that. You DID ask -- at first too... guess the point went right by me but I never thought of "Water World" as anything more serious than a horrible Kevin Costner - Jean Tripplehorn movie with no redeeming message or value... maybe I should subject myself to a re-showing of it.... I even misread your other point about running out of places to exploit.

True That. The good news is that most landlubbers just look at me funny if I even bring up the water option.

Naw. My bad. I'm not upset at all.... No worries. From the start your first comment kinda communicated that you understood. We don't say a lot about this stuff sometimes, and with good reason.

@vwDavid -- Thanks for the link. Charles Smith is one of my favorite colleagues in our alternative-media world. He's a thinker and not prone to the craziness of the latest fads and wild-hare ideas... <wanna bet that line appears in a quote box in the next response we see from @rhinotub? (grin) >

Smith makes two key points in his post. First, isolation is a lot harder to achieve than most people realize when it comes to 'bug-out' survival. “Remote” location is a relative term and I suspect this applies to boats as well as remote wooded areas. But, it's Smith's second point which is even more compelling and significant -- that undertaking a survival or 'bug-out' strategy as a lone wolf is a low-percentage strategy which is very unlikely to improve your odds of coming out on the other side alive and in one piece. Especially in 'foreign' locations. There is a better option. Humans are a communal species and do best in the company of others. What's more fun on a long cruise to a remote place far far away than to meet new friends and fellow intrepid sea-folks with a similar take on life?

While I made a comment about hostiles in the previous post, the ultimate desire is to make connections with like-minded people. No one wants to live in defensive paranoia. Caution and vigilance have their place, but at some point, you want to surround yourself with friendlies. This is what most successful ex-pats do when they arrive in their new digs... so, in Smith's story, as the flatlander, I would create the opportunity to spend time in his remote location ahead of any bug-out urgency and meet the kids and get to know them. WhereEVER we are, our basic nature prevails:

As Smith observes:

"Because the best protection isn't owning 30 guns; it's having 30 people who care about you. Since those 30 have other people who care about them, you actually have 300 people who are looking out for each other, including you. The second best protection isn't a big stash of stuff others want to steal; it's sharing what you have and owning little of value. That's being flexible, and common, the very opposite of creating a big fat highly visible, high-value target and trying to defend it yourself in a remote setting. "

A boat in almost any place in a grid-down scenario will unavoidably be a highly visible target of opportunity. And that IS something to think about. Deal-breaker? Not sure...

* * *

@Belle, I very much understand and appreciate where you are coming from. Believe it or not, I enjoy a very lovely and happy life. Prepping doesn't 'live' for me like some grim obsession or back in the days in the early '60's when I was one of those kids who endured the drills of getting under our desks twice a week at school. Instead, it's more an expression of the desire to be independent and capable of dealing with life as it deals the cards. I think most of us in the marine world understand the nature of that independent and self-reliant spirit. We get the importance of being properly prepared and outfitted when we go to sea. So, when we do go out, it's a bit like going back to our element.

As to your view that, if it all goes to pot, it won't be very good for anyone, there may be an element of truth to that. I, however, am very much an optimist. As @rhinotub observed in response to one of my earlier posts talking about bad outcomes: “it's business as usual, it's human beings living their lives...” He's right that life will most likely go on for many. I think we WILL get through whatever may come, IF it comes at all. Short of all-out nuclear WWIII, darkness won't likely descend upon the land (and sea) and certainly not forever... but, if there is a period of dislocation to be “gotten through” that could be rough, I think that I, at least, want to do what I can to give myself and others the best chance of surviving it. The trick is to build flexibility into one's future if and when those rough times come. That's really what preparing is all about. Because, when push comes to shove, I bet that you, like me, will do anything and everything you can to make the odds the best they can be for your loved ones.

Again, is a marine solution a viable option here? Again, Not sure... That's what this inquiry is about. I have an undergound tube prepared, but I'm not sure how long I'd last in there before I went completely looney! <Ok rhino, there's another softball for ya!! Bring It, my friend! LOL!>

A good question. However, being out of dollars and in gold and silver should provide exceptional flexibility in that area. These metals have had universal, worldwide appeal for, in gold's case, over 6,000 years. And, yes, I DO know about what is happening to precious metals pricing today (in excruciating detail) and more importantly, precisely WHY it is happening. In fact, it's watching this that adds credibility to the concerns many of us have about the future.

One impression I do have is that, in some of these more remote places in the world, the 'natives' are a lot less affected by and concerned about the machinations of the world economy and the vicissitudes of the financial turbulence that come and go as a result of the machinations of Wall Street, the City of London. and Paris.