Feasibility of Marine Bug Out in case of Economic Collapse

I address this first post of mine on this Forum to the captains here -- Given we are facing the very real and serious possibility of a financial and economic grid-down/collapse situation here in the US, (as well as other countries in the world,) which would, potentially, make life a major survival challenge on land, it has occurred to me to consider the possibility of "bugging out" aboard a yacht for some indefinite period of time. The idea might be to find a small off-the-beaten-path lee shore somewhere and loiter for a time until return to the mainland might again be safe/feasible. After broaching this subject with several captains at the FLIB last month, I thought I'd place this post and open up the subject to you folks and see what thoughts you may have to share about the possibility of being able to operate independent of shore-based infrastructure for some indefinite period of time.

Obviously, there are a great number of issues to deal with, from provisioning for extended operation, fuel supplies and availability (and at what cost, should we see a currency collapse) There would be maintenance issues associated with extended periods away from service and support facilities. Piracy, shipboard crew and personnel issues, ship defense, both perimeter and on-board, political and social ramifications... my guess is there might not be a whole lot of sea traffic in a grid-down situation, but one could assume the increased possibility of any such sea-traffic being hostile.

As the owners of yachts such as we are associated with are wealthy and clearly financially aware, I am sure that this issue has occurred to them. I'd be interested to know what thoughts they have had on this matter, without asking anyone to compromise any particular situations.

I would assume that the ideal boat for such a purpose would be a sailboat, to reduce the dependence on fuel for mobility, but I would lean more toward an expedition-type yacht carrying about 6-10 'prepper-type' folks with at least a passing familiarity with the marine environment.

I would appreciate any thoughts you all might have and, perhaps, the conversation can expand as the interest warrants.

Thank you for your thoughts. Sea-Sovereign

I assure you, this IS a deadly-serious inquiry. I'm not interested in exploring new continents, nor am I interested in debating the likelihood of such a scenario becoming real. I am just simply finding a way to get out of the line-of-fire in a collapse scenario. And frankly, going out into the woods and living in a tent for a long time is not my idea of survival on any decent scale. That said, Robinson Crusoe isn't exactly my intention either. Now, I know there are some people who will read this and think I am absolutely out of my mind. But the truth is that there is a hard and large body of evidence that we in the US are headed for some very bad times on the land. I spent the first 26 years of my life around boats and the nautical world every day. To me, the concept of living off the mainland in an out-of -the-way cove somewhere in the Caribbean doesn't seem quite as outlandish, as trying to survive in an inner-city community when martial law is declared, the ATMs have stopped working and civil disorder has broken out because there is no food to be had and FEMA is no more helpful than they were in New Orleans after Katrina. I guess I'd say I trust the sea to treat me with more equanimity and fairness than an unruly mob in social unrest becaure law and order have given way to the law of the jungle and people are left to their animal instincts to survive. Think Egypt when the political system broke down and ask yourself where you'd have preferred to be. For us, the sea is more our element, at least as I see it.

The preps that are made to a residence with some property around you are done with the idea of creating an ability to live independent of goods and services for some indefinite period of time and being able to defend your life and property, at least to a degree. The water offers a natural boundary and a food supply. It would seem to me that a well-provisioned boat might serve the same function with a few added features such as mobility and self-containment and have a few other advantages as well...

I would also observe that, having spent 5 days at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on a mission to learn more about what's happened in the marine world in the 30 years or so since I was around the water 24/7 I can eliminate 95% of all those lovely coastal party boats as suitable boats for such a mission. I was amazed to discover that the motoryachts of today are nothing like they were when I was running them. They seem far more delicate and dependent on shore-based support and tethering than they ever were back years ago...

I think I saw only one yacht there which even seemed to approach what would be required without a refit that would make building a new yacht from the keel up more economical...

That's not to disparage today's boats... many were beautiful and well-appointed, but their mission isn't survival and they weren't designed or intended to do what I am seeking to consider... I'm just curious to see what you professional mariners have to share on this subject. Truth be told, I can't imagine that you gentlemen (and ladies...) have never considered this. As I said, the captains I spoke with at the show all had some pretty engaging thoughts on this topic.

And, yeah, I get your comment about thinking about this stuff but not talking about it much... but I spent three years running an internet radio network that dealt with the possibilities of a reality that is hard to imagine for most Americans.... I've taken more than my share of arrows on this topic...

Thank you all for your thoughts and replies.... some thoughts in response:

First, I am very deeply involved in the geopolitical and financial aspects of world politics today. We ARE in trouble... not only in the US but around the majority of the Western World. This MAY NOT be a DRILL!!! That said, as I said in my first post, it isn't my intent to debate the merits of the collapse scenario here – that's kinda 'off-topic' for this forum. It will or it won't happen. My purpose with my post wasn't to question whether or not a collapse scenario will or will not occur. The question I posed was, IF It WERE to happen, how viable might a marine solution be and what would it take to make it more so?

@HTM09 – You are most likely quite correct that Civilization will not end. But, if we do experience a dollar collapse, there may be a rather difficult transition that lies ahead of us. The Freedom Ship is an interesting undertaking. I invite you to do a little digging into who is funding it's development and what they may have planned for it.

@K1W1 – The thought of buying an island has crossed my mind. The super-elites like Richard Branson and others have done just that. You are correct that anchoring in someone else's backyard might present it's own set of issues at some point.

@rhinotub – I have no idea how many people bugged out from Egypt during the recent crisis over there, but being in and around Tahrir Square was certainly less safe than departing away from the city itself. I am sure some chose to leave the danger zone. Other's of course, risked life and limb to speak out and protest for their freedoms.

@Capt J. – I actually take a different notion about whether or not it is worth living in a bug-out world. The process would not be permanent. And the transition might open up possibilities for a better situation. The trick is to survive the transition itself. As @Sea Lion pointed out in his post, Society, such as it is, HAS proven far more resilient than any of this might think. We ARE a tough species with a strong survival instinct. And yes, I DO remember Y2K well. I was a computer engineer and software programmer leading up to that time and, hearing all the calls for the end of the world, I made investments that did extremely well for me when the certainty of the end of the world from the Y2K date-slip fiasco failed to materialize. I am quite aware of the crowd-mentality that accompanies things like this. The 'conventional wisdom' of today is that nothing will happen and everything will just go has it always has... it's called “normalcy bias”

Thanks.

@rhinotub – Again, Thanks for your thoughts. Really. At the risk of taking this thread too far 'off-topic' the 'theory' is far from unrealized. As to the Arab Spring, you raise an excellent point. You asked how many people bugged out after or during the Arab Spring? My question in response: Take Egypt. The original uprising to remove Mubarek starting in February of 2011. In December 2010 and January 2011, how many Egyptians had any idea that their neighborhoods would be reduced to ashes just two months later? In Libya, how many people knew even two months before the globalists sent their military into the country that their lives and communities would be destroyed? Today, look at Detroit. There are parts of that city that are indistinguishable from Cairo or Sirte or Benghazi... are we so certain that we can predict a future of peace and normalcy??? Can we afford to be so complacent as to assume these troubles will never come to America??? Can your owners survive a financial collapse? The people of Tunis and Cairo and Benghazi heard all the 'unrealized theories' and, for the most part, dismissed them as 'unrealized theories' too. Then, one day, the SHTF!! GAME OVER!

Trust me. My purpose is NOT to be a fear monger. My purpose is to be prepared. You are absolutely correct. **** happens and people adapt. This question is about an 'adaptation.' We were not decended from cavemen who were eaten by dinosaurs. We were descended from people smart enough to run hide in the caves until the dinosaurs passed. Again, I asked a group of professionals here about their experience in their element – the SEA!!! I didn't intend to start a debate on the future of the world. <smile>

Bugout after FLIBS ran out of tonic water?? Should I feel mocked? Naw. I get your point of view. And frankly I understand. You are certainly not alone. For the record, I have a lot more than mere anecdotal evidence of turmoil and social unrest. It's not the bugout I care about – it's the conditions that led up to the need for it. But again, that is WAY beyond the scope of this forum.

@Fishtigua

"All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident." --Arthur Schopenhauer

@Fishtigua - Touche!