Waterways for Transport
Posted by hobberhawk@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 28 comments
My family and I live on the east and west coasts of florida, respectively.
In a grid down scenario, we were discussing using small boats in the waterways that span Florida as an alternate mode of transportation to get to one another. I am interested to hear if any of you have considered something similar and can share your thoughts.
Efficient_Wing3172@reddit
Have you made this trip before? If not, you need to practice doing it a couple of times, and don’t use GPS. We all think we will rise to the occasion when the time comes, but that’s usually not what happens. There’s a saying in the gun world, “you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of training.”
No-Language6720@reddit
You would want an airboat or something powered probably because otherwise it just would be feasible for that distance in a single day. So you would have to obtain gasoline somehow. If you're going between the coasts like that not sure there would be one consistent water way between your two end points, but there might be you should check a map. If there is a suitable water way it may be way longer than taking roads. The other issue is depending on the time of year you probably don't want to travel at night, dusk or dawn that way because of gators and other dargerous wildlife are active at those times. (Live in Florida too). Pretty creative though.
hobberhawk@reddit (OP)
We have small family boats, one is a SeaDoo Challenger and the other a Hurrican 185. There are several waterways that cut across the state, I am not sure if/how loches will effect the routes though. May be something I physically need to run the routes to see what a map can't show.
faco_fuesday@reddit
There are no waterways that completely transect the state. Otherwise South Florida would be by definition an island.
hobberhawk@reddit (OP)
You are misinformed
ruat_caelum@reddit
Likely if you have grid down there it is because of weather. So the waterways will likely have issues just like roads do with downed trees etc.
Upset_Assumption9610@reddit
I'm probably missing something here. You and family are on opposite coasts of Florida, Altantic and Gulf Coast. Which side is the "hole up until shit gets back to normal" or is there a bug out location? Ideally (I think) both sides would be stocked up and prepped? So no need to risk a cross peninsula trek on sketchy gear in more sketchy circumstances. Basically shelter in place. Get yourself a nice alternate comm setup to keep in touch while you wait things out.
If you have another bug out spot, I'm guessing it's not in the middle of f'n florida.
Eredani@reddit
In a serious grid down scenario you won't be the only one out there trying to get somewhere. If it's really bad it could get very "Mad Max" or "Waterworld".
You have limited options on the water depending on the type of boat. Power boats can evade but will quickly run out of fuel. Sailboats have draft issues (up and down) - shallow waters and the bridges are not going to be raising for you. A kayak or paddle board has limited cargo capacity.
An electric catamaran with a lot of solar would be interesting to me.
Depends on how far you need to travel and what you want to bring. Weather could also be a factor.
My thought is to always shelter in place unless/until its more dangerous to stay than to go.
OuterContextProblem@reddit
Underrated. A lack of modern weather forecasts and alerts makes travel by ocean a lot more dangerous.
Piracy might be prevalent without active policing of waters.
faco_fuesday@reddit
Especially since climate change has upped the scale of hurricanes and weather events.
KJHagen@reddit
It sounds like a great idea depending on how far you need to go. If you're going to be going back-and-forth between locations, you'll probably need to fuel up a time or two. If you're just trying to get your family to grandpa's house 10 miles down the Intercoastal Waterway, it may be a great plan.
bearj000@reddit
Water consumption is also an issue. Someone else pointed out fishing for food. Fuel is an obvious concern. But water is a problem at sea. You’d need an RO machine or some other way to clean the water you travel on so it is safe to consume
FarPersimmon@reddit
My buddy is trying to convince me to get the Portland Pudgy lol
hobberhawk@reddit (OP)
For what lmao. An inflatable boat like a kodiak makes more sense for long term storage in a compact form and then gives you more space when needed
bearj000@reddit
Inflatable boats are great for the ability to be deflated and packed into a bag but when I was a kid my dad ran a shop that repaired them. I can not tell you how many times people would bring in their inflatable because a rat/mouse/squirrel chewed thru it and turned it into a house.
_learned_foot_@reddit
Only if you have a solid and full backwoods repair and inflation kit. A small motor on a small boat uses limited fuel, can take a beating, has limited sound, and has a low profile.
johnnyringo1985@reddit
What’s the Florida version of the movie Deliverance?
marvinrabbit@reddit
Well, a high dam in Florida will only raise a reservoir by about 30 feet (plus or minus). So if you skip that part of the plot line, it's just Florida.
Sometimes_Wright@reddit
It's just Deliverance with meth
Federal_Refrigerator@reddit
Delivermeth
IlliniWarrior1@reddit
Houston had "pirates" during their flood - and that was with LE boats and officers out there enforcing laws - there's waterborne looting during SE USA hurricanes - plenty of boat pirating in the Caribbean during normal times ....
if there's post-SHTF water traffic - there'll be Somali coast crap in short time - could even be pirate raids on small coastal towns .....
SvedkaMerc@reddit
I’d check Victorian and Edwardian era canal shipping in England for a start.
hobberhawk@reddit (OP)
May I ask why? I'm vaguely interested in that part of history because of Peaky Blinders, but Im curious what specifically you think I should pay attention to.
SvedkaMerc@reddit
I guess as “for a start” might not have been the best words but being a prepping sub I was thinking more about doing it without IC engines.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_canal_system
If you interested in historic living (which I feel kinda goes hand in hand with prepping) I HIGHLY recommend a few shows on Amazon prime. Tudor Monastery Farm, Victorian Farm, and Edwardian Farm. They follow a group of…professors I think? where they go and spend a year on these historic farms doing and using things only available during that time. They are VERY informative about how day to day life was before and into the Industrial Revolution.
Heavy-Attorney-9054@reddit
Look into the Cajun Navy.
silasmoeckel@reddit
Have a boat to get up to maine and my alt bugout location. It's effective though costly.
Inner-Confidence99@reddit
Keep away from the water as much as you can. That’s the first place everyone will head. I live near a huge lake and it worries me. You don’t know who will be traveling in them. Usually not good people in a Shtf situation. Just my two cents
Mysterious_Touch_454@reddit
That is a great idea. Less traffic and troubles (or different kind) in an bad situation. You can also fish for food while travelling.
When i lived near coast (Finland, that is), i knew where people store boats and in emergency could get a ride or even...loan...one rowingboat. That was part of my plans in extreme emergency. You could basically travel all around the coast up to sweden, or cross over to sweden too (in a rowboat a bit risky, but its doable, people do it a lot in summer to go shopping with bigger boats).
With electric motors introduces, those are also silent and you can load them with solar panels, so no need for gas.
Now that i live indawoods, that is not an option for me.