Has anyone considered their Multihull as last refuge in Global Pandemic?

[Helia 44]

Hello Sailing Friends,

Some will think me Paranoid, that is OK... Know that while everyone is trivializing this in the Media, the world is getting more vulnerable to some pandemic virus due to overcrowding, poor water sources and hygiene, with slums of 25 Million and sewerage running in the streets.. You should probably be advised: That if something like this Ebola mutated with some Pig Flu or Bird Flu, an Airborne Transmitted Virus by a coughing person at an airport could spread on an exponential transmission rate that would stagger history. I mean it would be an explosion of 500, then 5000, then 50,000 and the airports and economies would shut down globally in a Pandemic that could rage for six months...

I am thinking, a ton of provisions in each hull, would only drop my waterline maybe two inches? A water maker and spares, a couple of extra drums of diesel, solar, rain collection, fishing gear, and more..... I mean "Coastal Cruising" to remoter areas and islands, might be an isolation method better than on shore..??? Wheat grass, small veg trays, I mean yes, (you would have to maintain security and stand watches, and be able to effectively deter boarders at a distance..) That aside, does anyone else think this way? Or am I just crazy..

You will not offend me, it is ok.. And I am not a worrier, I live Life to the fullest.. I am just the sort that likes the Dale Carnegie position "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" in that you envision the worst case scenario, prepare to some degree, and then you can forget about it... Just like if you have insurance you don't plan on losing your house and car, but insurance is comforting.. On the Bird Flu time I stocked up on the relative treatment Anti-Virals, but isolation when contemplated seemed unattainable. Would any of you consider your yacht as the final stand for yourselves and immediate Family?

Kind regards, Helia 44... Just thought a Multihull might be ideal??

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Helia 44

Hello Sailing Friends,

Some will think me Paranoid, that is OK... Know that while everyone is trivializing this in the Media, the world is getting more vulnerable to some pandemic virus due to overcrowding, poor water sources and hygiene, with slums of 25 Million and sewerage running in the streets.. You should probably be advised: That if something like this Ebola mutated with some Pig Flu or Bird Flu, an Airborne Transmitted Virus by a coughing person at an airport could spread on an exponential transmission rate that would stagger history. I mean it would be an explosion of 500, then 5000, then 50,000 and the airports and economies would shut down globally in a Pandemic that could rage for six months...

I am thinking, a ton of provisions in each hull, would only drop my waterline maybe two inches? A water maker and spares, a couple of extra drums of diesel, solar, rain collection, fishing gear, and more..... I mean "Coastal Cruising" to remoter areas and islands, might be an isolation method better than on shore..??? Wheat grass, small veg trays, I mean yes, (you would have to maintain security and stand watches, and be able to effectively deter boarders at a distance..) That aside, does anyone else think this way? Or am I just crazy..

You will not offend me, it is ok.. And I am not a worrier, I live Life to the fullest.. I am just the sort that likes the Dale Carnegie position "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" in that you envision the worst case scenario, prepare to some degree, and then you can forget about it... Just like if you have insurance you don't plan on losing your house and car, but insurance is comforting.. On the Bird Flu time I stocked up on the relative treatment Anti-Virals, but isolation when contemplated seemed unattainable. Would any of you consider your yacht as the final stand for yourselves and immediate Family?

Kind regards, Helia 44... Just thought a Multihull might be ideal??

Kool!
Could you add some spare water filters as well and a multifuel stove? When I come to take your boat off you I want it properly set up..

[BigBeakie]

Hi Helia,

No, you are not alone. I was active before during and after the H5N1 pandemic doing pandemic preparedness consulting for local councils here in Oz, and that was a close call.

There is a failure of imagination as to how bad it will be when a highly infectious and virulent pathogenic pandemic gets going, and the more I learned about how woefully unprepared societies are for such an event & what the consequences will be because of that, the more I realised a "bug out" plan is the most rational strategy to have. So our family has one, and if we never need to activate it, excellent!!!

The part that concerns me is that we not only have to be concerned about a pandemic taking off from "natural" causes as has happened throughout history and as is the case with the current Ebola outbreak, but we now know that the genome information needed to construct such a deadly, virulent bird flu has actually been PUBLISHED.

[Old Snipe]

Nothing wrong with being prepared.

The cat is already out of the bag with the ebola virus. All we can do now is wait and see how bad it gets.

I sure as hell do not trust anyone from the CDC....Washington DC... the WHO.... or any other the alphabet organization.

[2Wind]

I understand that whilst zombies can't swim, they can walk underwater, so some form of anchor chain defence is required. Suggestions????

[BigBeakie]

And so what's untrustworthy at the CDC, pray tell?

[StuM]

Suspected case in Cairns,Qld - a nurse who was working with the outbreak is in isolation in Cairns Base Hospital after returning to Aus a few days ago. They reckon they should know either way in the next 12 hours or so.

[Old Snipe]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

And so what's untrustworthy at the CDC, pray tell?

Google:

Anthrax scandal

Michael Farrell scandal

CDC caught hiding mercury results

Thomas Frieden .......pretty bad when the liberals accuse one of their own for lying about ebola.

[weavis]

Mods moved the thread to off topic Section.
Thanks.

[sailorboy1]

Maybe staying out on the water will protect you from the zombies, but what about the vampires?

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by Old Snipe

Nothing wrong with being prepared.

The cat is already out of the bag with the ebola virus. All we can do now is wait and see how bad it gets.

Quite probably not as bad as that other disease that is killing 2 million people each year world wide: Traffic.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Maybe staying out on the water will protect you from the zombies, but what about the vampires?

Or the Kraken...

[a64pilot]

I think it's funny that right at the first post it had to be a multi vs mono thing

Need to bring guns into it don't we?

I've watched this "prepper" show on TV once or twice, only one of the nuts thought about a boat, but I can see where a boat may be the ideal apocalypse retreat, until you get sick anyway

On edit, anyone who won't admit to at least having thought about it, isn't telling the truth

[simonc4]

Yes I have. Lots of the extras I specced on my Lagoon 450 are for a trade winds circumnavigation, but it's been done to make the boat as independant as possible with an eye on bugging out in a variety of circumstances. Watermaker, solar, hydrogenerator, big battery bank, fishing gear inc nets, spares for everything, etc. I've got long term stores on board which might be useful on my trip but would certainly allow me to stay offshore for several months.

[hpeer]

While I don't know about using a sailboat for long term survival, long enough to outlast a bad outbreak, I do think using a sailboat to get to a predestined bug out spot is a good idea. Someplace remote, where you have a land base and connections and are welcome. Luckily I have such options. They are a big reason why we have the boats we have.

But take LOTS of food, food distribution is global and veery few place today can support their population locally. Especially true of remote regions. Yet another reason to worry.