Can you Live off the Bounty of the Sea?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

I've followed this thread for more than two years now, and I still don't think we have any diffentive answers. If we were in a post apocalyptic world tomorrow and had to survive on our boat, I think most of us would use it to sail to a hidey hole and survive on the land water interface. Much easier to do. The sea really is just too hard of an environment.
Now don't bother me while I take a nap while anchored in this little cove. I'll go hunting for oysters later.

I was watching a Discovery show last night "When Aliens Attack". It was a goofy piece on how we might thwart a planetary attack by an advanced civilization... It took them about 50 minutes into the 60 minute segment to get to the part where we "turn the battle" by "running away".. which to me I was thinking all along I too would find a little hidey hole.

I think the northern latitude voyagers would have better chances... I am betting the holes I am thinking of would fill up pretty fast!

[a64pilot]

I think I could get enough food entirely from the sea, but you have to be in the right places. A few crab traps and with a cast net I could eat Mullet and crabs, but I believe you still have to have a source of Vitamin C and maybe a few other nutrients that would be hard to come by with an entirely sea based food supply?

[David_Old_Jersey]

Could you? = yes
Would you want to? = no!

Next question.....

[sailorchic34]

I've actually pondered if I could live of the land/sea. Currently in the Cali Delta, which is fresh water. Roots from bullrush and cattails are plentiful and good for starch or making flour, black berrys are ripening nicely, wild grapes are coming in as well, plus fish, crawdad's, crabs down in the bay, Mussels, kelp in the ocean. I could do it if I had too. Something I ponder if I ever become a no dollar cruiser.


Would need to can a bunch of berry's, etc for winter. Filter and boil river water. But doable.

[onestepcsy37]

Does dumpster diving qualify for the land part?

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[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Does dumpster diving qualify for the land part?

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Yes!!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I've actually pondered if I could live of the land/sea. Currently in the Cali Delta, which is fresh water. Roots from bullrush and cattails are plentiful and good for starch or making flour, black berrys are ripening nicely, wild grapes are coming in as well, plus fish, crawdad's, crabs down in the bay, Mussels, kelp in the ocean. I could do it if I had too. Something I ponder if I ever become a no dollar cruiser.


Would need to can a bunch of berry's, etc for winter. Filter and boil river water. But doable.

Likely doable - but lots of hard and constant work....

.....there be a reason why peasants have (over centuries and across all cultures) left the land for cities as soon as they can!.....being a peasant is a a 24/7 job.

Annoyingly will likely find that even some cash will improve quality of life - and that probably involves working for da man......(either before you go or whilst you are out there).

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Likely doable - but lots of hard and constant work....

.....there be a reason why peasants have (over centuries and across all cultures) left the land for cities as soon as they can!.....being a peasant is a a 24/7 job.

Annoyingly will likely find that even some cash will improve quality of life - and that probably involves working for da man......(either before you go or whilst you are out there).

I think those peasants used domesticated agricultural methods and traded goods.

Hunter-gatherer groups worked in communities to meet their needs.

I have not heard any history of individual hunter/gather individuals successfully getting by just on their naturally occurring resources.

[sailorchic34]

I was thinking along the lines of if society collapsed, could I survive. In the Cali Delta it would be pretty easy. That is doable. Hard work, sure but less hard then rebuilding a diesel. Or spending three hours a day in rush hour traffic with 100,000 of your closest friends.

Root's of bullrush are quite editable and there are square miles of them. Same with wild berrys and grapes. Not to mention fish, etc and enough fresh water to serve Socal. Short term, I have rice, bean's, pasta, sauces, can canned meats for a few months anyway stashed away on da boat. Not real fond of beans BTW.

While I pondered going back to work for da man, It just costs too much in the US, what with car, car insurance, fuel, business attire, Flip flops are not going to cut it, which I find shocking. Then there is marina fee's, liveaboard fees, bridge tolls, parking fees, the list goes on and. Plus that whole 8-5 get up and make somebody else rich, for a few bucks, 50% of which go to taxes, insurance, etc.

So not worth it to me. Been there done that. I enjoy the sun sets and living my own life at a very slow pace, far more then $90-$100k a year.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

.... believe you still have to have a source of Vitamin C and maybe a few other nutrients that would be hard to come by with an entirely sea based food supply?

Seaweed contains vitamins A and C, is rich in potassium, iron, calcium, iodine and magnesium. Seaweed is one of the few vegetable sources of vitamin B12.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Seaweed contains vitamins A and C, is rich in potassium, iron, calcium, iodine and magnesium. Seaweed is one of the few vegetable sources of vitamin B12.

So the mariners of old could have prevented scurvy with something that was available, didn't know that

[onestepcsy37]

ArtM, what DOJ said is probably correct; being a peasant was, and still is, a 24/7 job.

Sailorchic, you are my favorite 'living on $1.98 a day' sailor. But if society collapsed you would be competeing with a couple of million Californians for those bullrushes. Better add an AK47 to your survival kit...

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[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Better add an AK47 to your survival kit...

While no Ak47, A semi-auto rifle is in my GTH kit, Along with other toys...

[boatman61]

Nope.. don't do sea food..

[colemj]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

But if society collapsed you would be competeing with a couple of million Californians for those bullrushes.

I'm betting the average Californian wouldn't even be able to identify a bullrush, let alone think to eat one! I imagine SC will be comfortably and peacefully alone harvesting her food when the internet goes black for 2 days (which is all I think it would take for society to collapse).

Mark