My two best collapse options

I was having a coffee with a buddy of mine the other day. He asked me where I'd rather be should collapse happen. He lives in a small apartment in the city so has plans for bugging out.

Since I live out in the country and have supplies and a good source of water, being at home is my first choice. That's a no brainer. What did surprise him was my second choice. That would be living on a well stocked sailboat.

That surprises some people and he was no exception. One thing that people don't realize is that the oceans are big, really big. One of the biggest challenges to sailing is actually being found out there if you need help. Once you disappear over the horizon, all bets are off.

There are sailors who's zombie apocalypse plan is sail offshore for a few weeks and see how things settle out. Even sailing just fifty miles off-shore puts you beyond the reach of most powerboats. There are fishing boats equipped for much longer distances, but the ocean is big.

The sailors would monitor their radios to see how things were going. Maybe if too much chaos existed back home, they'd sail to a different country.

Even small shallow draft sailboats can be pretty good options. It's surprising how many uninhabited islands exist in the United States. There are also marshes along the coast that cannot be gotten to by land, yet make handy hiding places for boats.

The United States Coast Guard can't stop all boat traffic. Smugglers get in all the time. Even Haitian refugees come in on small primitive sailboats.

Sailboats have some disadvantages, the first being their relatively slow speeds. Those big white sails are pretty visible for some distance too. Other factors depend on the boat. Is is complicated and need constant work to keep it seaworthy? Does it need to burn fuel to keep everything running?

Rugged simple sailboats, with solar power and rain catchment, can go a long time without support. There is also a long tradition of sailors helping each out. That is so basic to water folk that it will probably still hold for most people in a crisis.

Is the sailboat strategy guaranteed? Of course not, but it's a chance. Sometimes in life that's the best you can hope for.

-Sixbears