Hurricane Sandy

Most Floridians really expect the hurricane season to be over as we approach Halloween, but memories are often short. Back in 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall in South Florida on Oct 19, and many in Broward County were caught by surprise when a Category 2 hurricane slipped in from the Everglades and devastated the infrastructure. After just four hours the storm passed, and astounded homeowners walked out into neighborhoods that looked like a war zone. The ubiquitous cement roof tiles which cover nearly every house had broken loose and flown like shrapnel, wreaking havoc on windows, glass doors and cars foolishly left outside. Flooded neighborhood streets were sealed off by fallen trees. Every street sign and stop sign had blown away. And then the sun broke through to reveal total chaos.

More than 30,000 power poles were snapped off and left most streets looking like a giant game of pick-up sticks. Many neighborhoods were without power for ten days. No gasoline was available because the service stations had no power to operate their pumps. That didn’t stop hundreds of thousands of motorists from flocking to the roads and creating the biggest traffic jams in recent history; almost every traffic light blew down and rude drivers refused to yield the right of way, until every intersection was so gridlocked that people just abandoned their cars and walked home. Ground transportation came to a halt. Trains stopped running. All the airports closed and the only air traffic was the helicopters, not FEMA or the National Guard…news helicopters. And they weren’t dropping relief supplies like in the aftermath of Katrina, but were shooting film for the evening news somewhere.

Predatory vendors filled rental trucks with generators, ice, and cans of gasoline from upstate, and set up shop in the parking lots of shopping centers. Grocery stores kept their doors locked and millions of dollars of perishable food was just allowed to rot. Most landline and cell phones were out of service. Cable television and internet service stopped. People had to listen to their car radios for news. The public water supply powered by backup diesel pumps continued, but many native Floridans warned newcomers that the water should be boiled before drinking. There was no police presence, but we could hear the continuous sound of distant sirens. When the sun set, without streetlights it was absolutely dark, and looters began to arrive. Some of us were ready. 

In my novel, Boca Chita. Prepare. Escape. Survive., I detail the steps I went through to prepare for just such an emergency and how I managed to make our family home safe and secure during this natural disaster. Preparedness is a process not an event! As soon as the storm had passed, I released my overhead garage door from its automatic opener and slid it up. Next, I carried my little 2kW Honda suitcase generator outside, fueled it up from my cache of five-gallon cans of gasoline, and fired it up. Within fifteen minutes I had my refrigerator, icemaker, fans, and lights operable. I wheeled my propane gas barbeque to the front driveway and made a pot of coffee on the side burner. I shut off the water service to the house and attached a garden hose to the drain on the water heater so that I’d have access to 40 gallons of fresh water. I borrowed a brand-new chainsaw from a clueless neighbor, and began clearing away the branches that blocked my driveway.

Shell-shocked neighbors began to gather to watch me. Many just sat in lawn-chairs in their driveways waiting for the insurance adjusters. Some were amazed I could open the garage door without power and get my Jeep out. Soon I had my little generator up and working. I used my 4-wheel drive Jeep and a chain to start moving the trees blocking the street, and my portable VHF radio like a cell phone to hail others on Channel 16. That night, a circle of neighbors sat in their lawn chairs in my driveway, illuminated by my portable floodlights while I cooked their rapidly defrosting frozen meats on my grill. We talked about what to do next.

The next morning I drove down to the marina in Key Biscayne where I kept my trawler to find total devastation! Twenty-eight of the sailboats in the mooring field had broken loose and were driven by the hurricane into our boats berthed on the floating docks. Of the twelve boats, ranging from 40-50 feet in the outside slips where I was docked, only four, including my trawler, were still afloat. The marina was nearly destroyed; floating docks capsized pulling many boats down with them as the tide surge swept in. I credited my trawler’s survival to 10% luck and 90% preparedness. My 1 ½" nylon “storm lines” were instrumental in holding my boat in place and my carefully placed fenders cushioned it from the concrete pilings. I talk at length in my book Boca Chita about why only the prepared will survive.

As I write this, Hurricane Sandy, now being billed by the frenzied media as the “Frankenstorm” is just off the coast and storm bands are whipping through the marina with winds sustained at fifty mph; the eye is right offshore now. Twelve- to fourteen-foot breakers are pounding the beaches, but I’m safe in my current bugout location. I’m one of the few liveaboards in the marina and am watching the damage being inflicted by this storm on boaters who have left their Bimini tops up, tied their million dollar yachts with 5/8" line, and skimped on placing fenders. Inflatable launches are dangling and plastic steps and buckets are sailing by in the storm-lashed seas. When the power goes out, I’ll fire up my diesel generator and settle in with a good book.

These natural disasters are only a test for what is inevitably going to happen. Are you prepared?

Lance

Monohull Overview:

Although I’ve spent time on numerous multihulls, both power and sail, the only one I’ve ever owned was Hobie Cat that I kept in the dunes in front of my oceanfront house in Crescent Beach, Florida, and sailed in the surf when the break was unsuitable for surfing. Every other boat I’ve owned was a monohull.

Monohulls.

Most sailboats and powerboats are monohulls. Unlike multihulls, which skim the surface, a monohull is a displacement boat that achieves its stability from the weight of the water it takes to float it. Archimedes learned that any object displaces its own weight when submerged in water. This displacement of water establishes the boat’s stability. It’s the monohull boat’s foundation.

I like monohulls for the following reasons:

              • Most common type of boat and readily available

              • Most seaworthy boat for ocean crossings

              • Keel sailboats are self-righting

              • Like multihulls, there are multiple propulsion options: sail, engine, oars, poling

              • Monohulls, powered by large engines, are faster, for quick bugout escapes

There are several disadvantages to monohulls:

            • Usually, but not always, more expensive than multihulls

            • Less storage space for supplies and equipment

            • Less deck space

            • Slower than multihulls, unless powered by large engines

            • Deeper draft, require more water

            • More difficult to conceal or beach

            • Less adaptable to alternate propulsion options

 Some Things to Consider

If your bugout location requires an ocean crossing, even the 100-mile trip to the Bahama Bank, a monohull would be my choice; however once in the shallow waters of the Bahamas, a multihull would be more liveable. A shallow draft monohull power boat would be suitable for the rivers and Everglades, but a monohull sailboat would be less than ideal because most will require four feet or more or water. Flat bottom fishing boats, canoes or kayaks are too small and slow to quickly escape, but they might be suitable for slipping into  the Everglades. A go-fast boat will get you to your bugout location quickly, but you better have a life support platform when you arrive. I don’t believe that a sports-fisherman, with two huge engines is a wise choice for anything except a high-speed escape; they simply burn too much fuel. (One of the sports-fisherman on my dock has twin 12-cylinder engines that burn 60 gallons an hour!)

Trawlers: I like trawlers, both commercial and yacht versions. These seaworthy monohulls are usually designed for long-distance, low-cost voyaging. Most are powered by reliable diesel engines which, with reasonable maintenance, will run for 10,000 hours. Although twin engines are nice for redundancy, a single engine will suffice, although maneuvering in tight quarters (docking) can be a challenge for a novice. Speed is typically limited to ten knots or less, but fuel economy is often .5 gallons per mile. I suggest a trawler of at least 34' for a couple but I wouldn’t recommend going over 44'. Remember boat volume grows geometrically, as length increases arithmetically. This size trawler typically has two cabins, two heads (bathrooms) and steering stations both on the bridge and inside in the salon. Almost all have a generator, and can be fitted with a water-maker. In a later installment I’ll discuss how to utilize wind, solar, and human power to keep your house battery bank charged. Trawlers can be very affordable; Marine Trader trawlers built in the 1970s can often be found for less than $25,000 and that includes a dependable diesel engine.

Houseboats: As the name implies, this type of boat is a small floating house; actually most are closer to a mobile home mounted on a barge or pontoons. I like the space and home-like conveniences, but believe they are best suited for lakes and rivers. Although they might be ideal to live aboard in your bugout location, I believe it’s the wrong kind of boat to escape in.

Hull Material: Unless you’re buying a larger workboat, I suggest that you look only at low maintenance fiberglass hulls. Most trawlers are manufactured in Asia and the older ones tended to have thicker fiberglass hulls, before the builders found out they could skimp on materials. Even the wooden decks are usually laid over fiberglass mat, assuring a watertight seal. Fiberglass is easy to repair and a coat of paint will keep it looking fresh.

Oars vs a Small Motor: I grew up on the Maine coast where kids learned how to row before they could ride a bike. I found out it was frequently quicker to just row down the coast, rather than trying to walk or bike. Early on, I learned how to sail, which made it even quicker. Not only is rowing good exercise, no fossil fuels are needed and you can approach almost any shoreline without worrying about danger to your prop. You can easily expand your rowing options by learning to scull (twisting a single oar over the stern) or simply by using your oar to pole ashore through shallows, rocks, or coral. Remember, in an emergency, oars will always get you there. Lots of people have rowed across the Atlantic in lifeboats and dories. Becalmed ships were often towed by ship’s boats propelled by oar.

Engines: In a later installment I’ll discuss marine engines: inboard & outboard, gasoline & diesel as well as the ideal sail plan for liveaboard cruising. And, yes…every sailboat should have an engine…even if it’s an outboard. If you’re bugging out, you don’t want to have to wait for a favorable tide or wind! I’ll even discuss the versatile Lister-type diesel, which can burn any type of oil, including cooking oil.

Lance

Types of BugOut Boats: Power or Sail?

I started writing this morning about whether the ideal bugout boat should be power or sail and quickly realized that the choice of propulsion system really comes down to a question of fuel: both its cost and availability. In my novel, Boca Chita: Prepare. Escape. Survive., my character discovers that “fuel is power,” as he learns to energize the fuel pumps at abandoned marinas with his “pump jumper” wiring harness and a portable Honda suitcase generator. This, of course, impacts his survival strategy.

If your primary concern is getting away to your bugout location as quickly as possible, power is really the only option. If your plans call for continuous cruising from one safe location to another, sail is obviously the answer. My own bugout plan involves moving my boat and my loved ones to a remote island retreat and then living there on my floating survival platform for as long as necessary. Since I’ve positioned my liveaboard trawler within a few hours of my bugout location, speed is less important to me than the comfort of living aboard once I’ve arrived.

Since everyone’s tastes and needs vary, this topic is very subjective; what floats your boat may be very different from someone else’s requirement. The process of bugging-out involves escaping, while surviving means sustaining comfortable living arrangements once you’ve reached your safe haven. With both these considerations in mind, I’ve decided to devote this installment to discussing the ideal type of hull, and to examine propulsion systems in a future entry.

Your first decision is whether the boat should be a monohull or multihull vessel. The second decision is how the boat will be powered: sail, inboard engine, outboard engine or human-powered. Let’s talk about multihulls first.

1. Multihull:

When we hear “multihull,” most of us think only of sail-powered vessels such as catamarans and trimarans, but this type of boat can easily be driven by one or more engines, inboard or outboard, or even be human-powered with oars for short distances or poled through shallow water. I like multihulls for the following reasons:

Advantages:   

            • The most boat for your money

            • Shallow draft allows a multihull to be beached easily

            • Can be easily pulled ashore with rollers and an anchor winch

            • Can be navigated through shoal waters

            • Provides a very stable platform with lots of deck space

            • Offers lots of storage

            • Can be concealed in mangroves and hammocks

            • Can utilize multiple and redundant propulsion systems

            • Can be powered by sail or engine(s): inboard or outboard

            • Can be rowed or poled in standing position

            • Offers a low profile with mast/rigging dropped for bridges

            • Very fast, lightweight, and easy to manage short-handed

            • Can be made unsinkable with expandable injection foam

Disadvantages:

            • Not a rough water boat

            • They will not self-right if capsized

            • They lack the structural integrity of a monohull

            • Potential to breakup in rough seas

            • Hold value less than a monohull

My Recommendations:

If your bugout location does not require crossing expanses of open ocean, a multihull will probably suit your needs. In coastal waters, they can be used to rapidly escape and then provide a comfortable liveaboard survival platform. Whether you choose to anchor in the lee of a deserted island, beach the boat on a sandy shore, or haul it ashore on rollers as an amphibious home, a multihull will give you the best value for your money. These boats are suitable for coastal retreats, rivers, and even the Everglades. I like the redundancy of propulsion options: sailing, motoring, rowing, or poling. I suggest that you buy and renovate a wooden or fiberglass multihull, as large as you can afford. For an individual or couple I’d suggest a 30' or larger boat, though anything over 40' will be too large to handle. Many homebuilt boats can be found online, in marinas, or boatyards. Try to find some old Piver designs that were popular in the 60s and 70s. Numerous companies offer construction plans online, but I’m not sure we have that much time. 

In my next installment I’ll talk about monohulls and how to find a decently equipped liveaboard for the cost of a used mobile home.

Lance

Interesting Sources of Boats

The first step to bugging-out by boat is getting a suitable boat. You don’t have to be a millionaire to afford a 30' to 50' boat that could be converted into a survival platform. Take a look at these sources, some of which you may never have considered:

1. Boat Junk Yards: Florida is the boat junkyard capital of America. As a result of numerous hurricanes, and poor seamanship in preparing boats for a storm, there are hundreds of boats that have been totaled by the insurance companies. Some of these boats are very salvageable and were totaled because the cost of replacing the engines and equipment exceeded fair market value. Many of these boats have sound hulls, and lots of expensive equipment, like winches, masts, anchors, windlasses, compasses, etc., and can be picked up for just pennies on the dollar. Most diesel engines can quickly and easily be made operable. Some boats have damaged hulls, like cracks or holes in the fiberglass that can be structurally repaired but will never be cosmetically perfect again. If you don’t mind owning a boat that’s not yacht-quality, a totaled boat might be an option. Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, that struck Florida’s east coast in 2004, just 22 days apart, caused extensive damage and took out most of the city marina in Fort Pierce, where there is still  a huge boat junk yard within two miles of downtown.

2. Brokers: Banks, insurance companies, bankruptcy courts and even law enforcement agencies frequently list boats with a yacht broker for immediate liquidation. Many of these boats are in operating condition, but need cosmetic help. We can put you in touch with Florida brokers that offer very affordable live-aboard boats.

3. Bank Repos: More boats are repossessed by the banks in Florida than in any other state; in many South Florida marinas, one in four boats is a repo. These boats are often liquidated by auction houses who offer them at public sale.

4. Seizures and Forfeitures: Federal and State law enforcement agencies routinely seize boats belonging to smugglers and other criminals. South Florida remains the major port of entry for illegal drugs. These boats often sit as evidence, for years unattended, while the judicial system slowly moves forward. They are usually sold at very poorly advertised auctions.

5. Bankruptcy: In our weak economy, boat owners often opt for bankruptcy protection to free themselves from creditors. In a liquidation bankruptcy, the court trustee frequently sells the debtor’s assets for pennies on the dollar. Profit and fair market value are seldom considerations.

6. Abandonment: Increasingly, boat owners who are upside down on their payments because they owe more than the boat is worth, will simply abandon the boat. Others have lost their homes to foreclosure and simply can’t afford the expense. While the lenders will usually try to repo the boat and resell it, so many banks are failing that it sometimes isn’t worth the expense of liquidation. We often see ads for “free boats” which can be had simply by towing them away. With some cosmetic work, a smaller boat could be resold and the proceeds invested in a larger, more suitable boat.

7. Estates: When a boat owner dies, often the family will attempt to sell a boat they no longer want or need; sometimes they don’t use a broker. Often the heirs to the estate would rather have cash than a boat.

8. Military Surplus: If you’re on a tight budget you might consider buying a surplus Coast Guard, Navy, or cruise ship lifeboat. Although they are suitable for just an individual or a couple, they usually have a single diesel engine and fiberglass hulls. I’ve seen some very nice conversions into “pocket cruisers”.

In my next installment, I will address the issue: power or sail?

Lance