What do you need to be virtually self sustainable on a BOAT?

yea, also thinking chickens would be the simplest animals to keep in order to get meat beyond fish.

Keeping saltspray off the plants could prove a problem. Keeping the soil enriched too. Legumes aswell as root crops would need to be kept in rotation.
 
Maps, GPS, tool box, radar, fishing poles, dry ice is useful to keep things really cold, comfy captain's chair, a head, fire exstinguisher, a flare gun, good ropes, money, sharp knives, motor scooter, window cleaner, buckets, gloves, sunblock, cleaning brushes, CD's, scuba gear, stove, refrigerator, sunglasses, plenty of blankets, astronomy book....ok I got to go but that's a couple things.
 
slozenger said:
yea, also thinking chickens would be the simplest animals to keep in order to get meat beyond fish.

Keeping saltspray off the plants could prove a problem. Keeping the soil enriched too. Legumes aswell as root crops would need to be kept in rotation.
wrong. boats can get very crowded so having 20 chickens run around is gonna make it worse. my suggestion would be fish and if you have a bow and arrow, seagulls. you could use ye olde freshwater-saltwater bowl method. PM me if you dont know it. paper (or magazine) will essential for waste;) and you should carry some sort of pill to provide you with whatever vitamins you dont have as well as fruit to prevent scurvy. dont bathe though. waste of fresh water
 
Is the boat going to be near shore, or is it going to be in the middle of the ocean? The nutrient content of the boat is very different in each area.

Raising algae (a varient of blue-green, but I forget the specific breed) using wire mesh can actually be a viable option for getting your greens. Raising algae would require better nutrient sources than the middle of the ocean. As well, chickens are a fairly low-cost source of meat (but I remember hearing that rabbits might be more efficient in a calorie spent /kilo meat analysis).

Water is actually not so hard, since you're familiar with evaporation. The trick is to use ocean water to cool your condenser.

Boredom might be the biggest problem.
 
You don't need soil to grow crops it can be done hydroponicly and if you stay near the dulldrums you growing season could be long or if you use artificial light you can control growth periods. Fish parts make good fertalizer.
 
Perfection said:
All, you really need is some tough guys a fast boat and guns (with ammo).
With that, and the proper attire, you can get by on devine favour alone.

Yarr...
my suggestion would be fish and if you have a bow and arrow, seagulls.
Speargun, anyone? With tethered ammo, and either compressed air or a sort of crossbow as a launcher, you'd have a nice reusable way to kill birds.

Boredom might be the biggest problem.
Pirated Satelite dish, or just a radio.
 
A list for starters:
Satellite internet, Satellite phone, Emergency Gear, solar still (to make fresh water), Generator, Sound proof cabin, indoor bathroom, powerfull computer with huge librairy, navigation tools, auto pilot, fishing net, big hold with lots of food in large variety, a small green house to grow vegtables, radar, GPS, and backup systems for everything.
 
What's a boat without some good sayings onboard...

  • There are people that fish and those who just disturb the water. --Chinese Proverb

  • There is no wind that blows right for the sailor who doesn't know where the harbor is. --Norwegian Proverb

  • Whether the weather be fine
    Or whether the weather be not
    Whether the weather be cold
    Or whether the weather be hot
    We'll weather the weather
    Whatever the weather
    Whether we like it or not. --Anonymous

  • Waves are not measured in feet or inches, they are measured in increments of fear.-- Buzzy Trent

  • This boat runs on gas not thanks. -Anonymous

  • When in doubt, let it out. Anonymous

  • And always remember what boat really means.....break out another thousand. -Anonymous
 
slozenger said:
yea, also thinking chickens would be the simplest animals to keep in order to get meat beyond fish.

Keeping saltspray off the plants could prove a problem. Keeping the soil enriched too. Legumes aswell as root crops would need to be kept in rotation.
Find some salt-tolerant, wind-tolerant, high-yield, robust crops. Not F1s varietie or you can't use the seeds to grow the next generation iirc.
What to do about vitamins and minerals? Essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, essential trace elements etc are called essential for a reason - you need them to live and you can't make them but must eat them! Veggies are a good source of vitamins etc; I know fish are good for oils and maybe proteins, but scurvy absolutely sucks.
 
soil and a few coconut trees.

and a water purifier.

and a woman (there's only so much you can do with a mermaid ;)).
 
think he was imagining living on an island!

But i take of board the woman suggestion.. they can be useful at times ;)
 
Sophie 378 said:
@Slozenger - Night's Dawn trilogy: The Reality Dysfunction (1996), The Neutronium Alchemist (1997), and The Naked God (1999). Also a collection of short stories, A Second Chance at Eden for background stuff; the books have a rather boring(ly excessive) amount of sex in, but are quite fun reading with incredible science-fiction science speculation.

Currently Diving through Reality Dysfunction. Great book- though a chapter without some sexual content is a rare thing indeed...

Nice mix though, sci-fi-porn. Leaves you in a nice relaxed mood for sleep ;)
 
holy crap why didn't I see this earlier!

I love boating, and I love boats.

To be self-sustainable you need a reverse-osmosis thingy to convert salt water into drinkign water, you need good atlases and a quality compass, and these days you need a GPS. You need a radio, foul weather gear, and you will ant to be on a sailboat. As far as food, you'll need to store food, but you can store enough food for months on a reletively small sailboat. If you hunker down in one spot, you can often just eat fish and such that you catch. I spent about a week in Garrison Bay (in the San Juan Islands) on my sailboat and lived mainly on juice, water, and the duneness crab I caught every day.

Are you seriosu about this? I'm DEFINITELY gonna live on a sailboat for awhile.
 
PS no floating platform you could ever make for less than millions of dollars would ever sustain itself in open water.
 
Oh and if you want to know how the weather is going to be remember the old Sailor's rhyme "red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morn, sailor be warned!"


And you'll need a barometer!
 
Enjoy having to boat two hours to the grocery store. Oh and not have any internet access.
 
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