Simpson - The nautical prepper : how to equip and survive on your bug-out boat

Text copyright 2013 William E. Simpson II. Design and concept 2013 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Published in the U.S. by

ULYSSES PRESS

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-255-7

Library of Congress Control Number 2013938284

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contributing Writer: Michael Kasten

Acquisitions Editor: Kelly Reed

Managing Editor: Claire Chun

Editors: Bill Cassel, Leslie Tilley

Proofreader: Elyce Berrigan-Dunlop

Cover design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Cover graphics: sailing on water Barnaby Chambers/shutterstock.com; city f9photos/shutterstock.com

Interior illustrations: Kasten Marine Design, Inc.

Layout and production: Lindsay Tamura

Distributed by Publishers Group West

NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked product mentioned or pictured within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in the text, illustrations or photographs in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the recommended products mentioned and pictured in this book. This book has been written and published strictly for informational purposes, and in no way should be used as a substitute for actual instruction with qualified professionals. The author and publisher are providing you with information in this work so that you can have the knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge. The author and publisher also urge all readers to be aware of their health status, to consult local fish and game laws, and to consult health care and outdoor professionals before engaging in any potentially hazardous activity. Any use of the information in this book is made on the readers good judgment. The author and publisher assume no liability for personal injury to the reader or others harmed by the reader, property damage, consequential damage or loss, however caused, from using the information in this book.

Contents

The world today is a vastly different place than it was in years past. Economic, social, and political situations worldwide have created an uncertain future for modern civilization and society as we know it. Added to those uncertainties are others that are well beyond our control: the forces of nature.

Recently, we have witnessed the events following regional-scale natural disasters such as hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, which left millions of people without electrical power. Shortages of food and fresh water quickly precipitated civil unrest and competition for resources. These and other events bear witness to the validity of the concerns that many people feel today.

As if that wasnt enough to be concerned about, according to leading scientists and engineers, the potential for a widespread collapse of the North American electrical grid poses the largest single risk to civilization as we know it today. According to several recent government and civilian reports, the most credible imminent threat to modern civilization is the collapse of the electrical grid caused by damage from a geomagnetic storm or by a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) attack perpetrated by terrorists or a rogue nation.

Of course, other scenarios could also lead to widespread chaos and social disruption on an unprecedented scale.

In response to these uncertainties and in light of the potential for violent competition by unprepared survivors for basic resources, millions of people are stockpiling supplies and guns in shelters and underground bunkers, many of which are remotely located. Some families have even gone so far as to engage in paramilitary style training. This trainingwhere even children have been equipped with firearms such as assault riflesis in anticipation of the armed combat that may be required for families to protect themselves from hoards of violent survivors. Reality TV shows call these people preppers, and several of these TV shows, including National Geographics Doomsday Preppers, feature weekly prime-time episodes depicting preppers and their preparations for various disasters.

On the other hand, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has its own recommendations, which include three days worth of food and water, along with other items such as flashlights, whistles, moist towelettes, garbage bags, and a first aid kit, but no weapons. In light of recent disasters where millions of people went without food, water, and power, in many cases for weeks, FEMAs advice seems inadequate to address peoples actual needs during such events.

This begs the question: Why not simply adopt a more reasonable and effective approach that doesnt require paramilitary tactics or weapons and provides long-term sustainability for families during such events?

I believe its a mistake to devise a general survival solution based upon a single potential disaster event. Instead, why not devise a survival plan that addresses as many possible scenarios as is practical. Based on my actual experience of living comfortably off the grid long term at remote, uninhabited desert islands, this book is intended to provide readers with critical strategic and tactical information, including key survival tools that can help anyone improve their survival planning and preparedness.

Some people think of hardships when the word survival is used. My objective with this book to offer a unique approach to being prepared and surviving that will minimize, and in many cases eliminates, the hardships that some other methods seem to embrace. And through this alternative survival paradigm the need for planned armed combat is negated.

My experience in expedition sailing and living off the grid comes from more than two decades of operating as a professional mariner, as well as two multiyear sailing expeditions with my family and friends. As a result, many of the methods and solutions that I am proffering have successfully evolved from operational group dynamics. During the course of those long-range expeditionsone from 1991 to 1994 and the other from 2010 to 2011my wife and I, our children, and our dogs sailed to remote island locations and lived comfortably, totally off the grid. We tested all kinds of equipment and methods for survival; used solar and wind power to augment our power needs; and significantly augmented our food stores by fishing and collecting lobsters, mollusks, and seaweed from the waters around our tropical island retreats. I firmly believe that with proper guidance and a good boat, most people could enjoy the same success during an actual crisisor just to experience an amazing adventure.

Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack

Imagine waking up one morning to discover that you overslept because your alarm clock didnt go off. And as you examine the clock you realize its not working, but why? You climb out of bed and go to the light switch on the wall and flip it on. No light. Thinking it must be a circuit breaker, you head to the panel and find all the breakers are in the on position. Its then you notice that some of your neighbors are wandering around outside, some huddled together in anxious conversationabout what, you wonder?