Well, if you have to know… I very well might be crazy! I see everyday things and find myself making the jump to how folks like us could possibly use that to gain an edge in our prep lives or maybe garner additional freedom. What am I talking about? The boat, that old wooden boat in the picture… Can’t you see it too? Since I know that few people actually see the same things I do – we are a very small minority of the population and even inside the “Prepper” world, we all seldom can agree on much. I’ll just come right out and explain myself!

 

   It all started a couple of months ago. I began my latest money making endeavor (Yes, I mean the second job) and this had me traveling down roads that I typically would have no reason to ever see… Low and behold one afternoon I spot this older wooden boat moored in a place I have never even seen a boat previously. First, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a gazillion rivers but many aren’t of the size you would usually find a boat in. Possibly a small boat that a couple of guys would do some weekend fishing from but generally not a boat like the one pictured here. Second, this particular river is in an urban setting, just South of downtown Seattle and a known pollution nightmare. I know what your thinking, this doesn’t appear to be that urban? I know, I see all those trees too, this is actually adjacent to a little know and lightly used strip of park land. A city bicycle trail runs through there as well but the whole area is surrounded by what I would describe as a light industrial area…

 

   So anyway, the thing that got me thinking was that here’s this boat in an unexpected area, tied to who knows what and has a makeshift wooded walkway coming out of the woods right down to it. I think to myself,  “I wonder if some-one’s living on that thing”?? Well, I watch this thing sitting just as you see it in the picture from the day I first noticed it up until just hours ago when I last drove past and it is still there. So lets say a couple of months at least!

 

   As the weeks went by and I kept checking to see if the boat has moved or eventually would disappear, sink or anything else! The thoughts keep running through my head… Someone is beating the system, parking a boat in what would have to be described by the lay-person as a “No Mans Land” – except on water, of course! Was this a viable lifestyle for some freedom seeker? In reality I would think it most likely that it’s some guy that got tossed out of his house either by the economy or his old lady and had no other choice. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that this boat was occupied by someone working in one of the many businesses or warehouses near by. It’s only my lack of ever seeing anyone aboard when I drive by that has kept me from attempting to interview this elusive live aboard…

 

   If this would work for the poor guy that’s down on his luck, why couldn’t it work by design? Like I said the greater Pacific Northwest is riddled with rivers. Why couldn’t a creative individual just give up living in the rat race and live on the river…? They could! Provided they have a boat to live on. Usually the boats we see around this area are more modern and often smaller than anyone I know would attempt to live on. Around here we are fortunate to have a large number of lakes as well, I guess all these bodies of water come along with the fact that it rains here, I believe 364 days per year – last count! So, the typical boat owner has a small fishing boat or a sporting boat, you know water skiing and other day use designs. However, if a person had a larger boat, this idea could work.

 

   Unfortunately, I do not own a boat – or fortunately, depends how you want to look at it… Mrs Prepper is feeling very fortunate that I don’t own a boat as this currently prevents me from asking her to come live on the river with me. I’m only half way kidding here, as I am very much done and over with the whole rat race lifestyle! Why not buy a boat to try this all out? Not me, some theoretical “prepper”? I realize boats can be and often are quite expensive! How about looking for an older wooden boat such as the one pictured on craigslist? On several occasions my searches for other products, like used mobile homes, have lead me to find used boats in this category… Expensive? Not necessarily, I saw some boats that sounded and looked to good to be true – I will assume they were! I also so some moderately priced boats in the 26-30 foot range and were setup very similar to a land based RV. What was there true condition? Of course I don’t know for sure but even if they needed a lot of repairs, as long as the structure was sound…?

 

   I’ll even take this one step further, why would this boat have to have a good motor? Yes, yes… it would have to be able to get to the spot picked for your new life up the river! There are ways to get boats moved when their engines aren’t working, which on all the boats I’ve been around is fairly often… Boats usually come with a large amount of ongoing maintenance to keep them dependable. Many of the classified ads I’ve read were for “Project” boats, the prices on these boats were shockingly cheap… For good reason, the buyer was taking the problem off the hands of the current owner! I did see apparently beautiful boats that had some “Issues” with the power plant… Also, one large expense with a motor boat is the cost of fuel, an additional expense that would be nullified in our little thought exercise…

 

   What I’m imagining here is doable! Would it work for you and yours – probably not but it WILL WORK for some. A rather small but well setup cabin cruiser, with or without it’s own on board power plant, moored “Up the River” or even at a local marina… Hmm, what are moorage rates at the local marina – might be worth looking into. Usually these moorage rates are with hook ups for your sewer, phone and electric… This wouldn’t be nearly as cheap but at least around here the rates are FAR lower than even an inexpensive apartment…

 

   As usual I’m submitting this as just another option that might work for one of you guys out there. This strategy would come with several downsides but it would also allow for that freedom only achievable when that mortgage payment has been destroyed… Food for thought!

 

Prepper