It depends on what type of test system you use I persume you are using the MENSA IQ scale 100 being the average I do not think your plan to use a Boat on the humber is viable. As you would have to kill the captan and crew in front of your wife and children. A better plan would be to take a small unmaned yacht( no killing ) from a small harber and sail to the isle of man or a island off the coast of scottland grow your owen food and harvest the sea keep sheep for meat. That way you do not have to keep getting off the big boat putting yourself and family in danger to find more food. as citys like hull will be full of people looking for food.
doomsdayers/preppers
- Thread starter moocher
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Being able to live unaided for 3-7 days is what the government and emergency agencies (FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) all recommend here. I've seen it take some areas more than 2 weeks to restore electricity after hurricanes and up the 9 days after an ice storm.
One thing a lot of otherwise prepared people seem to forget is that without electricity, the ATMs won't work and neither will the shops be able to process debit cards or credit cards. So even if they can open, they can only do business for cash.
You are 100% correct as I have a hight IQ but have long term and short term memory problems (ASD) I can not take full advantage of it as most people can. If I had an eidetic memory I would become a bond supervilan and take over the World.
Right , how can I best < politely> put this , take it from someone who knows , there are p-l-e-n-t-y of higher functioning individuals in MENSA ( with no learning or application problems ) who have achieved the sum total of bugger-all in there lives. There are also plenty of people with lower IQ who have achieved so much its staggering.
High IQ or not ,its not a 'Hall Pass' and it means not very much at all in the real world.
This is of course just my opinion.
Well put, TeeDee.
Anyway, back to the boat - who said anything about killing the captain and crew? Running a boat of that size, keeping guard, farming, would be easier with more people. I'd board, explain what I want to do. I can be very persuasive.
As I said earlier, I'd farm on deck. A raid on a DIY store and garden centre, taking the flat-pack greenhouse kits + compost + seeds, then set up on-deck greenhouses and allotments. Keep chickens, fish over the side of the boat (rig booms and nets from the ship lifting gear.
Anyway, back to the boat - who said anything about killing the captain and crew? Running a boat of that size, keeping guard, farming, would be easier with more people. I'd board, explain what I want to do. I can be very persuasive.
As I said earlier, I'd farm on deck. A raid on a DIY store and garden centre, taking the flat-pack greenhouse kits + compost + seeds, then set up on-deck greenhouses and allotments. Keep chickens, fish over the side of the boat (rig booms and nets from the ship lifting gear.
I think a boat as a base is a great idea, it gives you a lot of security as well as the ability to move on from areas if they get rowdy. You'd need a lot of space for farming though, and even then you'll need to be pretty good at cultivating from seed. Unless you set a course for the seed bank at svalbard of course 
I think most of us already indulge in 'prepping' to some degree, sometimes without even realising it. Whether it's stashing some extra supplies, learning useful skills or simply having even the vaguest of plans of how to react in an emergency.
I've kept a 'bug out bag' of sorts for over 20 years. Mostly it was so I could go camping at a moments notice but was also handy to dip into when I was short of cash before payday and decided a 'boil in the bag something' or MRE would tide me over. Nowadays It's just got a bit bigger to take account of having a family...
I remember back at the much anticpated Y2K, suggesting to my wife we should stock up on a few things. She thought I was buying into the belief in some areas that the end of the world was nigh. If anything, I was aware that there may be a degree of panic buying and simply wanted to make sure I had milk for my morning coffee even if it was long life/powdered.
We have a few good local shops but, being a smallish village a few outside the city and at the top of a long and winding hill, a few flutters of snow is enough to send some folk into a panic. A few inches of snow and people are wrestling loaves out of each other's hands in the local shops. Last year most of the main roads out of the place were blocked because of numpties trying to drive in or out then having to abandon their cars in the middle of the road (which then prevented the ploughs/gritters from doing their thing). As a result, clearing the snow took much longer than it should have and it was almost a post apocalyptic scene for well over a week as people wandered in and out of the village weaving their way through abandoned cars left at 'jaunty angles' in the middle of the road
We did without bread for a few days but had enough food in the freezer to tide us through without diving into the large stock of tinned stuff we keep as a matter of course. Chances are we could have gone a few weeks before we considered eating the neighbours...
What it taught me though is that most people are stuck after a day or two, whether they've run out of food completely or will panic because they can't have a slice of toast with their breakfast. Even in a fairly rural area like this where you'd think most people would plan ahead, most simply don't.
We tend to have a 2-3 powercuts a year (for as long as I can remember). There's not problem for us as we've got a couple of gas cookers, various trangias, torches, lanterns etc that we use for camping that are easily accessible. I'm constantly astounded though by the number of neighbours who don't even have something as simple as a torch or just stand aimlessly in the street in the dark trying to will the lights to come on.
To me is part preparedness and part state of mind. If some people can't get through a couple of days without a visit to the shops, chances are they'll be completely stuffed if anything longer term happens...
I've kept a 'bug out bag' of sorts for over 20 years. Mostly it was so I could go camping at a moments notice but was also handy to dip into when I was short of cash before payday and decided a 'boil in the bag something' or MRE would tide me over. Nowadays It's just got a bit bigger to take account of having a family...
I remember back at the much anticpated Y2K, suggesting to my wife we should stock up on a few things. She thought I was buying into the belief in some areas that the end of the world was nigh. If anything, I was aware that there may be a degree of panic buying and simply wanted to make sure I had milk for my morning coffee even if it was long life/powdered.
We have a few good local shops but, being a smallish village a few outside the city and at the top of a long and winding hill, a few flutters of snow is enough to send some folk into a panic. A few inches of snow and people are wrestling loaves out of each other's hands in the local shops. Last year most of the main roads out of the place were blocked because of numpties trying to drive in or out then having to abandon their cars in the middle of the road (which then prevented the ploughs/gritters from doing their thing). As a result, clearing the snow took much longer than it should have and it was almost a post apocalyptic scene for well over a week as people wandered in and out of the village weaving their way through abandoned cars left at 'jaunty angles' in the middle of the road
We did without bread for a few days but had enough food in the freezer to tide us through without diving into the large stock of tinned stuff we keep as a matter of course. Chances are we could have gone a few weeks before we considered eating the neighbours...
What it taught me though is that most people are stuck after a day or two, whether they've run out of food completely or will panic because they can't have a slice of toast with their breakfast. Even in a fairly rural area like this where you'd think most people would plan ahead, most simply don't.
We tend to have a 2-3 powercuts a year (for as long as I can remember). There's not problem for us as we've got a couple of gas cookers, various trangias, torches, lanterns etc that we use for camping that are easily accessible. I'm constantly astounded though by the number of neighbours who don't even have something as simple as a torch or just stand aimlessly in the street in the dark trying to will the lights to come on.
To me is part preparedness and part state of mind. If some people can't get through a couple of days without a visit to the shops, chances are they'll be completely stuffed if anything longer term happens...
E
Elements
Guest
I am a firm believer that this is a mindset / strength issue and not necessarily about huge amounts of modern resources. I have just been wandering around my house, and have been looking at what we have. Enough wood to keep the log burner going until the summer, enough food and basic food products to easily last for 6 weeks, tools, basic hunting and fishing kit, camping / expedition kit for weathers from +40 to -40 degrees C, 20 litres of petrol for my stoves. Most importantly I have a high degree to knowledge and experience when it comes to looking after myself and others in a diverse range of territories/situations.
So with out specific design I have enough resource to easily last about 6 - 8 weeks. This I think is ample time to develop a plan / strategy to move forwards with.
My two real concerns would be safety & security of me, my loved ones, friends & property and access to safe water even if it needed treating.
My advice to people would be to get used to living with less, even if that is having a couple of weekends at home with the power turned off, log burner going etc. It will probably bring your family closer together, save some £££ and also have to learn some skills our parents / grandparents used to have. Also spend time being coming acclimatized to as diverse a range of situations, places and conditions as possible. The key to survival is really about being in tune, able to observe what is really going on around you, assess the situation and then develop a solid safe plan to work forwards with. This skill is developed by practice and reflection on experiences gained.
Just my thoughts
To be honest
So with out specific design I have enough resource to easily last about 6 - 8 weeks. This I think is ample time to develop a plan / strategy to move forwards with.
My two real concerns would be safety & security of me, my loved ones, friends & property and access to safe water even if it needed treating.
My advice to people would be to get used to living with less, even if that is having a couple of weekends at home with the power turned off, log burner going etc. It will probably bring your family closer together, save some £££ and also have to learn some skills our parents / grandparents used to have. Also spend time being coming acclimatized to as diverse a range of situations, places and conditions as possible. The key to survival is really about being in tune, able to observe what is really going on around you, assess the situation and then develop a solid safe plan to work forwards with. This skill is developed by practice and reflection on experiences gained.
Just my thoughts
To be honest
Do you really believe you could convince captain/crew to hand over a ship? Is the 'force' with you? "You don't need this ship...you now work for me"
You would need some good deck space, something like this would be good
http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/105200
On a serious note I thought most boats/ships leaked to some degree? Bigger the boat more pumps you need running etc, do you have good seed stock, not hybrid? What will you feed your livestock? If anything actually grew where would you store it. This idea needs thinking about more if your serious and not just having the craic.
I lived aboard boats for years - now if any of them leaked, I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night!
Where on earth did you get the idea that boats leak?
TBH, if TEOTWAWKI hits, I doubt many ship crews will stay aboard - they'll be hot-footing it to their families.
Look at ships in ports and there always seems to water pumping out, maybe its the loos or something lol. A quick google seems to say that all ships leak to a degree, the bigger and or older the worse the leak. If the crews leave its not as simple as starting a car and steering off, or is it that simple? My experience afloat is limited to a Laser dingy, cross channel ferry, canal barge and one cruise ship so I no naff all in reality.
Trust me, boats don't leak unless there is something wrong.
I have a 60ft sailing barge and the only time I need to pump out bilges is when rainwater gets in. Maybe once every few years.
The water you see pumping out of the side of ships and boats is nearly always cooling water - it's drawn in and circulated round a heat exchanger then pumped overboard well above the waterline. Pumping it out above the waterline stops back-flooding and also means to can do a quick visual check to see if the cooling is working.
I have a 60ft sailing barge and the only time I need to pump out bilges is when rainwater gets in. Maybe once every few years.
The water you see pumping out of the side of ships and boats is nearly always cooling water - it's drawn in and circulated round a heat exchanger then pumped overboard well above the waterline. Pumping it out above the waterline stops back-flooding and also means to can do a quick visual check to see if the cooling is working.
I'm a notorious land-lubber , so thanks for that , learn something new every day!
Will a 60' barge be enough space to grow food for all onboard? All ships leak, just a matter of how much I suppose.
One of the most startling ways of waking up on a boat is to swing your legs out of your bunk and have your feet land in water.
The average IQ is one hundred as anyone who knows about statistics and the normal distribution will tell you. Never mind that it is regularly re-normed so that it stays so. The so called "Flyn Effect" would suggest that in the last hundred or so year IQ has been steadily increasing, beyond the amount that evolution would suggest, therefore some logical anomaly there. It is a rather complex subject but then what would I know, I am only studying for a PhD. I'll not even go into the vast number of commercially available variants of IQ tests beyond the well known Stanford Binet and Wechsler, but there you go, you really wouldn't want to know and it certainly would not flatter many Mensa members egos to know what lies behind it all.
The test figures that I can find point to an 'average' of just over 100 - probably because its raw and not normalised data I'm finding. I personally don't put much credence in IQ tests - most of the ones I've taken test a limited range of skills - I've gotten better over the years at those skills because of my job - so these days I test around mid 130s, but frankly I know I'm no smarter than I was 20 years ago and tested 120. Could also be the shape and pattern recognition games in facebook have improved my skills, lol.
Our friend Pagan was claiming GPs have IQs in the mid 80s and his was 120.
Our friend Pagan was claiming GPs have IQs in the mid 80s and his was 120.
A lot of boats do leak - especially older wooden ones - with steel/ aluminum ones maybe 'leak' isn't the best word but there WILL be water getting in somewhere [i.e. rain, or wind chucking VAST quantities of water over the vessel from time to time] even the biggest container ships get thrown around and completely drenched in bad weather.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfEo6E6nElE [not even a particularly large vessel]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE_ri8PkihE - the interior shot looking down a corridor in the vessel shows how much stress and flex can be experinced!
pumps would be run from a [or multiple] generator sets which in turn are run from oil fuel, as said somewhere earlier in this thread the bigger continer ships do carry VAST quantities of this stuff so should have power for a long time if your not going anywhere, these days most new vessels have water recovery plants to make potable water form the sea, and sewage plants so there not dumping raw sewage overboard.
Growing food onboard? this will take soil, so theres the difficulty of ferrying out a few tons?? not sure how much you'd need - then distributing it evenly, so there's no stability problems - unfortunatley you can't just go and dump a few tons on a vessel and not think about it - it may just be a case of filling/ emptying the ballast tanks a bit, but then again it might not be.
However this is an incredibly intriguing idea, there has been alot about floating cities/ artifical islands latley. However with all these sorts of things there is a LONG way from think about it, to thinking about it in-depth and in a realistic way, to actually trying to accomplish it. There will be LOADS of stuff that needs to get sorted out to make ideas like this actually work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfEo6E6nElE [not even a particularly large vessel]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE_ri8PkihE - the interior shot looking down a corridor in the vessel shows how much stress and flex can be experinced!
pumps would be run from a [or multiple] generator sets which in turn are run from oil fuel, as said somewhere earlier in this thread the bigger continer ships do carry VAST quantities of this stuff so should have power for a long time if your not going anywhere, these days most new vessels have water recovery plants to make potable water form the sea, and sewage plants so there not dumping raw sewage overboard.
Growing food onboard? this will take soil, so theres the difficulty of ferrying out a few tons?? not sure how much you'd need - then distributing it evenly, so there's no stability problems - unfortunatley you can't just go and dump a few tons on a vessel and not think about it - it may just be a case of filling/ emptying the ballast tanks a bit, but then again it might not be.
However this is an incredibly intriguing idea, there has been alot about floating cities/ artifical islands latley. However with all these sorts of things there is a LONG way from think about it, to thinking about it in-depth and in a realistic way, to actually trying to accomplish it. There will be LOADS of stuff that needs to get sorted out to make ideas like this actually work.
