saves thinking quickly

[Wildman]

for some reason or another, weather chem or nuke; 30% of the country have gone in what ever boat or ship they could leaving you and your family of five shall we say? stranded. with all the urban items there are combined with tools, wood stores ect, how would you go about building a raft/boat to leave england in? from materials to build ideas. if the vikings did it? good luck

[Geordie_Rob]

I don't think I would risk making a raft for use on the open seas mate. My dad has two fishing boats, 1 is a 30 footer & that gets chucked around all over if its rough so I think with a basic diy raft in those conditions, you would've condemned your loved ones to death. Obviously not in all cases, but I think most would go for the tree trunk & oil barrel type of raft.

Making a basic boat, provided the materials were to hand then you would stand a better chance. You would need some sort of propulsion though. A simple paddle is no use at all.

My method would be a basic hull made from timber & ply then coated in fibreglass to ensure its tough & waterproof. A simple mast with a tarp as a sail tied only at the top and a quick release system for unexpected gusts & a rudder on the back for steering. Some sort of cabin or shelter for the kids if it got really bad (again just a simple tarp would do).

Wouldn't really be a quick build.

[Highlander]

Around here, we have walk ways around the fish farms made from metre square polystyine [sp] blocks, these could easily be brought together to make what would be an unsunkable craft,.... propulsion system would have to be a plastic sheet and a couple of straight branches.

Every year as part of the village `games`we have a raft race, and some of these crafts are a work of art,... no nails are allowed

[bigpaul]

if nearly one third of the population has already left, why leave at all ??

[NorthernRaider]

I would walk out through the channel tunnel.

[bigpaul]

(8 December 2012, 10:35)NorthernRaider Wrote: I would walk out through the channel tunnel.

if someone hadnt already blown it up.

[Geordie_Rob]

Bugger going to frog land.

[Scythe13]

I think I'd take a huge risk and go to Wales! haha. Or I'd just stay put and enjoy the extra space.

If I was stranded and needed to get a boat, I'd just steal one. There's plenty around. But I don't get why you'd want to.

Guess you could go to a timber yard and just keep lashing logs together. Add a load of plastic bottles held together by fishing nets, like that guy down Mexico did, and then build a hefting big island to enjoy. That Mexico dude managed to get something the size of a tennis court, complete with mini mangrove trees, orange trees, bananas, and he even had chickens, dogs and cats. Guess I'd just do something like that.....if I had to.

[Geordie_Rob]

(8 December 2012, 12:11)Scythe13 Wrote: I think I'd take a huge risk and go to Wales! haha. Or I'd just stay put and enjoy the extra space.

If I was stranded and needed to get a boat, I'd just steal one. There's plenty around. But I don't get why you'd want to.

Guess you could go to a timber yard and just keep lashing logs together. Add a load of plastic bottles held together by fishing nets, like that guy down Mexico did, and then build a hefting big island to enjoy. That Mexico dude managed to get something the size of a tennis court, complete with mini mangrove trees, orange trees, bananas, and he even had chickens, dogs and cats. Guess I'd just do something like that.....if I had to.

If you had to??? Bugger having to. It sounds like a great weekend project

[Skean Dhude]

The thread is about building a raft or something not about going through tunnels or staying put.

I'd use an existing boat but if I had to build one I would make it from wood from my local builders and fill it with the floating polysyrene.