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Would a sailboat be a good place to be

71K views 422 replies 87 participants last post by  Donna_F 
#1 ·
in case of a zombie attack?

Can zombies even swim?
 
#4 ·
Do we need a poll on what weapons to carry to fend off a zombie pirate attack?
Come on. Let's not let this thread descend into the dreaded 'armed and sailing' fantasy-filled quagmire.

Keep it real!!



Unless the lake is filled with mutant zombie catfish!

 
#7 · (Edited)
Not sure if you are a troll or an internet know it all, but;

I can't find any scientific information that proves that Zombie attacks are more or less prevalent in winter.

Not sure where you get your information, but, I suggest you be more careful when posting bogus Zombie info.

Peoples lives may depend on it!

Back to the subject at hand;

Zombies cannot swim.

Nor can they drown.

They simply walk under water to your anchor or mooring line and haul themselves up on deck.

Sharks and other large fast predatory fish are not afraid of Zombies and will feed on them.

The problem is that once in while the Zombies will get hold of a shark and bite or scratch the animal during the feeding frenzy...

Zombie Sharks are probably best left to another thread.
 
#8 ·
Admittedly, I know almost nothing about zombies except that they aren't living in the generally accepted definition of the term. But perhaps it's possible to round them up and train them to go after the Somali pirates? Why not use their unique skills to our advantage?

Perhaps each boat could have its own zombie security. I imagine there would be a few things to overcome in order to make it work, but why not?
 
#9 ·
I think a more basic question (as someone who is pretty well versed in Zombie Lore) is: depending on who's telling the story, the zombies can vary dramatically in effective intelligence, strength, and athleticism. So, the big question for flyingwelshman is: what kind of zombies are we dealing with here? For instance, if we were facing the standard Romero shamblers, I would be more than content to commandeer the lovely Shannon 60 at the marina I work at, and float in the middle of Narragansett Bay until it blew over (classic Romero zombies are pretty dumb, weak, can't swim, etc.)
If, however, we were dealing with the World War Z horrors, I'd think twice about being anywhere near land, and then you're talking about finding a vessel that can last for up to multiple months offshore (complete with extensive solar and wind plants, desalinization, etc.)
Overall, provided supplies can be restocked with a minimal hazard to life and limb, I don't see any reason why a sailboat wouldn't be a good place to take refuge. It certainly seems a better option than the office buildings/warehouses that seem to litter zombie movies.
 
#10 ·
See? Now here is a thought-provoking answer.

So I guess we have to establish what caused the zombification. If it was some kind of vague industrial accident caused by socially irresponsible, corrupt and greedy business people then we would probably be pretty safe anchored just off-shore - then stealing into urban centres to scavenge our supplies from abandoned WalMarts etc.

If the mutations were brought about by some military top-secret weapons program gone awry, then we'd better prepare for extended offshore cruising and think about finding some un-affected island somewhere from which to repopulate the planet.

If the zombies are created by a malignant space spore then all bets are off.

I am still quite worried about these zombies climbing up my anchor rode though. Would a Chinese-made Rocna knock-off be as effective as an original one to stop the zombies from getting aboard?
 
#15 ·
Two minutes? slow reader!

Thanks for contributing to the thread though - now it's gonna take someone 2 1/2 minutes to read!

I guess we could go 90-odd posts posturing and doing penile comparisons about defunct sail-lofts.

Sorry for trying to insert a little light-heartedness into a site devoted to the oh-so serious art of sailing....

Give me a break!
 
#16 ·
I like it! Kinda like the trunk monkey idea.

But settle down: the curmudgeons are getting restless....
 
#20 ·
See what I'm talking about?
 
#43 ·
Here's my explanation:

I think this forum is like sitting in my cockpit. When I'm sailing sometimes I talk tactics, and other sailing stuff, sometimes I talk ****. The same mix of topics seems to exist on the board here. It would be a very tedious forum if the only topics were dry and serious. There is a lot of good stuff with guidance for new sailors, rigging questions, info on equipment, analysis of accidents etc. But sometimes, it's good to get a little whimsical.
The popularity of this thread seems to indicate that I am not alone in this opinion. Your disparagement of the topic is ironic and a little bit offensive to the others who feel that the thread is worthy of their contribution.

You absolutely have the option of not reading the thread. In fact in post #13 you indicated that you had wasted 2-minutes of your life reading the thread to that point. (Why you read after the first post as the thread was obviously about something in which you had little interest is beyond me). Then you come back in post #34 to malign other members choices of which topics they wish to make a contribution.

It seems to me that there are many that have made 'knowledgeable and well considered answer's in this thread - even citing academic sources and everything!

If you feel this is really a waste of time stop reading the posts. It's that simple.

I find irony in the fact that you feel that a debate about the very real risks involved in a zombie attack is of less interest to sailors than a discussion of the utterly fantastical notion that Cuba was involved in the Kennedy assasination - as evidenced by your contribution to the not-sailing-but totally-politically-focused thread entitled 'Cuba Changes'.

You waste your time your way, and I'll waste my time mine.

Thanks again for contributing to the popularity of this BS thread.
 
#39 ·
There is a great novel by Max Brooks called World War Z that contemplates this very issue. It is actually a very interesting topic because zombie warfare is different from any other that mankind has ever faced. Zombies are not afraid, do not rest, do not stop, and never show mercy. And, they used to be us. So when fighting them, some of our losses turn into zombies, and we are faced with the horrifying dilemma of whether or not to put them out of their misery before they turn into more enemy.

In World War Z, zombies could not swim, but they could walk the Ocean Floor. So droves of them would just show up on beaches and climb anchor lines.

So, a sailboat would be a decent place if you accommodate the anchor line.
 
#59 ·
There is a great novel by Max Brooks called World War Z that contemplates this very issue. It is actually a very interesting topic because zombie warfare is different from any other that mankind has ever faced. Zombies are not afraid, do not rest, do not stop, and never show mercy.
That's ridiculous. Armies have faced plenty of enemies that were just like that, to a close approximation.

And, they used to be us. So when fighting them, some of our losses turn into zombies, and we are faced with the horrifying dilemma of whether or not to put them out of their misery before they turn into more enemy.
Yeah, we'd be faced with that decision just long enough for everybody who worries about that question to be weeded out of our army.

In World War Z, zombies could not swim, but they could walk the Ocean Floor. So droves of them would just show up on beaches and climb anchor lines.
That's ridiculous, too. Humans are less dense than water, especially sea water, and only get less dense after death. Also have you ever tried walking on the ocean floor? Zombies would be worse than "shamblers" at this. And climbing up the anchor line is really not a concern. Everybody knows the best place to deal with zombies is at a bottleneck, which will bring me to my last point.

All of this talk about various guns to be used against zombies is, with all due respect, myopic at best. Facing zombies with guns the question you have to ask yourself is, "Will it jam before it runs out of bullets?"

Proper zombie defense preparation includes edged-weapon training. I presume all sailors will still keep a full-time watch, even at anchor, and nothing passes the time like hacking off the arms of zombies as they try to climb up your anchor rode.

Though I guess for full disclosure I should reveal that I'm a swordfighting instructor :)
 
#40 ·
Guns are too noisy, just an oar and some conch shells is all you need aboard a boat - perhaps a crossbow as well. Once you dispatch your first "anchor rode climbing" zombie, simply tie him off and use him/her as the anchor. The others will walk past the dead zombie that is safely holding you securely. Now if you do drag through coral then you'll need another zombie, maybe a few!
 
#44 ·
Great idea!

I always thought that kittens would make great fenders as they would give a sound alarm if you hit too hard. Maybe zombies would be a better choice as they are bigger and don't need feeding.
 
#50 ·
If the zombie is 'fresh' this would probably work. Just hang thin strips from your shrouds. You would probably have to hang old CD's around the jerky as well - to keep the seagulls off.

I don't know what the yield would be on zombie ocular fluid. I would suggest a still be used to ensure the safety of the liquid. It worked for urine in Waterworld, so why not?
 
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