Anchoring home-made raft in Key West

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Chotu

He’s flying in

Then how is he getting to Home Depot and transporting an 8x8 platform worth of materials to the construction site?

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

I applaud your sense of adventure.

Tubes will loose some pressure and the bands loosen.
Make provision to prevent chafe.

There will no doubt be an ordinance on Marine Sanitation Devices

Only four days. He should be able to hold it that long.

[letsgetsailing3]

Sounds like an awful lot of work and expense for a four day adventure.

Would take a couple of days to build something seaworthy. Almost as long to properly dispose of it. None of it sounds ecologically responsible.

A lot of expense for materials and things you'd need. By the time you outfit it with an anchor and paddles, your budget has been blown.

For four days, just get a hotel room and hang out at a Key West bar.

Fun to explore the idea, but I'd try it out at a location local to you, first.

[GrowleyMonster]

The problem with a lot of unsafe, illegal, or impractical ideas is they often look like a hell of a lot of fun, on paper. Some times they are even fun in the real world, until something happens. Your raft will be VERY wet. This time of year you might not think so, in Key West, but you will be VERY cold at night and you won't warm up much during the day with your wet clothes on.

And let's talk about what happens when one innertube springs a leak. Not good. Most 55 gallon drum rafts or camps use at least 6 and preferably 8 drums so one can develop a leak without dunking a corner underwater. Maybe you would want to take some 4x4s with you and use them for legs, jacking your raft up on them. Okay, maybe not.

You are winging it and "boating by faith" on so many matters. Legality is only one matter of many. Just being hassled is just one more thing. Other replies have brought up the difficulty of transporting materials to the build site and getting your raft to the water and out to deep enough that you can safely row or pole it. Others have brought up the sanitation issues and the difficulty in finding facilities ashore that you can use, and the problem of getting ashore to use them. You will need an anchor light, and you will need to power it. You will need an anchor that won't drag, and rode for it. You will need to dispose properly and legally of your raft when you are done with it. You will need a ride from the airport to Key West and then back to the airport.

i have a feeling about where this would be going if you actually did it. You would be dumping your crap over the side, or simply crapping over the side, and disposing of food scraps in similar fashion. You would simply abandon your vessel when you no longer have a use for it. Can't carry it home on the plane. You won't have an anchor light. I doubt you have ever studies The Rules of the Road and understand what you must and what you may do in any given situation. But it's all moot. I don't think this is even going to happen. I honestly hope it does, since I don't live or boat in Key West and I don't know you. I am sure it would entertain me briefly to hear or read or see on youtube your misadventure. So, go for it, don't give up, persevere in the face of reason and disapproval and logistics and the laws of physics and other little obstacles, and GO FOR IT! Don't listen to the guys saying you should borrow or buy a real boat, or squat on an abandoned one. Motel, schmotel. You don' need no steenking room. Homeless camp? Come on, who wants to live around a bunch of bums? Pass the Boone's Farm, please, and hey, can I have a hit off that rock, being as how we are neighbors and all? Public campgrounds are too tame and bland. Build your inner tube floating palace, and live free and unencumbered, without a care! It's a free country. Poop in the water, after all, that's what the fish do! You know your rights. Don't put up with any crap from The Man. Stand up for freedom of the seas! Down with the tyrants! One man's sheet of plywood is another man's castle.

I hope you are perceptive enough to have picked up on my thinly veiled irony there. Put this out of your mind. Or don't. But you were warned and we WILL say, "I told ya so".

[Cadence]

I don't think this will ever come to fruition. But if he pulls it off and cleans up, what's lost?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I don't think this will ever come to fruition. But if he pulls it off and cleans up, what's lost?

You are making the presumption that he cleans up. He may simply be saying that so we don't come down on him as hard. Given the sketchy nature of the proposal, I give it 50/50 that he actually follows thru with the clean up.

But it also reflects poorly on the cruising community. While it's obvious to us as cruisers to see that he is not a cruiser, it's easy for cruisers to get swept up in the govt response...look at areas restricting anchoring because derelict boat homes for the semi-homeless that have nothing to do with cruising.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

I hope you are perceptive enough to have picked up on my thinly veiled irony there. Put this out of your mind. Or don't. But you were warned and we WILL say, "I told ya so".

Sarcasm, not irony.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

You are making the presumption that he cleans up. He may simply be saying that so we don't come down on him as hard. Given the sketchy nature of the proposal, I give it 50/50 that he actually follows thru with the clean up.

But it also reflects poorly on the cruising community. While it's obvious to us as cruisers to see that he is not a cruiser, it's easy for cruisers to get swept up in the govt response...look at areas restricting anchoring because derelict boat homes for the semi-homeless that have nothing to do with cruising.

I really don't see if he does not clean up after himself it would reflect on the "cruising community". It sounds like a pipe dream however you make it sound like more righteous than thou. It's not a derelict boat. I agree derelict boats are a problem.

[Larryo]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I really don't see if he does not clean up after himself it would reflect on the "cruising community". It sounds like a pipe dream however you make it sound like more righteous than thou. It's not a derelict boat. I agree derelict boats are a problem.

Cadence,


Good point, but it smells like a disaster and a derelict boat right from the start. Makes absolutely NO sense so really wonder why? It doesn't come close to "reasonable logic".

[jeanathon]

Wow! You guys are so positive. Remind me not to bump into you out on the water or anywhere.
This is the same channel as an earlier posted vid, but is exactly what the OP is wanting to do in the keys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoYxgIo_Yy8

[Cynara]

I tried to watch the video. First 2 minutes are people talking in a car. Please video people get to the point

[MicHughV]

all sailors are ...to put it kindly.....a little "touched in the head"...imagine wanting to live on a tiny vessel that rocks and rolls...nuts.....

so wanting to spend a few days on a raft is not out of whack at all...we should embrace this venture as a fellow mariner just doing his thing....

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Larryo

It doesn't come close to "reasonable logic".

Owning a pleasure boat, let along living on it for extended periods does?

[Larryo]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

Owning a pleasure boat, let along living on it for extended periods does?

Compared to a make shift raft for a 4 day junket? Absolutely! And MANY people living on board for extended periods, and probably use decent logic to make it the best.



The OPs idea is a one of a kind, rather ill thought out, really dumb idea..... with a LOT of downsides. Still haven't figured out what his goal is.

[Cynara]

The OP hasn't responded to any comments, I think, is he still around?