"Abandoned Prison Barge As Post Apocalyptic Shelter?" Topic

Could you guys see something like this being used by Post Apocalyptic survivors to live in along the banks of a river or lake?

By the way, if done for 15mm (at 2.5mm per foot) the 400-foot barge would be a model about 16cm (just under 6.5") long, right?

Dan
TMP link

Could be used for that, but I think your calculations for the size are off a bit.

400' = 122m (give or take)
15mm is usually taken to be 1:100 scale, which would make the ex-prison ship 122cm long

Umm, 2.5 x 400 = 1000mm – 1 metre long, so the maths is just a little out….

Would be great for post apocalyptic communities.

You have mobility. You have ample rooftop space fo solar cells, wind turbines, gardens and lookouts. You have a protected central courtyard allowing you to have some option for exorcise and fresh air even if you are not in safe territory.

The exterior could be reinforced to allow for loopholes and gun ports in those outside windows. The rooftops could be reinforced with an overhanging fighting deck to help repell boarders (firing down on them and dropping things as they try to come in contact with the sides.

The weakest part would be the need for outside propulsion. This could be managed through another protected boat with a more permanent linkage to the barge.

-Eli

The weakest part would be the need for outside propulsion. This could be managed through another protected boat with a more permanent linkage to the barge

Or it just drifts the oceans and small boats put out to shore when it nears and race against time to gather supplies before the barge drifts away..

Similar premise I saw a while back:

link

Would be great till the Zombies got there.

JeffW75,

That survivalist convoy of barges looks awesome!

Dan
PS. Dom is absolutely right. At 1/100 scale, a 400 foot long ship would be 4 feet long!

Rivet City

Would be quite useful given that most people post-apoc would probably be mobility-restricted – but would need maintenance to keep 'er floating!

With a concrete hull it might be workable as far as maintenance.

No way it has enough surface area for enough food production if it is even half occupied. And solar or wind enough to provide more than the bare minimum of a couple strings of lights or a radio would require all of that space. No way you would have anything like modern amenities.

I could provide a potentially more secure habitation for an otherwise land based community. Rather along the lines of the village keep in the middle ages with a 'dormitory' added.

You can have the sides cut away to allow light inside for internal gardens.
You could have mirror tubes that defelct sunlight inside.
You could fish, you could grow tins of spam, all sorts.

Pedal power for generators?
Everyone has to do 3 hours of dynamo battery charging on the pedal bikes once a day.

I actually think it's a great setting for a survivor vessel where an outbreak occurs. Just imagine the claustrophobia and panic and zombie virus spreads. The intrepid group that eventually survives to the end is then destroyed when the 'cavalry' arrives and sinks the ship to prevent the infection from spreading (or so they think…).

As part of a major community maybe.

as Cacique Caribes' picture suggests, additional barges for growing and storing stuff. If "moored", maybe a paddle wheel either side as additional generators (if you have a tide or river flow).

Hurrahbro,

I wish I could take credit for the pic with the barge convoy. That was from a link posted by JeffW75 a few minutes earlier.

Pretty cool, isn't it?

Dan

You can have the sides cut away to allow light inside for internal gardens.
You could have mirror tubes that defelct sunlight inside.
You could fish, you could grow tins of spam, all sorts.

… or you could grow mushrooms and other such stuff inside.

Pedal power for generators?
Everyone has to do 3 hours of dynamo battery charging on the pedal bikes once a day.

… which makes for a nicely toned set of inhabitants with high endurance. Just the kind of people likely to survive for an extended period of time.

----

I saw that first picture and had flashbacks to living on a berthing barge in the shipyards (not as nice as that one). It would certainly give me the creepies like a postapoc place should …

QUESTION:

Does anyone else plan to watch or record the 2-part National Geographic Channel show "Doomsday Preppers" on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012?

It aired once before a while back, but I missed it.

Dan
TMP link
TMP link