The best place in the USA to live alone in the wilderness alone for 5 years??

[bilmac]

Before the white men arrived, the Indians that lived along the west coast were much better off than the tribes that lived farther inland.

[AtlLaw]

I've thought about a sailboat for retirement but I never learned to sail.

Sailing is great fun!  I learned when I bought a sloop rigged 25 footer.     Slept 4, had a galley and head... Not what I'd recommend.     Read a couple of basic sailing books, get yourself a little, easily transported boat and hit the water.   

[Pat/Rick]

Sailboat would be a good mobile base for a minimalist lifestyle. Keep your registration current, fishing licenses etc and you'll avoid trouble with wardens,rangers,and LEO. Sailing is fairly easy once you get the basics. Crab pots and fishing tackle will provide you protein. Puget Sound to AK will keep you busy, north inthe summer, south in the winter. Winter on Hoods Canal, the banana belt in WA state. The smaller the boat the cheaper the maintenance. 

[charles p]

Eric Ruddolf lived in the NC Smokie Mountains for a year or two until he was captured coming into town for supplies.  I think he lived in caves.  They tried to hunt him down in the mountains but could not.

[1marty]

live in the NYC subways. No one will bother you or talk to you. You can camp out in the tunnels with the homeless. Every so often you can forage for food in the back of restaurants. They throw out perfectly good food.

[Winter Hawk]

PastorP,

I do know how to sail, used a little 21' Santana in Tongass Narrows, Behm Canal and around Gravina for years.  Coming up the inside passage the wind is pretty light or nonexistent when it isn't against you.  The passage itself is pretty narrow most of the way.  I had two weeks vacation and was on a schedule so we motored.  There was a guy from Petersburg, I don't remember his name right off, he is a land surveyor, and he and his wife sailed up during the winter one year.  They split up, she was in K-town working for the Forest Service with me and she told me about it.  No motor at all on a (IIRC) 28' wooden sailboat.

Talk to Louie Bartos in Ketchikan, he should be able to set you up with someone to learn to sail if you are interested.  He's a sail maker there.  Give him my regards if you do.

-Kees-