Making a home at sea, Sea-steading

Link to SeaSteading.org

News story at The Economist

Seasteading: Libertarians dream of creating self-ruling floating cities. But can the many obstacles, not least the engineering ones, be overcome?

To prevent the vessel from drifting due to currents and winds, seasteads may need dynamic-positioning thrusters, but these would increase costs. In waters less than 1,800 metres deep, Mr Petrie calculates, a cheaper option would be to moor the platform to the seabed. As it happens, there are a number of barely submerged islands off the coast of California, the location of preference for early seasteaders. Alas, they tend to be volcanoes.

How do you build a seastead that is comfortable and safe in all sea conditions, yet is economical to build? This is
one of the biggest questions The Seasteading Institute’s engineering program seeks to answer.

Based on our research, we believe that many seasteading needs can be met with off-the-shelf technology. For example, we are not currently trying to innovate in areas such as water distillation or sanitation
services, since solutions have already been widely implemented in the shipping and cruise industries.

If I hit on the lottery, I would buy a boat, and never be seen again. Things as they are, it may be possible to get a 30 footer and do some sailing in my retirement, still about 11 years away.

But what if it were possible to create a floating or platform city on the sea?

The Poseidon Award will be awarded to the first seastead which:
– Has at least 50 full-time residents.
– Is financially self-sufficient.
– Offers seastead real estate on the open market.
– Has de-facto political autonomy.

I stumbled on an ebook, and bookmarked it intending to come back later and make a post of it. The ebook link is now 404, but the main sight is still there.

Could a company build a factory at sea, with employees living in a dorm and avoid any tax on what they produce? Call the shipping guys, here comes the UPS boat.

The first seasteading pioneers will be entrepreneurs experimenting with businesses on ships outside of nations’ territorial waters — hence free from often-burdensome regulations. Thus, we are making it our primary objective over the next few years to nurture the formation of seasteading businesses.

Where do I sign up?

Not that much different than an oil drilling platform.

I would at least try it. What say the rabble?

K

source

In the past, we have touted medical tourism as a potentially profitable seasteading opportunity, and Olson’s post further supports the idea. She explains how seasteading can open up attractive jurisdictional arbitrage opportunities for the suppliers of innovative medical procedures and research.

Great thread, thanks.

I have not gone through all the links you have provided yet but what I have is impressive. I am currently saving for a boat as I too believe the only way to get away is on the open sea.

Good luck to you if you decide to take your retirment dream of sailing away - the possibilities regarding business is very intersting too.

reply to post by kawika


Beautiful idea you have there, I only have a few problems with it.
Rust and corrosion are your forever worst enemy! (see alcatraz)
If outside of or off the coast of the US, pirates may be a problem.
Even worse than pirates, the US Marine Corps may attempt to bring democracy to your lil piece of heaven, or declare you a terrorist state, or ....you know where I'm going with this.
But it would be nice.

reply to post by g146541


Yup, 30 footer might be less obvious.

Used to be you could just sail around but now the little island nations demand a cut just to anchor out.

There will be no escape when SHTF. But I can have my little fantasy.

The logistics of this kind of building is going to be one that requires a lot of work and effort on the part of the company that builds such.

While they mention the coast of California, what is not mention is the one organization that would seek to put a stop to such, and that being the EPA and other environmental groups from around the country, seeking to prevent the disturbance to all of the wild life at large there.

There are a few solutions to this and the first would be the technical aspects of such.
It would have to be broken down into several parts: One would be the actual structure of such, the next would be energy, then food and medical, those would have to be met and dealt with.

The main structure, while the pictures they are proposing are not feasible, as even the oil rigs have problems during the heavy weather, and often have to be evacuated. The US even tried to construct off shore bases that eventually collapsed into the sea during sever storms. The structure could be designed to resemble say a snow flake, where it was balanced and pointed, not round, that way it would break the incoming waves during inclement heavy weather.

The next point would be energy. Alternative energy sources could be developed, such as wind, solar and even wave power to generate the power, where the internal support pylons would have openings and a piston for the water to move up and down thus generating the energy.

The food could be done via hydroponics’ to provide fresh vegetables all year round. Though fresh water would be a problem as there would have to be a system of not only cleaning the local water supply up, but also reclamation and cleaning the waste water as not to contaminate the local environment outside of the complex. Recycling would have to be a must, in this kind of city.

While the US may not offer such to those who want that kind of venture, there are thousands of uninhabited islands in the pacific that may offer what they are seeking and the kind of environment that would be ideal for this kind of undertaking.,

reply to post by sdcigarpig


I used to have a list of uninhabited islands. Most of them are claimed by a country and have a no trespassing sign up. I have read books about Palmyra and Caroline. Both are no go's now.

Might be hard to find one that would be suitable.

K

Originally posted by kawika
The first seasteading pioneers will be entrepreneurs experimenting with businesses on ships outside of nations’ territorial waters — hence free from often-burdensome regulations.

They wont be able to be export anyting that was made if they don't follow the country of import's regulations.

A couple more images top add... I think I could afford something like this.

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