Thinking outside the boat (seasteading/building a private island?)

[Donny Bahama]

This is a wild and crazy thought but what would happen if I went 5 miles (or maybe 10) offshore and built a platform... then a second, third, and fourth, attaching them all together to create my own tiny island. The goal would be to build a tiny house on it over time - fully off-grid/self-sufficient with plenty of solar power and a watermaker, greenhouse, etc. Obviously, I’d need to anchor it somehow so it stays put. The appeal here (I think/hope) is that it would cost a lot less than a big liveaboard boat (especially when it comes to ongoing costs - no haul-outs, bottom painting, etc. Not to mention no engines or fuel costs.) Obviously I’d still need a boat for trips to shore - but it would only need to be big enough for transporting a few people and some building materials.

What I’m really wondering is, what’s to stop me? Is the Coast Guard going to come out and say, “Hey, you can’t build that here”? And what if I did this off the coast of Baja Mexico or Costa Rica or Panama where the laws/enforcement is maybe a little more lax? I imagine that there’s probably no issues at all if I’m in international waters but I think I’d rather be closer to shore than that.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

[O C Diver]

Whats your plan for mother nature sending some 20' seas and storm force winds?

Ted

 

[rgano]

Whats your plan for mother nature sending some 20' seas and storm force winds?

Ted

Beat me to that one.

Better to invest in a decommissioned offshore oil rig, assuming you had the bazillion bucks needed.

 

[Woodland Hills]

Look for a jack-up barge with long legs and a generator. Search Boats and Harbors......

 

[O C Diver]

Don't think you will be able to do this within state or federal waters. As for doing it in other countries, what's your plan for dealing with pirates? People in moving boats have to occasionally deal with them, you're going to be stationary.

Ted

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. DB. It's been done, sorta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand


Interesting history on this. I've read other descriptions, other than Wiki. Do a bit of research and while it may SEEM like a good idea, the items mentioned by the members above are but a few of the...ahem..."concerns".

 

[Donny Bahama]

Whats your plan for mother nature sending some 20' seas and storm force winds?

Ted

That’s a good question and I don’t have much of an answer. I was thinking that maybe that’d be less of an issue somewhere like the Sea of Cortez... I’m also not entirely without hope that I might find some affordable way of making it big/heavy/stable/high enough to mitigate storms.

 

[Donny Bahama]

Look for a jack-up barge with long legs and a generator. Search Boats and Harbors......

I found a site with several of them for sale. The cheapest one there was over $500K. If I could afford that, I’d just buy a big, nice boat.

 

[Donny Bahama]

what's your plan for dealing with pirates? People in moving boats have to occasionally deal with them, you're going to be stationary.

Ted

I thought maybe I’d just offer them a nice, home-cooked meal...

I wonder how people who own actual private islands deal this issue?

 

[Donny Bahama]

Greetings,
Mr. DB. It's been done, sorta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand


Interesting history on this. I've read other descriptions, other than Wiki. Do a bit of research and while it may SEEM like a good idea, the items mentioned by the members above are but a few of the...ahem..."concerns".

Ah, the original seasteaders! Yes, I’m familiar with this - but the availability of such platforms isn’t good.

 

[Donny Bahama]

Did I mention that BUDGET is my primary motivator/limitation? If I can’t do this for less than the cost (overall cost - including ongoing maintenance) of a decent liveaboard boat, then I’d just buy a boat...

 

[Donny Bahama]

Don't think you will be able to do this within state or federal waters.

Interesting, but what do you think would happen? Who would tell me I can’t do it? How would that likely play out?

 

[Woodland Hills]

Interesting, but what do you think would happen? Who would tell me I can’t do it? How would that likely play out?

First the fish and game folks and sheriffs would come by to investigate and inspect. They would be looking for your permit to build a permanent structure on public seabed as well as any violations of relevant state laws.

Then the USCG would want to investigate and inspect your hazard to navigation since you are an unpermitted permanent structure in a navigable waterway. They will also perform a safety inspection to be sure you are in compliance with ALL rules and regulations.

Then the state and/or federal EPA would want to know about your environmental impact statement: the one you don’t have. They will also be looking at how you are dealing with any liquid or solid waste and sewage. They will also be looking at any harm or damage to marine life and the seabed.

It would eventually play out with you paying tens of thousands of dollars to lawyers to delay and end with you in handcuffs and your “island” being removed and disposed of at your expense. Then you will have to pay more lawyers to fight all the different fines from all the different agencies you have pissed off. You will also be responsible for restoration of the seabed where your island was.

If you try this in Central America, the local authorities will just beat the crap out of you and throw you in jail while deciding how best to take everything you own and more. Or you will be “shot while resisting arrest”.

If you still want to do this, please do it in a major media market so we can all follow along!

 

[Donny Bahama]

First the fish and game folks and sheriffs would come by to investigate and inspect. They would be looking for your permit to build a permanent structure on public seabed as well as any violations of relevant state laws.

Then the USCG would want to investigate and inspect your hazard to navigation since you are an unpermitted permanent structure in a navigable waterway. They will also perform a safety inspection to be sure you are in compliance with ALL rules and regulations.

Then the state and/or federal EPA would want to know about your environmental impact statement: the one you don’t have. They will also be looking at how you are dealing with any liquid or solid waste and sewage. They will also be looking at any harm or damage to marine life and the seabed.

It would eventually play out with you paying tens of thousands of dollars to lawyers to delay and end with you in handcuffs and your “island” being removed and disposed of at your expense. Then you will have to pay more lawyers to fight all the different fines from all the different agencies you have pissed off. You will also be responsible for restoration of the seabed where your island was.

Wow, thanks for that detailed answer! Well, now I know!
Man, I am really GOOD at BAD ideas!

Is it safe to assume that none of that would apply if I was in international waters (and I was careful to stay out of shipping lanes)? Not that I’m going to continue to pursue this idea - I’m just curious.

 

[O C Diver]

Is it safe to assume that none of that would apply if I was in international waters (and I was careful to stay out of shipping lanes)? Not that I’m going to continue to pursue this idea - I’m just curious.

International waters tend to be a little deeper. Depending on the country, that could be out to 200 miles from land.

Ted

 

[AusCan]

It's been done numerous times before. There is a group of people on Lake Titicaca that live on their own home built islands.

A British guy has built 2 islands in Mexico which float on plastic bottles. The first was destroyed by a cyclone.
https://brightside.me/wonder-people...g-island-to-send-a-message-that-hurts-723460/

 

[Donny Bahama]

It's been done numerous times before. There is a group of people on Lake Titicaca that live on their own home built islands.

A British guy has built 2 islands in Mexico which float on plastic bottles. The first was destroyed by a cyclone.
https://brightside.me/wonder-people...g-island-to-send-a-message-that-hurts-723460/

I saw a video on YouTube about Richard Sowa’s little island in Mexico. That’s what has me thinking about all this. Apparently his second island was also damaged by a hurricane and they made him remove it. Brilliant design, though - plastic bottles in nets all held together by tree/plant roots. Wow! Hard to imagine how he ever got any sort of permit for doing that, though.

 

[Woodland Hills]

The plastic bottle houseboat was covered in an episode of some home show on HGTV a few years back. I’m sure it is available on Netflix or Hulu. It was a very flimsy thing suitable only for protected waters like lakes or saltwater ponds.
If you are talking about a houseboat or float home, they are quite common in many areas, but unless you are way up in Alaska you will have to build to local code and meet all regulations. Alaska has no statewide building codes and few regulations.

 

[DCDC]

One of many floating town designs, any (none) built? We cruised the San Blas islands many years ago. The Kuna's were slowly, but steadily expanding their island communities and building new ones. Very slowly as the biggest equipment they had was a few outboards on their dugout canoes.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

While it might look like a fun idea, and it may even be possible. Lets pretend you figure out a way to do it on the cheap, say $200,000. (impossible)

What would make it any better, nicer, etc than buying a nice home on the water for the same price?

I can't think of any.

pete

 

[Donny Bahama]

While it might look like a fun idea, and it may even be possible. Lets pretend you figure out a way to do it on the cheap, say $200,000. (impossible)

What would make it any better, nicer, etc than buying a nice home on the water for the same price?

I can't think of any.

pete

Did you follow the link posted above by AusCan? I can’t imagine that guy spent $200K on his little island. I mean the foundation is plastic bottles, netting, and the roots of trees/plants (obviously some soil, too.) So let’s pretend I can figure out a way to do it for less than $100K - and there’s no haul-outs, bottom scraping/painting, engine maintenance, etc. Plus I can do it little by little (as opposed to plunking down tens of thousands of dollars on the initial purchase of a boat). That’s the appeal for me - but then, I don’t have the ability to buy even a $50K boat. I’m sure I could collect thousands of plastic bottles for free, though!

 

[Woodland Hills]

The thing you have to ask is how long will a plastic bottle island last and what will happen in bad weather. Also what will you do if it breaks up in a storm and scatters 100,000+ plastic bottles all over the pond or lagoon? At that point it’s just trash again, would you be responsible and pick it all up or just rationalize bailing out and leaving it?

 

[Donny Bahama]

REALLY good points! Thank you! It’s clearly a very bad idea but it was fun discussing it!

 

[AZ2Loop]

REALLY good points! Thank you! It’s clearly a very bad idea but it was fun discussing it!

Good luck convincing that British dude in AusCan's link it's a bad idea!
That guy is pretty passionate about his concept. A bit of a nut, perhaps, but one has to admire his passion in that video.

 

[Donny Bahama]

I don’t know, he’s built 2 islands and had them both destroyed by hurricanes.

 

[Zoar]

Its do-able. The key is finding somewhere you can build it with minimal regulations. plenty of places like that. I had a friend who was good friends with Sowa. You know he could pull his island into shore to protect it from storms.... obviously not all storms. Many others have built manmade islands. I have some ideas but would prefer not disclosing them. Note i built a number of off grid /:sustainsble things for 1/8 or less of what "everyone" said was possible. And i would not use plastic bottles or nets, anything that has only a couple of years of durability.

 

[Art]

Get an old diesel powered submarine to anchor out.

Fun in the sun on deck when weather is good. Big storm coming... no prob... submerge till it passes.

Pirates on the prowell... submerge; they'll soon get board. Periscope-up to see if they've left yet!

CG, tax collectors, marine wardens - submerge handles all that too!!

If you happen to win the lottery... then you can cruise the world in your own big sub.

 

[rslifkin]

I'd put this one down as "you probably can, but it's unlikely to be practical or cost effective".



Keep in mind, as far as a boat to live on with a tight-ish budget, if you don't expect to do a lot of traveling with it and don't need a ton of capability, the range of suitable boats to choose from (that would be big enough and comfortable enough to live on) gets pretty wide.

 

[Zoar]

Yes, and you can sometimes get old barges for nothing, since you just want an island you do not need engines that work. So many options. Just think manmade floaty things and the universe opens up pretty wide!

 

[Woodland Hills]

More and more anchorages are requiring that vessels be capable of moving under their own power, otherwise they are considered to be derelict and are subject to removal. If you want to stay somewhere more than a week or two you will have to be able to move when asked, especially if you are a junky old barge with a homemade shack on it. The less you look like a “boat” the more attention you will draw from the authorities.