Comments on: A life on the ocean wave: more seasteading concepts

By: Joseph Davis

Joseph Davis — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:54:51 +0000

I work in the offshore industry and there are platforms that are still in great shape that have been in operation since World War II that are anchored to the sea floor by substructure and there are free floating platforms for the initial drilling process. They take oversized tubes of concrete that is open on the bottom and it’s like a glass upside down in the water to make it float. All of the technology is there for man to break away from land and venture out to sea. These platforms that I work on are more than sufficient for the storms and hurricanes with everyone onboard living in relative ease with little motion from waves. One thing that I think is left out a lot is aquaculture (the seas version of agriculture). Independant, free floating modals already exist, used for scientific research for long periods of time are already in use by marine biologists today and similar types could easily be used for fish farming on a large scale. I think that organizations such as the seasteading institute are wrong however in that it will be the poor that will go first. The wealthy will have their little condos or whatever, but they will not put in the work that will be required for the jobs that will overnight be created by these seasteads, nor will they wish to get their hands dirty in any of these ventures from maintenance to fish farming which will most likely be the major motivating drive for seasteading in a realistic manner as we continue to over fish the seas

By: m1k3y

m1k3y — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:56:28 +0000

Well, as the world economy continues it’s collapse we just might see a few more aircraft carriers and such for sale on eBay viva The Raft!

A far easier way would be to buy up some of these flooding Pacific Islands, especially the mirco-islands. There’s a base to build on right there. All you’d need is a bunch of recently redundant engineers to pool their resources (ie payouts) and start building the things they’ve been doodling in their sketch-books, whilst bored in meetings.

Dare we dream?!

By: NickyTheHeel

NickyTheHeel — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I agree with Mark here. Especially his last line.

To Mr. Jim. Yes, there is a lot of arable land around but the warlord states would never allow anyone to live freely on any of it.

By: Mark Davis

Mark Davis — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:36:52 +0000

Living in or on the seas is inevitable as most of the world is covered with water and living on Mars is a pipe dream. As land based states continue to squeeze the life out of society individuals will turn to the only accessible areas where states don’t have control. A form of tax revolt if nothing else. Of course rich people will fund the initial pioneering projects; so what? They will be followed by poor people as is always the case. As a wise man once said “I ain’t never worked for a poor man.” The real challenge will be fending off the bomb-happy tax-grabbers who feel they must snuff freedom out before it grows.

By: Mr. Jim

Mr. Jim — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:16:07 +0000

The idea is romantic, but reality is against it. High costs of construction and maintenance, the inevitable corrosion and decomposition, resource acquisition and and management, waste disposal and natural force dangers – there is not one of these points that are much, much easier to manage on land. And anyway, there is still massive amounts of arable land unoccupied on earth, so why waste all that energy on a difficult and transition to sea?
If we want to take on improbable ventures, we need to start colonizing mars – at least there we will find a planet full of untapped resources to exploit as well as taking the first step toward hedging our chances against extinction by a cataclysmic event.