The Seasteading Institute

Agreed Clayton,

Also, seastead R&D/Manufacturers like ODSI and Hadean International(Formerly GENESIS) were both started in the “Crazy Ideas” section… not the best sub-forum to post business concepts. And smith, you’ve got it backwards, businesses are solution providers. If a solid engineering plan already exists, it’s competition.

King Shannon of the Constitutional Monarchy of Logos.

businesses are solution providers. If a solid engineering plan already exists, it’s competition.

I disagree. If, as Clayton said, you think of a seastead as a “seagoing business park” then you have to think like a business park.

If you own a business park in a high-crime, poverty-stricken, run-down part of town then what businesses are going to want to come to you? Plus if the buildings in your park are falling down or constructed poorly it doesn’t matter how nice you make the rent…businesses just won’t come.

Same thing goes for seasteads. If you want businesses to come and setup shop on your seastead…or if you want investors to put money into it…you need to present solid engineering and infrastructure plans. The questions you need to answer are many. Will it float? Is it safe? Will retail space be cheaper than on land? Are we protected if we do illegal things? How will customers get there? What about pirates? Etc etc etc. Without the answers to those questions, and dozens of others, there is no point talking to potential investors/business partners.

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Well, the technical problem of being afloat has already been solved by ships. As far as I understand, initial TSI plans will likely start small with the purchase of an existing ship anchored in the EEZ and they would like to do it within two years. If TSI doesn’t plan to host for-profit businesses in this ship to take advantage of the legal status of the ship, then what is the point? And if for-profit businesses will be hosted there, then the technical and business aspects can be pursued in parallel… I have absolute faith that cost-effective solutions to all the technical problems can be found… the question I have, then, is who else wants to invest and/or go solicit venture capital with new venture ideas? My venture pitch will be a lot more credible if I can point to 20 other venture ideas that are being pitched to other venture capitalists, meaning, the initial TSI platform is less likely to be just another HavenCo flash in the pan.

Clayton -

I’ve already posted a thread on the “Waterworld” floating Atoll platforms. Designed to take Category V Hurricanes, tested close to that, in real-world conditions… Find that design, get co-production rights, to commercialize it. I forget, but believe it was 6 segments with a mechanism that allowed it to flex. It used 4 deep-sea anchor points(as I recall), was partially fabbed on land, assembled at sea and then built-up from there. After filming, they towed the sections to California and reassembled it. Would that not be appropriate? Sure, the set-design wouldn’t work, but the platforms and anchoring would.

Put a ferrocement wall around the outside, structures inside. Includes a handy little harbor, too. I don’t have the video, anymore, but the description was given, as well as the design company(credits, maybe?).

Surely some of ya’ll(if not all) have seen the movie… Could build out from that, in spoked rings. Get the art of living at sea down, then sell the idea… Surely somebody knows somebody that can get a tour and milk the info out of them.

Heck, copy the large chunks of the thing and open “Waterworld Resort.” Invite a high-roller out, every now and then, give him a way to tie-up his yacht(anchored buoy?) and drum-up the finanaces that way. Start a chain, in major districts, get a demand. Even maid-services have to have a place to stay… Someone has to feed everyone… Raises the odds that someone will move to the seas, don’t you think?

Not saying the monster hotel/casino won’t work, but the purse-strings are pretty tight, around the world, at the moment. I don’t(and won’t) swim in those circles, but I wouldn’t mind a chance to raise the sea-farmed, fresh shrimp, fish and oysters… Maybe the boys would like to do some fishing, while they’re out… There’s another business… Greenhouse, aquaponic, organic vegetables? Bet I’ll grow mine, but there’s another possibility… Keep it clean, don’t allow more than mild drugs, no formal prostitution(awww Not saying the hosts and hostesses, boys and girls can’t play… Better keep it disease-free and minimize pregnancy risks, though.)… Bouncers will be a ‘must.’ Everyone checks their guns and knives at the door, except, of course, the bouncers and staff, but it better be snapped in the holster, so it doesn’t get snagged…

My 2 cents, anyway… Boils down to getting something going by economy of the times, technology of the times. Put it just out of sight of land, so they can pretend how far away they are…

Later,

J.L..F.

If you can’t swim with the big fish, stick to the reef

Hi Clayton,

While I’m not sure a new section for entrepreneurial endeavors is needed just yet, we’ve started our Sink or Swim Business Contest, where you can submit your business plan for a cash prize. Here’s the page: http://seasteading.org/community/contests/sinkorswim-2010.

Eric Jacobus
Office Manager / Communications Coordinator
The Seasteading Institute

I agree with you all in the sense that the first floating seastead has to be funded, built, tested and made profitable or at least self sustaining. Aside from house boats and the fellow with the little plastic bottle float in Mexico, which was welcomed by the goverment and made a tourist attraction, there is nothing else I have seen that is the “start of it all”

I like the idea of the contest and do feel that a floating resort is an actual, profitable business. The world is full of these businesses and doing quite well, they just don’t float.

I feel the proof has to come first, in scale, then others will see the benefits. I also feel that it must show that the plan can be profitable, or again, at least self sustaining. I finally feel the first venture could be a floating resort that showcases eco living, with comfort.

My plan is to self fund a 50 by 100 floating island called Eco Island.

The proposal is to build a 100 by 50 self propelled float from recycled 500 gal propane tanks as a base. The structures on top would see a 40′ diameter common area and accommodations for up to 30 people. The design would look as natural as possible to resemble an island without big boxy structures. The purpose would be to offer tourists and travelers an alternative to standard accommodations as available on Haida Gwaii and an opportunity experience, first hand, sustainable building and living practices.

I can foresee school groups and special interest groups utilizing the island for research and eco studies up here as it is possible to move the island around to different areas.

I plan to use radiant heated light weight concrete floors via a wood gasification boiler and burn standing dead wood gathered from the area. Solar and wind generation to feed battery banks, a small desalination plant, rain water catchment systems, composting toilets, eco friendly soaps for grey water recycling and energy efficient appliances where needed.

The island will have a lighthouse structure that will double as a green house and vertical growing systems to produce some of our own food. A chicken coup could be fun for fresh omlettes in the morning. Fishing is always good up here so there shouldn’t be short supply of cedar plank salmon dinners.

I am the sole proprietor to the concept at this time and have the time and resources to accomplish this ambitious project. I have been researching for the past 6 months and have tied into the marine engineer community for calculations and design ideas as well as the seasteading organizations for input on sustainability at sea.

I plan to start building the float system early spring time and will probably take up to a year to complete the rest of the structures.

So… wether we build from concrete steel or plastic, wether it is for 10 people or 100, wether it is tourist, retail, industrial or just a bunch of hippies growing corn, wether it is 100 feet off shore or 100 miles…. let’s get together and help each other to begin the common goal of life at sea.

I have joined this forum because it gathers the most like minded group of off the wall thinkers and feel inspired by the replies I have been getting already, not to mention the wealth of information. I welcome any input or the opportunity to share my ideas with anyone interested.

P.S. For those of you who might not know, Haida Gwaii is the Queen Charlotte Islands. A group of islands 60 miles off the coast of Northern British Columbia, know as the Galapagos of the North for it’s unique eco systems.

First off, Claytonb, I am sorry if I have broken post protocol. I am new to forums, this is the first one I have ever joined (At 50 years old and been on the net since it came, this is a great compliment to you guys) and I will get better.

The point I was trying to make is scalability, just as most feel is the best way to build the foundations of a floating structure is scalability, the business plan should probably start off at small scale and work up. My business plan says that I invest $150K and get a return on investment in less than two years. Since it is a new model I don’t have any solid proof that it will actually work this way, but at that level of investment I am willing to risk it.

All the pros and cons represented in the post are legitimate, the thing to think about is where does it start.

Wil, thank you for the input, I will respond to you back in Structural.

P.S. wish this had spell check??