13 thoughts on “Seasteading”

  1. This question is not intended to be impertinent, it’s sincere: what are people living in floating cities supposed to DO? Cities on land are located at harbors, or along trade routes, or near resources. They are in specific places for specific reasons. What reason is there for a city in the middle of the ocean? Other than tourism, I can’t come up with much.

    1. Other than tourism, I can’t come up with much.

      Judging by the number of seasteaders you’re not alone.

      Space settlement advocates could learn much about their passion by examining the difficulties that seasteading advocates have yet to overcome.

    2. Fishing? Harvesting waste plastic?

      Does it really matter as long as they can figure out a way to be self-sufficient? That’s probably not as hard as you’d imagine given that theoretically they would not be paying huge taxes to support the bloated welfare states we’re currently stuck with.

      Could be a very interesting experiment informing research into living off Earth.

    3. Outside of coal mining, what is there that can be done on terra firma that could not be done in a floating city?

    4. “What reason is there for a city in the middle of the ocean? Other than tourism, I can’t come up with much.”

      I don’t think middle of ocean makes much sense or is quite different than ocean of continent shelf. Though you can be on continental shelf and it can seem like you are in middle of ocean [be unable to see any land]. And I think “seasteading” should near land, so it’s basically a suburb of a city, but if this happen then expanse into the middle of ocean becomes more doable.

      With ocean near land, you need technology, and with such technology developed, it will mostly also apply to “open ocean” Seasteading. And could commute from contiental shelf ocean living to “open ocean” jobs.

      Why would want marine next to land, if you could have marine on the continental shelf? Assuming there is fast way to get to land from it and/or you could live on continental shelf region?

      A key aspect is transportation.
      What would happen is you have sub-orbital spaceport on the continental shelf?
      One might get to it from land regions with helicopters. But if there a large volume of traffic to spaceport, one would design faster and/or cheaper ways of transportation to this spaceport.
      Of course if ever get suborbital travel then that could related to living in “middle of ocean”- perhaps suborbital is best if hop is say 3000 to 4000 km, so need spaceport in middle of ocean.

      But what likely is related to mining the ocean- mining for oil and mining for methane hydrates [if it ever becomes minable].

      Another important aspect is having electrical energy, and you have nuclear power plants in the ocean which mostly designed to provide electrical power to those living on land, but having them in the ocean allows access to electrical power to those living on ocean.
      It seems you could make a safer nuclear power plant on the ocean as compared to one on land.

      Now, it seems the reason to go into space is due to having location with low gravity. Or if there was someplace on Earth which had 1/6th of earth gravity, that would be place to go to..
      I don’t think you go to Mars, to stay on Mars, I think it’s because you have better access to space environment. Though do accept argument that it’s isolation due to distance is an important aspect in terms of evolving better political systems. But I think asteroid mining probably better if operating from Mars.
      As far ocean living, it seems you go for the beach living.
      Beaches are overcrowded and the beaches aren’t that good. Or there is lots of ways to make better beaches.

    5. One factor for location is politics. Too close to a shoreline and the neighboring country makes a claim on your permanently anchored platform as territory. And taxes you. As a mobile platform you need a recognized flag for registration, or get recognized as a rogue. At sufficient distance you can avoid that, but then end up on your own dealing with pirates.

      1. Politics also has huge effect on trade and any other interactions you have with sovereign states, probably the best option would be to try to get a deal with a well regarded small friendly nation and fly their flag, when your seasteading colony gets well established economically go independent – when you know you’ll get enough international support to be recognized.

        1. How about China, specifically, Hong Kong.
          Hong Kong about same as California, but per square feet of living area, Hong Kong is more expensive:
          Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 20,715.53 HK$ vs Cal 5,026.09 HK$
          https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Hong+Kong&city1=Hong+Kong&country2=United+States&city2=Los+Angeles%2C+CA

          Lots of billionaires in China- and lots upper middle class particularly in Hong Kong. Chinese govt keen on idea building island for false claim othership- and people actually living in ocean would be not be false claim. So as general idea or direction to go towards, it aligns with Chinese national interests. Or developing technology in regards to around Hong Kong will allow it to used in other areas.

          And with Hong Kong such a thing is not “new” it’s more extending or accelerating what they are already doing.

          1. US dollar vs HK 1 US = 7.83 HK

            “A former human resources executive, Lam plonked HK$6 million into buying her yacht when she was looking for a new home in 2015. It provides 1,000 sq ft of floor space and includes three levels: a middle floor which functions as a living room, with a kitchen and dining room upstairs and two bedrooms below deck.”
            https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2164235/hong-kongs-discovery-bay-houseboat-saga-bad

            So build a marine off shore- a few miles. Having a structure which acts shelter against waves which also has living area, commercial area- and beaches,
            So they can continue to live in boats, but you should able to have this water breaker structure area be cheaper than boats [per square feet].
            And could make marine, safer against storms, as compared to any marine on the shore.

            And I wouldn’t worry about taxes, you want taxes so government does the infrastucture needed to interface with land – plus could electrical power and water. Though if water and power is shortage, perhaps the Seastead can part of solution of such shortages of mainland.

          2. China is the last country in the world I’d pick, the whole point of sea-steading is to be independent from powerful governments. If it weren’t for the fact that trade is a lot easier if you’re a recognized nation the best option would be use your own flag. To me the best flag to fly would be that of a small country that isn’t interested or able to exercise power over the sea-steaders with a reputation as a good trading partner, with strong democratic principles, an easily traded currency and a highly valued passport.

          3. –Andrew_W
            November 18, 2018 At 7:26 PM
            China is the last country in the world I’d pick, the whole point of sea-steading is to be independent from powerful governments–

            Well, if that is focus, then I think Space is best option in the near term.

            I would say that China is not a very powerful country and that only reason it’s not poor is due to the country allowing investor to invest in it’s country.
            Though it’s possible that now they think they they no longer need this, and if so, eventually, China will fall.

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