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Anybody else dream of living in a floating home far from the troubles of the world? I doubt you could be totally self-sufficient, but sailing to the mainland every month or two for trading is still not so bad.
A free-floating home could be designed after the principle of a spar buoy, with lots of ballast deep below and the minimum of flotation making it inherently very stable even in strong winds and heavy waves. See the FLiP rsearch vessel for more info on this.
Of course you'd need to be able to "close hatches" and seal up the structure in case of storms or similar, and prepare for turbulence, but it's not impossible to create an almost unsinkable structure suitable for long-term habitation.
Greens and other veggies could be grown hydroponically along the outside of the structure, to use a minimum of fresh water in return for a maximum yield. Some types of rice are capable of being grown in seawater, and could be cultivated on floating platforms. You could grow oysters on long ropes "seeded" beforehand or in plastic cages. Of course fish pens are viable, as well as algaculture.
I've also been reading about Wolf Hilbertz' work on using electrolysis to precipitate out minerals from seawater, basically creating a type of artificial limestone/concrete of varying densities and hardnesses. Over time, a couple of solar panels or wind turbines might even be able to create a large artificial "island" or iceberg light enough to float and support passengers, but heavy enough to remain stable.
Any other thoughts, ideas, limitations? Everyone interested in the concept is welcome.
>inb4 iT's A lArP
Everything is a larp. If it bothers you sage your butthurt comments and then hide the thread instead of shitting it up for the rest of us who want to discuss the topic.
