If we want to create a Very Large Floating Structure, VLFS, in the open ocean, and as commented in the previous blog, we need a type of structure that attenuates the waves. Semisubmersibles are ideal for that, as in the MOB. But other ideas and technologies are also being developed. The very well known Pneumatically Stabilized Platform, PSP, is a very promising structure.
Very large floating structure(s) (VLFS(s)) (or, as some literature refers to them, very large floating platform(s), VLFP(s) for short) can be constructed to create floating airports, bridges, breakwaters, piers and docks, storage facilities (for oil & natural gas), wind and solar power plants, for military purposes, to create industrial space, emergency bases, entertainment facilities (such as casinos), recreation parks, mobile offshore structures and even for habitation.
One of the main criteria in our location study is the worst-case wave height. Oceanography student Martin emailed us the KNMI Wave Atlas, which is a global heatmap of wave & wind data, trends, and variability, based on data from 1957 – 2006, at 1.5×1.5 degree resolution.
TSI has officially doubled all of the Sink or Swim Business Contest prizes. The grand prize is now $5,000 up from $2,500, and the other prizes have gone up proportionately. The total prize pool is now $10,000! Word about this increase is still getting out, so we’ve also gone and extended the draft deadline by two full weeks! The total number of registered contestants is still low, so high quality entries will be very competitive.
A new development in the cruise ship industry is that of full-time residency. Currently there is only one residential cruise ship in operation, The World of ResidenSea. There are several more under development, including some with a Letter Of Intent for shipbuilding: Utopia Residences under Samsumg Heavy Industries, and Magellan under the STX-Europe yard of Saint Nazaire, France.
I’ve been working for over a year on a new version of the Seasteading book, incorporating all we’ve learned since starting TSI. Book progress has been very slow given my many duties at TSI, like raising the funds to keep the organization alive. However it has become increasingly clear from discussions how vital and urgent it is to have a detailed, up-to-date motivation and strategy compiled into one polished piece. We may do a good job of communicating our core vision – startup countries in international waters – but the full detail behind that vision basically lives in just one place right now – my head. This results in frequent misinterpretations of our strategy and me answering the same questions again and again, which is not effective.
On the floating-festival mailing-list – now turned mostly to a marine hackerspace / bay area seasteading community list – Matt Bell asks some basic questions. Really, all these questions should be answered in a book, or a “How To Seastead” guide, but our versions of those are about 8 years old and badly in need of update.
The Seasteading Institute is still seeking an Oceanography Researcher who can identify specific regions best suited for the progression of seasteading. Here’s our Executive Director with some thoughts on how we could scale down the project to make recruiting easier while still getting useful information:
