Be Courageous, Fear Not
It is natural to be afraid of things unfamiliar to you, I think it must be built into our DNA. And since no one has lived on the oceans before, we get a lot of different responses from people when they first hear of seasteading. However, almost everyone asks the same first question, what do you do in a hurricane, tsunami, rouge wave or bad weather?
I have noticed that it helps to relate their question to something that they have some experience with and answer it this way. If you are living in Kansas, what do you do when a tornado comes? You go below ground into a storm cellar. The tornado may destroy your house but at least you will be safe. The key factor is that the storm cellar has to be built before there is a storm.
At sea, we have emergency pods. Large round life rafts with a top. If the pod gets tipped over, it rights itself. It can't sink and has a radio beacon built into the top to send out the pods global position and a rescue request (mayday). The same as in Kansas, you may lose your boat, but not your life.
However, a little more planning and you can also save your home. The safest place to be in a hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or nuclear war is under the ocean. All the problems occur right where the water meets the air. Go down 10 feet or more and everything begins to get stable. Submarines have safely and comfortably stayed down for months at a time, and floating homes can be built to act similar to a sub when there is bad weather coming.
Unlike your house in Kansas that can't hide from the on coming storm as you save yourself, at sea, you can save your house too. There just isn't a safer place on the planet than under the ocean unless someone is intentionally trying to hit you with a torpedo of course.
That is usually a good enough answer to let them see the possibilities but the safety factor doesn't end with safe from weather. There are no mosquitoes or other insects at sea, so you are naturally protected from insect carrying diseases. You are also safe from losing your home to eminent domain or deterioration of the neighborhood. Ocean homes are mobile so you can move to a better neighborhood or school anytime you want.
You are safe to live your life as you think best without government intrusion. So long as you are not hurting anyone else, everyone will pretty much leave you alone. Living at sea will not protect you from prosecution of crimes or any penalties that go with stupidity. However, the water is softer than land so you may not pay quite as high a price.
You are safe from air pollutants, noise, nosy neighbors, traffic jams and too much stress. When living at sea you tend to swim more so are naturally healthier, therefore more resistant to viruses and disease.
Of course there are some things that are more dangerous at sea than on land. You are far more likely to waste a lot more time fishing. You may even become complacent with life. You are more likely to sunburn if you forget the sun block when working outside or at the jet-ski races. But all in all, living at sea truly is safer than living on land so long as you prepare properly.
Join us as we lead the way to a brighter tomorrow!
marinea.org / Bob Llewellyn / March2016
revised January2021