w Freedom Haven Seasteading Project
This page was last updated 8/14/2021
中國傳統的 Chinese (Traditional)
Español Spanish
한국어 Korean

Introduction

Freedom Haven is an open-design low cost socioeconomic-freedom seasteading project in international waters (beyond the EEZ) which seeks to be the most affordable seasteading solution (that can offer this level of freedom) to date with the goal of having square footage of open-sea-safe living space at $316/square-foot or $3,396/square-meter ($50,505/TEU) which would cover 10 years of rent of that space. Supporters meet on Facebook and other platforms to collaborate gratis on the design of the main initial structure (called "New Liberty") and tax-free pseudo-anarchist government. Multiple floating and sea-floor-mounted structures containing living quarters, boat dry docks, stores, businesses, manufacturing, etc, work together to form a peaceful nation that could survive life on the high seas, while permanently situated more that 200 nautical miles from shore (beyond the EEZ) waters free from the jurisdiction of existing oppressive nations.

While recognition as an independent nation is not required for the success of this project, we do plan on qualifying as such a State under Article 1 of the "Montevideo Convention":

"The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:

  • (a) a permanent population;
  • (b) a defined territory;
  • (c) government; and
  • (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states."

Current Status: Gratis Designing and New Liberty Phase 2 fundraising. At this phase, this project is non-profit. We all have day jobs and work on this project on the side without pay for the sake of the cause we've undertaken. If you'd like to help, consider donating to our fundraiser and contributing your knowledge and time in our project.









Click on the other section tabs to learn more.

Designs

Current designs (created using FreeCAD).
Source CAD files: https://grabcad.com/library/new-liberty-vessel-update-2021-05-25-1.

5/25/2021 Update (Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier and other ships/aircraft added for reference):
Source CAD files: https://grabcad.com/library/new-liberty-vessel-update-2021-05-25-1.


12/27/2020 Update: New WIP animation created by Jacob Marion
(Previous 12/13/2020 and 11/23/2020 versions)
Source CAD files: https://grabcad.com/library/new-liberty-barge-update-2020-08-29-1.


11/14/2020 Update (Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier added for reference):



11/05/2020 Update:


10/17/2020 Update:


08/28/2020 Update:



06/11/2020 Update: Showing 6 connected barges, bow, floating dock, gantry bridges, etc:
https://grabcad.com/library/new-liberty-barges-configuration-option-2020-06-11-update-1

Older outdated 2D Design notes can be found here

Previous outdated visual draft notes: 2D here, 3D here, and FreeCAD model files here. This design ended up being too heavy and too expensive, so it was scrapped and replaced with the design above.

More details are available in the discussions on the facebook group links in the "Articles & Links" tab.

Articles & Links

Support us with your time and knowledge:

Support us through direct funding:

Possible Locations

To determine good locations to host Freedom Haven, we have to first understand how far current jurisdictions reach out into the ocean (according to the UNCLOS) so that we can avoid being subject to, or stepping on, existing jurisdictions.


(Image modified from original wikimedia source image)

In order to have the level of freedom that Freedom Haven seeks, we will need to remain far outside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Since "International Waters" means everything outside of 12 nautical miles, it is NOT the correct term to use in this context.

We've considered several in various locations, including:

Shallow Seamounts:
There are a number of locations (outside the EEZ) where the seabead is shallow enough to anchor to.

(Image modified from original wikimedia source image)

 Ocean Gyres And Current Doldrums:
White sections of the map show places with the lowest average annual ocean current speeds, although NOAA's current animations give give a better understanding on how these change throughout the year. Spots with a slow enough current won't need any anchoring and only minor engine corrections.

(Image source: NOAA.gov: climatology.jpg)
Average Wave Height:
The north sea is a bad idea. Purple is the best.

(Image source: ResearchGate.net)

 Storm Paths:
There are areas of the world (like to the east and west of South America) where almost no storms have ever been recorded, making these (and other similar) areas vary attractive to some. Note: this image shows the paths of the centers of the storms, not the areas affected by the storms.

(Image source: CoolGeography.co.uk)
Average Ocean Temperatures:
There are some sections of Antartica that remain unclaimed by any country to this day. Why? Because it's too cold to really prosper there. Temperature is important to consider when choosing a location.

(Image source: SEOS Project)

 Global Trade Routes:
One important thing to consider is where the container traffic is. The closer we are to this traffic, the faster and cheaper our imports and exports will be.

(Image source: Reddit)
Other considerations (not shown above) include piracy activity, political turmoil, distance to wealthy and poor nations, etc.


We are currently considering the southern end of the Bay of Bengal.

More discussions on this at our "Creating a Libertarian Seasteading Micronation" facebook group.

Plan

The current plan has the purchase and building of New Liberty will be occurring in 4 phases, with lessons-learned from each phase likely affecting plans in the subsequent phases:

  • Phase 1 R&D 1:1000th scale model (completed):
    • $0. This was be built out-of-pocket as the initial design was fine tuned and 3d printed.
    • Possible location: Anyone with a 3d printer. Small enough to carry.

  • Phase 2 R&D 1:87th (HO/H0) scale model (fundraising has begun):
    • $5 per TEU until all 4,000 TEUs are accounted for

      •
    • Possible location for larger model: Mississippi River, Ephemerisle, and other locations we're invited to. Will need to be hauled in a custom trailer we'll be constructing for this purpose.
    • Fundraising Campaign: https://www.patreon.com/FreedomHaven

  • Phase 3 R&D with shipyard (perhaps Samsung Heavy Industries):
    • $500 per TEU (current estimate) until all 4,000 TEUs are accounted for
    • Possible location: South Korea.

  • Phase 4 Final Structure Build:
    • $50,000 per TEU (current estimate of average – some will cost more or less depending on chosen location and weight limits) until all 4,000 TEUs are accounted for. The total price for a resulting TEU is the costs of R&D from phases 2 and 3 plus the phase 4 cost.
    • Possible location: Bay of Bengal (near Malaysia/Singapore outside the EEZ of all existing nations).

New Liberty Phase 2 crowdfunding

https://www.patreon.com/FreedomHaven

Constitution

The Freedom Haven Constitution is an interactive web page with many features that can be found here:

The Constitution of the Provinces of Freedom Haven (Free audio-book here)

Frequently Asked Questions


What will you do for water, electricity, food, sewage processing, etc?

Powered air ventilation and septic services (using the large onboard septic tanks) will be included in the cabin leases. Water, electricity, food, garbage pickup/treatment, etc, will be offered by multiple competed companies (each trying to offer a higher value at a lower price in order to earn your business).

A large gantry crane and import/export cargo holds will be able to handle a theoretical max capacity of 1,292 TEUs, with all of the containers either in the process of being imported-from or exported-to container ships that will dock with New Liberty multiple times a week.

Some food will be grown locally, but it is beleived that most of it will be imported, just like it is in Hawaii and other modern small island nations. Food prices are expected to be on par with what is found in those locations.

While people are free to choose imported water if they wish, it is beleived that most people will choose the cheaper option of water that was created locally using the multiple competing desalination/filtration services. Trash might be cleanly burned and filtered locally, recycled, and/or exported to another nation, depending on what environmentally clean solution makes the most economical sense based on what the people choose to pay for.

For additional details and images, check out our #WelcomeToNewLiberty series at https://www.facebook.com/groups/LibertarianSeasteading/permalink/805746316671602. Note: in the future we plan on adding an interactive New Liberty image (which will also contain all of the information in the #WelcomeToNewLiberty series).


How will you handle pirates/cartels? How will you stop large countries from invading or attacking New Liberty?

With an initial population of 5,000-10,000 residents being well-armed with unregistered weapons of all types, and with vessel wide defensive posture and high caliber deterrent weapons, we do not imagine aggressive attacking pirates or cartels will pose much of a threat and will quickly learn not to threaten the life, freedom, and/or property of the residence of New Liberty. Unlike in movies, modern pirates rarely attack ships defended by security personnel.

That being said, we will be as vulnerable to the invading armies and navies of the world's major superpowers as any other small island nation currently is. We believe our only real defense against these is a 3-fold approach:

  1. DIPLOMACY
    Reach out in diplomacy to the world's nations and global alliances (such as the UN) and develop friendships and foster peace without sacrificing any of the human rights of the people of Freedom Haven
  2. VISIBILITY
    Have a 24/7 live 4K video stream broadcasting from New Liberty (and the rest of Freedom Haven) letting the people of the world into our lives (to the degree that each individual person wishes to do so). The world will know what life in Freedom Haven will be like through their first-hand experience, making it harder for foreign propaganda to sew lies into their citizens' minds, preventing them from being manipulated into wanting war with a peacing nation. Also, if anyone attacks Freedom Haven, it will be aired live to the world so that everyone will know the atrocities that occurred. Encryption, peer-to-peer networks, and multiple fail-over networks will ensure that our signal won't ever go dark to any who wish to bear witness to what happens.
  3. OPEN TRADE
    Frederic Bastiat is quoted as saying "When goods don’t cross borders, soldiers will". Likewise, Otto T. Mallery (a late 19th-century liberal), said: “If soldiers are not to cross international boundaries, goods must do so. Unless the Shackles can be dropped from trade, bombs will be dropped from the sky.” (from “Economic Union and Enduring Peace”). We will so openly trade with all people that they will wish peace if only for their own profit from our mutually beneficial trade relationship.

About Us

Many people from various backgrounds with unique goals have voluntarily put time and effort into this project because we seek for a similar outcome. Here are a few of those people.

Note: Because many people in our group live in countries or in situations where the government has removed their freedom of speech, they participate incognito and choose not to be listed below. The freedom which the project of Freedom Haven seeks to obtain will directly benefit them, and I look forward to the day when they can finally share their personal contributions this project.

Iowa, USA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/anthony.c.olsen/
MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/tonyolsen
Parler: parler.com/profile/TonyOlsen
Minds: www.minds.com/TonyOlsen/
Gab: https://gab.com/TonyOlsen
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FreedomHaven

Tony Olsen

As a child and young adult, I spent a total of 6.5 years living in Germany (two of which were in former Socialist/Communist East Germany) and traveling throughout Europe. I witnessed what government oppression does to a people and began to understand the importance of freedom and the poverty that results from not having enough of it.

Today I see many needs in the world. At the top of the list, I see
  • refugees fleeing oppressive governments, who seek for a land of opportunity,
  • many who struggle with the rising prices and reduced quality of socialized medicine, and
  • the silencing of those who have recently lost their freedoms (like the people of Hong Kong).

    • Our planned Libertarian seastead would help to resolve those needs by providing a land of opportunity for those fleeing oppressive governments, providing a place for the free market to thrive so that healthcare can be affordable and higher quality, and giving people a safe place to be free.

    I am a software developer and a longtime Austrian economist, but have spent three years studying concrete, ship building, metallurgy, 3D modeling, international law, and anything that could be helpful in designing the seasteading community that I seek.

    Minnesota, USA

    YouTube:
    https//www.youtube.com/channel/UCTd1DLT8QQYVvRxCiY8GgZg

    Jacob Marion

    Apartment maintenance technician and aspiring maker who’s trying to raise enthusiasm for cheap, incremental steps out into the sea.

    California, USA

    Jia Christopher

    Jia Christopher is a long-time seasteading evangelist. Her interest in seasteading organically developed many years ago after frustration with political corruption in the United States and recognizing that experimentation of new and effective forms of government cannot happen on land, as we know it today. Jia serves as chairwoman to the Libertarian party of Placer County, California. In this role, she regularly volunteers in High Schools with voter outreach efforts to introduce the concepts of Liberty to kids, as well as organizing events, such as the Sacramento Pride Parade. Beyond politics, Jia is involved in many non-profit fundraising efforts and instilling volunteerism in her sons.

    Georgia, USA

    Gabrielle Gilliland

    I have been interested in the seasteading movement for over ten years. My main passion is how floating communities will help families.

    As my children got older, I got more involved in this movement, first as a volunteer and later hired as a Volunteer Coordinator and Assistant to the Founders at Blue Frontiers. I was also given the opportunity to be the Volunteer Coordinator and Director of Operations at The Seasteading Institute.

    I am very happy to now have moved on to being the Community Coordinator at Ocean Builders.

    I also lead an online seasteading discussion group and have made many friends in this ever growing field.

    I have found wonderful, caring, decicated people all over the world who will join us in our communities as they form.

    Arizona, USA

    Ryan Hartwig

    Facebook Insider with Project Veritas

    Ryan grew up in Mesa, Arizona and spent time in Mexico City as a volunteer with a humanitarian organization. His love for Spanish motivated him to pursue a bachelors degree in Spanish Linguistics. That expertise in Spanish led to him finding a job with Cognizant, where he monitored and moderated social media activity for Facebook throughout Latin America.

    During the 2018 Presidential Election in Mexico, Ryan noticed that then-presidential candidate Manuel Lopez Obrador's family was given preferential treatment by Facebook. When he later transferred to the North American queue, he detected a trend of policies that gave greater license to liberals while limiting the voice of conservatives.

    While at Cognizant doing work for Facebook, Ryan was targeted because of his conservative beliefs. When he shared a link to an LA times article of a peaceful protest he took part in, he was given a written warning. For those who didn't know him at work, he was rumored to be a racist Trump supporter. However, those who got to know him appreciated his caring personality and his concern for his co-workers.

    Ultimately, after noticing many such trends that favored liberal viewpoints and banned conservative ideologies, Ryan wrote a letter to several congressmen, congresswomen and senators. After no response, he then reached out Project Veritas to expose the blatant bias and misconduct he had witnessed.

    https://ryanhartwig.org/

    Utah, USA

    Dion Wood

    Owner of Open Carry UTAH- OCU (An arm of PeoplesRights.org).