Couple Dedicates 20 Years To Building A Self-Sufficient, Floating Island To Live Off The Grid

Published 9 years ago

If there’s no better way to live off the grid than to live on water, then this Canadian couple has been living the floating dream. Freedom Cove is their self-sustaining floating home complex in British Columbia. Wayne Adams and Catherine King have placed their habitat Cypress Bay, just northeast of Tofino, B.C. Currently made up from 12 floating platforms and operating since 1992, the magenta and turquoise painted complex is comprised of five greenhouses, a dance floor, an art gallery, a lighthouse for guests, a generator shed, and the studio where King and Adams live- more facilities than most of us have on land.

There are no freezers: food comes from King’s gardens and whatever Adams catches in the ocean. Drinking water is provided by a nearby waterfall in the summer and by rainwater in the winter. The whole complex used to be powered by 14 solar panels, but they broke down. Now, the couple has to make do with a converted Honda generator.

It’s hard to believe that this habitat is somewhat accidental in construction. “One winter, a storm blew a whole bunch of trees down,” Adams explained to The Huffington Post. “We gathered all the wood up, took it to the fellow who owned it, but he said keep it. So we thought, time to start on the home.” It took almost a year to build and tow it to its current position. The pair spends their time enjoying artistic pursuits: Adams is a carver while King is a painter, dancer, writer and musician.

When King says, “This is how I will live for the rest of my life,” it’s clear that the couple likes this kind of living.

More info: browningpass.com (h/t: boredpanda, huffingtonpost)

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The construction of Freedom Cove began in 1991, from trees felled by last winter’s storms.

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Towed into the current position in 1992, it contains art gallery, a dance floor, and 5 greenhouses. The couple lives in their own studio.

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They get food from a half-an-acre garden and fishing in the ocean.

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In winter, the water comes from rainwater, in summer – from a waterfall.

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Up until recently, the couple used solar panels to generate electricity, but they broke down.

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The Home Now Comprises 12 Floating Platforms

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In the warmer seasons, Freedom Cove entertains tourists that come on chartered boat tours.

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Catherine Adams spends her time as a musician, dancer, writer and painter.

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Wayne Adams is a carver and his carvings support the couple.

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Martynas Klimas

Writes like a mad dervish, rolls to dodge responsibility, might have bitten the Moon once.

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Tags

boat home, boat house, British Columbia, Catherine King, environmentalism, farming, floating home, floating house, Freedom Cove, full-post, Off the grid, recycling, self sufficient, sustainable, Tofino, Vancouver, Wayne Adams, zero impact
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