Werner Stiefel, after fleeing from the Nazis, co-founded a soap and lotion company called Stiefel Laboratories in 1942. Their most famous product is probably Lubriderm lotion. Stiefel became enthusiastic about seasteading, and used some of his millions to make several attempts to build practical seasteads in the 1970's.
Stiefel did a lot of things right, I think. He proceeded incrementally (beginning with a small hotel on land), designed his project to be profitable and easily reversible at every stage, and recruited people based on competence and willingness to work, rather than ideology. He was also well-funded from his soap business.
However, all of his attempts ran aground at some point.
"In December 1971, Atlantis II was launched at high tide into the Hudson River, but as the tide began to recede, the boat soon capsized. Its first launch ended with the ship lying sideways in the mud, partially aflame from a kerosene lamp which had broken inside. Thankful for the inflammability of cement and steel, the Atlanteans were able to right the boat and begin their voyage south to the Caribbean.
After a few more close-calls, the Atlanteans were forced to make a series of jury-rigged optimizations which were meant to prevent the boat from sinking. Still, they could not stop the overall degradation of Atlantis II, which broke a propeller shaft off the coast of South Carolina. Nearly incapacitated, Atlantis II succeeded in making its way to the Bahamas, but was unable to survive a subsequent hurricane, after which it sank."
Hindsight is easy, but here's my thoughts on what he could've done differently:
1. Hire professional boat builders and marine engineers from the start. His ship was too top heavy, presumably due to his inexperience and the lack of experience of his volunteer build crew.
2. Design for hurricane resistance from the start.
3. Be mindful of the local politics. Try to avoid triggering the local bureaucrat's ideological immune system. (A difficult task, as he was also trying to recruit people.) Perhaps ally with a friendly local who could've helped guide or protect his project from the regional mafia.
https://www.startupsocieties.com/post/operation-atlantis-the-first-libertarian-seastead
Stiefel did a lot of things right, I think. He proceeded incrementally (beginning with a small hotel on land), designed his project to be profitable and easily reversible at every stage, and recruited people based on competence and willingness to work, rather than ideology. He was also well-funded from his soap business.
However, all of his attempts ran aground at some point.
"In December 1971, Atlantis II was launched at high tide into the Hudson River, but as the tide began to recede, the boat soon capsized. Its first launch ended with the ship lying sideways in the mud, partially aflame from a kerosene lamp which had broken inside. Thankful for the inflammability of cement and steel, the Atlanteans were able to right the boat and begin their voyage south to the Caribbean.
After a few more close-calls, the Atlanteans were forced to make a series of jury-rigged optimizations which were meant to prevent the boat from sinking. Still, they could not stop the overall degradation of Atlantis II, which broke a propeller shaft off the coast of South Carolina. Nearly incapacitated, Atlantis II succeeded in making its way to the Bahamas, but was unable to survive a subsequent hurricane, after which it sank."
Hindsight is easy, but here's my thoughts on what he could've done differently:
1. Hire professional boat builders and marine engineers from the start. His ship was too top heavy, presumably due to his inexperience and the lack of experience of his volunteer build crew.
2. Design for hurricane resistance from the start.
3. Be mindful of the local politics. Try to avoid triggering the local bureaucrat's ideological immune system. (A difficult task, as he was also trying to recruit people.) Perhaps ally with a friendly local who could've helped guide or protect his project from the regional mafia.
https://www.startupsocieties.com/post/operation-atlantis-the-first-libertarian-seastead