The 2019 Seastead Launch - Bitcoiners Chad and Nadia versus the Thai Navy

Bitcoiners have long been avid seasteaders, but did you know that the first real attempt at a seastead was launched on the 10th anniversary of the bitcoin Genesis block?

Chad Elwartowski (@elwar) and Nadia Summergirl were outspoken bitcoiners that launched the first actual seastead (a house with a spar underneath) off the coast of Phuket, Thailand in January 2019. That year was a wild ride for seasteaders ending in the Thai Navy destroying their new home. Thankfully we learned a lot as the Seasteading Institute made the following great 7-part documentary series about it.

Part I: Facing the Storm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXhgcXA1pM

Part II: Raising the Spar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c83TiSJ6sfA

Part III: Lifting the Stead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFnrjbgLORI

Part IV: Living the Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bceePdFruU

(They skipped episode #5 for some reason)

Part VI: Fleeing the Death Threat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OovkeOuZsqU

Part VII: Spotted, Chased by Helicopter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8KVlk7uN0o

Part VIII: Today is D-Day for the Thai Navy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYgy88-HI8I

Despite talk of a penalty of death, today Chad & Nadia are alive and well in Panama, still working with Ocean Builders, last I heard. I'm hoping to get Chad in here to do an update soon.

So what have we learned from this attempt? Besides the obvious engineering elements that were tested to work, I believe that it mainly serves as a reminder how ruthless and belligerent governments often are. We should never take for granted that any sovereign state will be OK with our presence, even 1000 miles out at sea.