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May 19, 2017
A Canadian couple is celebrating 25 years living off-grid – and they don’t even live on land … or on a boat, either.
Wayne Adams and Catherine King built an entire floating homestead they lovingly refer to as “Freedom Cove,” just off Vancouver Island.
“Thank-you,” is how Wayne responds when told by a land-loving grid person that he and his wife do not live a “normal” life.
Freedom Cove is tied to shore with lines but not anchored. It boasts an artist studio, four greenhouses, boat garage, ample living space for two, a lighthouse, and even a dance floor.
The floating homestead weighs about 500 tons and was built entirely by hand; no power tools were used. The couple never gets seasick – but they do feel “landsick” during their excursions to shore.
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As it is with most homesteading families, the journey to creating, maintaining and sustaining the eclectic Freedom Cove was a “learn by doing” experience.
“Both Wayne and I, once we decided this is what we wanted to do, we just did it. We really didn’t think about the hardships; we just did it,” Catherine says.
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They engage in many of the same traditional activities of other homesteaders. They have an extensive garden that provides three healthy meals a day; they grow their harvest in pots on their floating labyrinth. Catherine is a vegetarian but Wayne loves to fish and calls the Vancouver Island waterway the “richest biomass on Earth.”
The waters flowing around Vancouver Island are their “highway.” Wayne and Catherine travel to town only once every two weeks for essentials – each time more eager than the last to get back to their secluded Freedom Cove.
Their home utilizes solar energy, a fresh water system designed personally by Wayne, and generators.
Being “in” nature without interfering with it was one of the primary goals of the couple when they launched their subsistence living plan.
“It has everything I need to survive; it has water, it has ocean protection from big storms, and we are immersed in the temperate rainforest. It suits me,” Wayne told the Daily Mail. “It’s cool, it’s fresh, we have no industry here – and as you can hear right now, you can’t hear any mechanical things; there’s no boats, there’s no planes, no Harley Davidsons or sirens. We’re surrounded by nature – because I’m a wildlife artist and have been recognized as that for a while now.”
Storms are the biggest threat to the floating homestead, but being nestled inside a cove offers a lot of protection.
If you ever find yourself in the area, stop by. They welcome travelers to come check out and learn from Freedom Cove – and they often even give them a homemade candle as a souvenir!
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