# Sailing off to live on a deserted island



## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

Is this even possible anymore in today's society? When I was younger I always wanted to take a well-stocked and well-equipped sailboat and do a "Robin Crusoe" or "Swiss Family Robinson". Sail off and find a deserted island. No crowds, no people. Have the place totally to myself. Bring along some dogs and pets for company. Build me a bamboo shack, fish, hunt, just live the life. And since I'll have a well-stocked sailboat with me too, watch movies, play the guitar, read, photograph nature, surf the internet, make videos for Youtube. Anchor the boat out in the lagoon. I know in the 1970's there was this island called Palmyra Atoll 



 south of Hawaii you could actually do something like this at but since then it's been sold to a nature conservancy. And 50 years ago a guy named Tom Neale Tom Neale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia actually lived this kind of life for years on an island in the South Pacific.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

There are 45000 tropical islands according to Wikipedia.

Source: Wikipedia

Over 1000 in Polynesia alone.

Source: Wikipedia

I remember reading somewhere that there are over half a million islands on the planet, and that only about 2% of them are inhabited.

Of course, it depends on what you consider an "island", and most of them probably don't have a sheltered anchorage.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi,

The romance of the early part of the last century has, unfortunately, disappeared.

Palmyra is a great example. It looks like no one owns it and you could just roll up and drop the pick, but thats just not true. Its a wildlife refuge and until recently any visits were illegal... But this has changed


> Limited visits to the refuge are allowed, including by private recreational sailboat or motorboat. Visits must have prior approval, with access to Cooper Island arranged through the Nature Conservancy.[22]


Every other island in the world is sovereign territory for some country and you are required to live under their laws. This means most of the Pacific is owned by the french and you get your standard 6 months and then get the hell out of there. Some of the smaller island nations are much more draconian.

There is also a practical reason why so many islands are not inhabited. Their aint no anchorage, nor access to their lagoons. You physically just cant get on them.

Any island big enough for fresh water and accessible by sea will have people on it, or be owned by a family etc

Then you have the cyclone season...

There must be places you can go and the finding of them would be an exciting adventure, but it would be time consuming and full of unforeseen difficulties.

Have fun researching it, and finding your paradise.... But when you do find it do not tell anyone because the next day you might find a few boats beating into the anchorage.

Mark


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Tom Neal lived on Suvarov atoll, much as you are thinking of doing. You should read his book, An Island to Oneself. Most of the islands that are out there which you could actually live on in the SoPac are in the cyclone area. This does create some problems if you are arriving and hoping to keep a boat while on the island.
As Mark said, there just aren't any places that are free for the taking, so if you want to do it you are going to have to find the island, then get someone's permission.
Good luck.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

I can't imagine living on Suvarov (also called Suwarrow these days) for years. It has a lovely lagoon (with lots of reasonably friendly sharks) but the island is tiny and the only source of fresh water would be collecting rain. The park rangers who are there for six months of the years try to grown vegetables but they have to protect them from mice and land crabs (if I remember correctly). There are lots of fish and coconuts to eat. After that it is whatever you brought with you. 

The island is now a national park and gets about 100 cruisers a year visiting so you would not be alone there even if it was available. When we were there the rangers, two very nice guys, organized a pot luck in honour of Tom Neale's birthday. A grand time was had by all (I think there were about six boats present) and we toasted Neale's memory, at least a few times. When we got to civilization (Fiji I think) I checked Wikipedia and found that Neale's birthday was months away from when we there. Found someone who knew the situation and he said the rangers have a birthday as soon as all of the boats from the previous pot-luck have left. I think their diet is remarkably boring, fish, coconuts, bread, and whatever vegetables they can grown. For six months there is no supply ship so if they run out of something they are out of luck. One of the rangers said he would stay there permanently but the Cook Island government won't let them. The island is hit by cyclones and I don't think any of it is more than 2' above sea level. Climate change may put it all under water.


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

capta said:


> Tom Neal lived on Suvarov atoll.


Looks like an interesting place.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

With 7 billion people on the planet, if you find an island with no one living on it, there are good reasons. Often people did live there and they left.

Besides, it is easier and more convenient to be a hermit on dry land, though most people consider that to be like solitary confinement; cruel and unusual punishment. There are exceptions.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

You can get pretty close to what you describe, sure there are visa limitations, and you might have to follow some local laws and customs, but there are plenty of place's to escape for awhile. The fast track bucket list cruisers never have a chance to figure these places out. I won't tell you where my Robin Crusoe hangout is, you will just have to find your own. Modern man is not really made out for remote living anyway. You'll be missing the comforts of home long before you wear out your first set of guitar strings. It's a great dream, so come on out and give it a go.


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

I don't think you're going to find the kind of place you're talking about has an internet connection, unless you can afford a satellite hookup.
You can't go off from civilization and expect to bring it with you.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

One of the more interesting things in the Bahamas, is how many small islands will be uninhabited, but if you walk around, you will find a small abandoned house (and sometimes a really nice one), where someone obviously tried to make a go of it, but couldn't for one reason or another. 

I always wonder what the story is behind those abandoned home-sites, and I admit, my mind usually starts to fantasize about trying to buy it and trying to repair it and try living there myself.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Group9 said:


> I always wonder what the story is behind those abandoned home-sites


I wonder that the reasons are quite simple. We have a dream about the simplicity of living on our own island and its great... Untill you run out of milk.

To get the bricks to the island was simple, just hire a barge and pay lots and they are dumperd there. But think of how many times you are doing a boat project, or house project and you need to zip into the chandlery because you forgot a bit of sandpaper or something. But on the idilic island its drag the dinghy down to the water, drive to the big island, jump on the ferry to the bigger island, jump the bus to the hardware store, buy one sheet of sand paper, get back on the bus, get back on the ferry, take the dinghy back to the island and pull it back up the beach and then remember you need a paint brush too...

It would quickly wear thin.

So are those houses broken dreams? Or are they the realisation of reality?

Mark


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

Living on a tropical island sounds like it might be an ideal way to live but reverting to a primitive state would probably get old very quickly. If isolation from other people is the goal, this can be accomplished easily on the major land masses. A very small percentage of the planet is actually occupied by people. Most of them are crushed together in cities and like it that way. The population trend is going even more toward cities. People want a better wi-fi connection. Within a few hundred miles of cities, one can easily escape the crush and also have a grocery store and an internet connection but, (thankfully) few are willing to exit the treadmill.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

FSMike said:


> I don't think you're going to find the kind of place you're talking about has an internet connection, unless you can afford a satellite hookup.
> You can't go off from civilization and expect to bring it with you.


Yup, the desire to sail off to a "deserted island", and yet "surf the internet, make videos for Youtube" would appear to indicate a significant disconnect from reality...


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

I live on a small island all to myself ... it's called my boat. This is one of the reasons I have a cruising sailboat; so I can have a space of my own that is mostly self-sufficient, has all the things I need, and can be located away from the crowds. 

If you want to find a private piece of land all for yourself, just head north into the wilds of Canada. You could find a place where no one has been in a thousand years. Build your shack near a river or stream, live off the land. No problem.


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

It's not for everyone, but then if it was, it wouldn't be living isolated.
I first thought how great it would be to cruise and liveaboard,so I did. it has it's ups and Downs,not everyone that tries it wants to do it forever. I do,or did,until I realized it wasn't what the rest of the crew craved. So,compromise came along.
The compromise, or realization is .Ladies and little girls want /like yards to play in,gardens to grow in and the occasional social "night out "
So,the remote island only accessible by boat seems the answer.
While not quite the solitude I would absolutely prefer, and not the social conclave the girls apparently require, it seems a good middle ground.
Now the issues are diveting of the mainland home, autos,and possessions that are unnecessary on the island while still having the ability to function when we return to the mainland for whatever reason.
it's more about the economics and logistics than the solitude, at least for me.
'Course, after some time at it,maybe I'll feel otherwise.
if so,I guess we'll dream the next dream.


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## jzk (Feb 25, 2008)

It is VERY doable, if you really want. Go on Google earth and just scan the pacific. There are plenty of islands in the middle of nowhere that would suffice. Many have little notes attached to them on Google earth talking about how some guy tried it and his wife left him after a couple of years, etc. It is true that many don't have harbors, but maybe that is the point. Do you want a place to moor your sailboat or really live on the island?


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

living remotely is "affordable " making the switch from the typical mainland lifestyle and getting deed or title to your chosen island location is a bit more expensive. Then there's the cost of building a shelter /home and any of the comforts you desire.
these are considerations before you even begin to contemplate the solitude aspect. and depending on the latitude you choose, heating becomes an issue.
As per a harbor or mooring, plan on a rail system for haul out or storage during storms or winter.
The other issues of supplies, tools, water, and power are simpler,lots of options.


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## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

Why does it have to be a desert island? I lived for three wonderful years on an island in Brazil and enjoyed the best of both worlds: isolated beaches and coves only accessible by boat, nice restaurants, charming little village center and friendly neighbours. Since there is no storm season (or winter!) here, you can leave your boat in the water and use it year-round. 

You'll find the island here, but don't spread the word please! 

Latitude 23 46´ South
Longitude 45 21´ West


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

smurphny said:


> Living on a tropical island sounds like it might be an ideal way to live but reverting to a primitive state would probably get old very quickly. *If isolation from other people is the goal, this can be accomplished easily on the major land masses. *A very small percentage of the planet is actually occupied by people. Most of them are crushed together in cities and like it that way. The population trend is going even more toward cities. People want a better wi-fi connection. Within a few hundred miles of cities, one can easily escape the crush and also have a grocery store and an internet connection but, (thankfully) few are willing to exit the treadmill.


Maybe something like this.


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

FSMike said:


> I don't think you're going to find the kind of place you're talking about has an internet connection, unless you can afford a satellite hookup.
> You can't go off from civilization and expect to bring it with you.


This -

Living Off The Grid with Satellite Internet - Globalcom

Best way to get the Internet off the grid? Readers poll | Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself

And Jessica Watson had internet on her around-the-world sail.

OTL: Jessica Watson will attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world - ESPN

"Watson will use a similar 34-foot yacht -- Ella's Pink Lady -- on her journey, and thanks to a legion of corporate sponsors and volunteers, she will have a state-of-the-art vessel equipped with all the latest safety and technological devices. Watson's boat has a GPS tracker and four positioning beacons so that her location is always known. *She will have a satellite for phone, Internet and e-mail access*, as well as five cameras for video blogging and a planned documentary."


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## SteveAtSea (May 20, 2014)

In 2011 I hired a boat with a group of friends to spend a week on an uninhabited island off the coast of Jahor province, Malaysia. We had a whale of a good time together

Funny thing is, our Malay friends were much better prepared for the experience. Within minutes they all had machetes in their hands, chopping the cane, assembling shelters, tying up canopies for shelter. We Westerners were pretty much useless.

Our biggest limiting factor on that island was the lack of fresh water. We had to bring that with us. No internet or phone either, but that was actually a relief.

Can't imagine spending more than a week or so on island like that, though.


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

khammett said:


> Maybe something like this.
> 
> Alone in the Wilderness - YouTube


I've seen that and have read the book. It is a wonderful flick. Public TV plays it now and then.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

I bet a deserted island is deserted for a reason


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

khammett said:


> This -
> 
> Living Off The Grid with Satellite Internet - Globalcom
> 
> ...


Sheesh. If you want to be connected that badly why not rent an apartment in Brooklyn and just not go out the door? You can pretend you're all alone.


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

This guy spent a year on a deserted island just a few years ago.

No Cookies | dailytelegraph.com.au

*WITH just two knives for cutting and a baby pig for company, Xavier Rosset sat solo on an uninhabited Pacific island for 300 lonely days.

But unlike Robinson Crusoe, the young Swiss adventurer made a choice to isolate himself totally, surviving on food and shelter got by his own hand to challenge the modern way of life.

"It was hard, yes, very hard," Mr Rosset said, freshly arrived back in Europe after ending his 10-month stint in Tonga.

His island of choice was Tofua, a 64-square-kilometre volcanic isle home to nothing except "some pigs, lots of coconuts, a lake and tropical forest".

His luggage consisted of just a Swiss army knife, machete and a video camera to record his adventure for a documentary to be aired later this year.

The mission was to try to relearn the natural survival skills which urban men have long forgotten, but Mr Rosset said it was far from easy.

"At the beginning I had to try hard to survive," the former professional snowboarder said.

"I had to find the food and water, build shelter, learn how to fish, everything."

Last September, just 10 days in, he had a realisation that he was all alone and would be for many months to come.

"That was very hard, without my family, my girlfriend, my friends. There was a lot of loneliness."

But he was kept busy just trying to survive.

Over the next two months he lost nearly all the 18kg of body fat he had stockpiled before starting his adventure.

He wasn't able to hold his weight steady until he discovered how to trap and kill wild pigs, in the process making his only "friend", a tiny piglet.

"I couldn't eat it because there wasn't enough meat so I took it with me and she stayed with me for three months," he said.

"She was exactly like a dog. She was a very good friend for me but I didn't talk to her like (Tom Hanks) talked to the volleyball in the movie Castaway."

It wasn't until eight months into the stay that Mr Rosset says he felt at peace on the island.

In a blog recording from this time, the explorer said: "I'm spending the most part of the day doing nothing, looking at the big ocean or the butterfly who has come to say hello to me."

"I even have enough food. I can say now and now only that I am feeling (at) home."

Being truly home in Switzerland has been the biggest high however, and there's no plan to go bush again anytime soon.*


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

That is actually a pretty large island and has fresh water. I am surprised it does not have any residents. I guess it used to since it has the pigs.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

khammett said:


> His luggage consisted of just a Swiss army knife, machete and a video camera to record his adventure for a documentary to be aired later this year.


impressive batteries in that video camera to last 300 days


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

Actually, in eastern 
Canada it is quite doable, if you don't mind the cold and ice. There is quite a bit of shoreline that is remote but still reasonably close to a small town. Even some small towns have only ferry access. But then the locals have small cabins out back or on islands, here is a pick of a nice one in Quebec.


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

You can always buy an island:
Islands for Sale Worldwide - Private Islands Online


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

Palmyra is fascinating for social and ecological reasons. If you haven't read _And the Sea Will Tell_, I recommend it highly.

I'm convinced that islands still exist where you can escape from it all without being under anyone's thumb, but you won't find them in mainstream books, internet forums or the along the popular cruising routes. However, when you do find them, a safe anchorage and a reliable source of water are likely to be some of your most pressing issues.

John Fisher's flimsy little paperback, _Unihabited Ocean Islands_, is a fun and quick read for islomaniacs. And you can also check out the post I wrote about uninhabited islands for adventurous sailors here.


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

kwaltersmi said:


> John Fisher's flimsy little paperback, _Unihabited Ocean Islands_, is a fun and quick read for islomaniacs. And you can also check out the post I wrote about uninhabited islands for adventurous sailors here.


Nice. Thanks!


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

I rented an uninhabited island owned by the church in eastern Fijji Good fishing and fruit. Comfortable from the get go but alone. Not for me I found. Much prefer the islands and inlets of our north coast but I don't think you would like it.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

good story len...cool!


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## Seaduction (Oct 24, 2011)

If you want an uninhabited island where you see no people, etc., then why do you want the U-tube business, internet crap and so forth? That's certainly not the "castaway" persona.
Join the Army Rangers.


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