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Catherine King and Wayne Adams Dedicated Decades to the Modular Construction of an Isolated Floating Island, Sustaining Continuous Housing, Artistic Work, and Routine Off the Grid
For 31 years, Catherine King and Wayne Adams lived on a floating island in Freedom Cove, 10 miles by boat from Tofino, after starting the project in 1987 and completing the move in February 1992, maintaining housing off the grid.
Catherine King, 64, states that she met Wayne Adams in the summer of 1987 at a friend’s house, when they both identified the common goal of living off the grid.
At that time, King was working as a massage therapist in Toronto, where she grew up, while Adams was working as a sculptor in Victoria, and their initial conversation evolved into the decision to live together.
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According to King, the shared motivation stemmed from childhood experiences of bullying, and nature was seen as a space for healing and refuge, an element that began to guide their later choices.
Meeting in 1987 and the Decision for an Isolated Cove Accessible Only by Boat, an Essential Factor for the Lifestyle Planned by the Couple
The couple decided to build their permanent home in a small cove near the coast of Tofino, locally known as Freedom Cove, defined by King as isolated and accessible only by boat.
King reports feeling drawn to the cove for practical and personal reasons, citing isolation, a sense of magic, and the perception that the place demanded sincerity and constant adaptation.
Upon finding Freedom Cove, they decided to build a floating home close to shore so they could be immersed in nature without directly interfering with it, avoiding fixed occupancy on land.
That same summer, a storm left discarded pieces of wood on the beach, material interpreted by the couple as a favorable sign and used as the base for their first modules.
Transfer in February 1992 Marks the Beginning of Three Decades of Continuous Housing on Floating Structures Anchored by Ropes
In February 1992, King and Adams completed the initial construction and transferred the floating house to the cove, starting a period of continuous housing that lasted for three decades.
The structure floats with Styrofoam and is tethered by ropes in a formation resembling a spider web, a setup described as a base of connection and stabilization.
Reports describe the formation of connected platforms and multiple buildings, including greenhouses, a gallery, and a dance area, forming an expanded island-residence over time.
The project also functioned as a space for artistic work and daily life, with components created according to practical needs, without a single fixed plan from the beginning.
Recycled Materials and Gradual Expansion with Modules Built According to Availability and the Couple’s Daily Needs
Adams gathered materials through requests in local communities, and King reports that he organized what he received into piles before deciding what to build.
Growth occurred through gradual additions, including structures linked to the couple’s interests, with emphasis on the first dance floor, deemed essential by King.
Over time, in addition to wood, discarded metal equipment from aquaculture was incorporated, expanding construction possibilities and allowing for new functional areas.
The island came to include several greenhouses, a chicken coop, a large kitchen, and a water purification system, sustaining a routine of integrated production and maintenance.
Previous records describe connected platforms with attachments such as a workshop, gallery, greenhouses, and a lighthouse, reinforcing that expansion occurred in modules attached to the initial core.
At one point, the couple operated a candle factory, destroyed by a fire in 2011 after Adams accidentally left a wood stove lit.
After the fire, King reports that Adams built a gallery on the site and reconstructed the factory on the outside, allowing them to release the ropes in case of another mistake.
Annual Maintenance Routine, Impact of Storms, Fixed Costs, and Internet Installation in 2013
King states that winter storms cause destruction every year, knocking down entire parts of the buildings, and the recurring response has always been to rebuild.
She recounts having rebuilt the dance floor four times due to wood rotting, describing a daily life based on continuous maintenance.
In addition to natural damages, the couple dealt with replacement costs for systems such as solar panels, which required periodic payments even off the grid.
Seven years after building the island, they were identified by the municipal government and began paying annual taxes, adding fixed expenses to their lifestyle model.
In 2013, they installed internet on the island, and according to King, the cost was higher than in the city, connecting Freedom Cove to the online world.
King recounts that, as artists, they lived on a very tight budget, spending years earning only $6,000 a year, a situation that partially changed with retirement.
Current Resident After March 2023 Maintains Daily Operation of the Floating Island Built Over 31 Years
Wayne Robert Adams was born on April 25, 1948, and died on March 15, 2023, according to an obituary that also notes the 31 years connected to Freedom Cove.
After eight years of battling rectal cancer, King began maintaining the routine alone, operating generators, propane systems, and boat displacements.
She states that grief brought moments when everything seemed difficult, but she says she does not intend to leave and receives support from friends and family.
The story of the floating island built by the couple remains centered in Freedom Cove, with Catherine King as the current resident and responsible for daily maintenance.
With information from Business Insider.
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