Off-Grid Ocean Living aboard Sovereign Ships ushers in The Next Level of Freedom. This recently launched start-up offers unique yacht designs that combine renewable technologies and sustainable systems to make self-sufficient ocean living possible.
Born early this year, Sovereign Ships offers self-sufficient, ocean-going yachts motivated by the desire to maximize personal freedom. These all-electric ships feature solar panels, interior gardens, and water treatment systems that eliminate the need to refuel or resupply.
Ben Woodason, Founder and CEO, the man behind Sovereign Ships said “Recent events such as lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, travel restrictions, and wars have proven that personal freedom is always under attack and emphasized its importance. Motivated to advance said freedom while simultaneously increasing quality of life, we created an independent environment which became the basis of Sovereign Ships. Our Florida based company offers self-sufficient, ocean-going homes that enable nomadic, off-grid lifestyles.”
- The Team at Sovereign Ships say their products provide everything needed to live comfortably on the ocean: Energy on demand: solar panels and wind turbines generate while battery banks store
and distribute power; - Eat and live as desired: interior gardens and water treatment systems supplement, or
replace, grocery stores; - Minimal maintenance: electric drivetrains require minimal servicing;
- Stable and secure: all ships are CE-A (ocean) certified vessels.
- Unparalleled designs: inspired by science fiction.
On top of offering means to live on the ocean, Sovereign Ships excel in unique, sci-fi-inspired designs.
Woodason said, “I came up with the idea after leaving the Air Force and contemplating what kind of a lifestyle would maximize personal freedom. I kept thinking about all the futuristic, sci-fi space travellers that I had seen and decided I could adapt that lifestyle for today by bringing things down closer to earth. So Sovereign Ships are essentially spaceships without their warp engines.”
“Our ships are simple, practical, and comfortable; designed to maximize structural integrity, solar panel area, exterior views, garden space, ergonomics, and value.”
Sovereign Ships believes that the world is a better place when individuals have the freedom and the ability to control their destinies. To facilitate this, it helps when they are financially, geographically, and politically independent to the maximum extent possible. Sovereign Ships provides this independence by enabling mobile, self-sufficient, ocean-going lifestyles aboard their ships.
Marine Business News put some questions to Ben.
Do you have any vessels/prototypes built, and if not when do you envisage the first vessel will be built?
1/24th scale models are used to test our ship designs (reference our Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignships/ ). We are prepared to contract the build of our first proof-of-concept prototype, the Sovereign Starter and are raising capital to that end (private fundraise). I finished the first draft of construction drawings for the build then partnered with DLBA Naval Architects for compliance verification (to meet CE-A standards) and for cut files (aluminium hull). We also partnered with Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana to build the first prototype. Should be finished mid 2023.
Do you have an estimate of price range for the cheapest to the most expensive version?
Production runs will be further down the road for us (after testing and evolving the Sovereign Starter), but we are aiming for the USD350k – USD650k price range on our models. Trying to keep them as close to entry-level as practicable.
In Australia we have a huge Houseboat Holiday Industry. Do you believe these would be suitable as charter hire vessels?
Our ships are really designed for full-timers as an alternative lifestyle to living on land. They are designed around interior gardens which solve 2 common problems full-timers have: not having fresh food and having to continually stop/scramble for supplies. I suspect it will be difficult for guests on holiday to maintain a garden if they’re only staying for a quick visit, but someone may be able to turn it into a unique experience so I wouldn’t rule it out completely.
ABOUT SOVEREIGN SHIPS
Sovereign Ships is a residential yacht startup based in Pensacola, Florida and launched in March of 2022 by Ben Woodason. It offers eight yacht designs that feature solar panels, interior gardens, water treatment systems, and unique sci-fi-inspired designs. The company plans to build its first ship, the Sovereign Starter, in 2023. Find more information at sovereignships.co or contact Ben Woodason at Click here to view the full Photo Library of the Sovereign Ships Project
