Freedom Ship contains various transportation systems

The infrastructure of Freedom Ship contains various transportation systems and facilities necessary to move people and goods on and off the ship as well as transportation aboard the ship. The three main forms of transportation are the airport, the port authority (marina), and the onboard subway system. One can use the airport and port authority to embark or disembark the ship at their convenience. Residents and business owners are only minutes away from a constantly changing environment and have the ability to see the beauty of the world.

The airport will be located on the top deck of the ship. The size of the ship will provide a stable and appropriately sized runway for small commuter and cargo aircraft and helicopters. Current specifications allow for aircraft as large as a STOL turboprop capable of carrying 38 to 40 passengers. Insulation and proper design will shield the residential and commercial districts of the ship from noise associated with airport operations. However, if engineering and management find noise to be detrimental to the overall quality of life aboard Freedom Ship then the airport will be redesigned to facilitate helicopters only with the remaining real estate used as an additional nature preserve. FSI will operate a fleet of aircraft; however, residents are encouraged to own and operate their private aircraft and helicopters. Hanger space below the flight deck will be available for lease to residents and visitors. A flight school will operate on the ship as well.

The port authority will be located at the stern of the ship. The stability of the ship in rough seas combined with the size of the port authority will allow for a constant flow of people to embark and disembark the ship. FSI will own and operate a fleet of Coast Guard approved Subchapter K ferries capable of carrying 350 passengers each and leaving the ship every 20 minutes. Although space is limited, residents will be able to dry-dock their own vessels aboard the ship as well. Although FSI has not finalized the design, it is feasible to have car ferries dock in the port authority and provide residents with the opportunity to lease space available in the hull of the ship for vehicle storage. Residents would be able to own their vehicles and drive them up onto a ferry and off onto land wherever they chose. Such a design would provide unparalleled opportunities to further travel and explore every region of the world.

The onboard subway system will provide residents and visitors with the ability to quickly reach any portion of the ship in a timely manner. It is important to note that visitors will not have access to residential districts aboard the ship. The transportation systems and commercial districts are two of many factors anticipated to promote the appreciation of real estate values aboard Freedom Ship.

http://www.freedomship.com/freedomship/lifestyle/transportation/transportation.shtml

Life at Sea

Freedom Ship will have 17,000 residential units and will be home to more than 60,000 people, including residents and all of the personnel that will be required to maintain the ship. The floating city will continuously circle the world and will travel to most of Earth's coastal regions, offering residents the ability to see the entire globe without leaving their home. All of the ship's employees will be given food, housing, uniforms, medical and dental care and a continuing education program. The ship will contain all of the features that any modern city might have, including:

• A $200 million hospital
• A 3,800-foot (1,158-m) landing strip, which will serve private planes and some small commercial aircraft that carry no more than 40 passengers
• Hangars for private aircraft
• A marina for residents' yachts
• A large shopping mall
• A school system offering K-12 and college education
• A golf driving range
• Bicycle paths
• 200 open acres for recreation

For those who can afford to live on Freedom Ship, the most attractive feature may be that it has no local taxes, including income tax, real estate tax, sales tax, business tax and import duties. However, residents will have to abide by federal tax laws in their home country.

For entertainment, residents can visit one of the many restaurants, casinos, nightclubs and theaters. Residents will also enjoy tennis, basketball, bowling, putting greens, swimming pools, gyms, a skating rink and fishing from the ship's marina. Each home will have 100 channels of worldwide satellite TV channels and local programming from nearby countries. Internet access will be available in each unit.

Just like your own hometown, Freedom Ship will have a security force onboard that will patrol the ship at all times. In addition, the ship's entire crew will receive security training. An electronic security system will be installed to offer further protection to residents.

In addition to all of these benefits, Freedom Ship will also be environmentally friendly, according to its developers. There will be no sewage treatment plant and no sewage to spill. The ship will use incinerator toilets, which cost about $3,000 apiece, to burn all sewage. The ashes will be put in the flower beds. Waste oil will be burned in an exhaust steam plant to generate electricity, instead of being dumped in the ocean. All used glass, paper and metal will be recycled and sold. Freedom Ship International estimates that each resident will produce 80 percent less waste on the ship than at his or her current home on land.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/floating-city2.htm

School system aboard Freedom Ship

The school system aboard Freedom Ship will provide the world standard for quality in education to students (US grades K through 12) who live aboard the ship. The quality of education is one of many factors anticipated to promote the appreciation of real estate values aboard Freedom Ship.

Curriculum:
Our system of schools will provide a rigorous educational curriculum developed by blending the best attributes from other school systems around the world to create a truly unique and challenging classroom environment. Although the final curriculum has not yet been determined, FSI is dedicated to providing an environment that stresses the following areas of study. History, geography, and the arts will be stressed along with foreign language; all students will be bilingual at graduation. The sciences along with mathematics and engineering will compose another major area of study. Finally, financial education will be stressed as each and every child is exposed on a daily basis to international commerce both aboard the ship and ashore. However, the time students spend in the classroom will be limited.

The Real Classroom:
A portion of the education will happen outside of the classroom as daily field trips to see the world firsthand will be the norm. In effect, students will board ferries instead of buses to visit their classroom…the world in its entire splendor! The ability to see and experience other people and their cultures firsthand is what sets Freedom Ship's school system apart from the rest.

Sports:
Athletic facilities aboard the ship will facilitate organized sports for the school system. Basketball, tennis, track, swimming and diving, gymnastics, American football, soccer, hockey, and facilities for a variety of other sports from around the world will be an integral part of the school system. Students will compete against other schools aboard the ship and with other schools around the world. In effect, students will have their own World Cup for each sport as they travel ashore to compete against schools from around the world and, likewise, as those teams travel to Freedom Ship to play our students for home games as well.

Facilities:
FSI is dedicated to providing the school system with the highest quality facilities possible. Technology will be incorporated into every aspect of classroom learning. The International Library and athletic facilities will provide further opportunities for growth. However, the caring and highly qualified teachers and other professionals will prove invaluable to your child's education. A boarding school for non-residents is also being considered. Universities are expected to have adjunct campuses aboard as well. FSI is dedicated to providing this educational environment to students at a lower cost to parents when compared to the average yearly cost in taxes to send a child to a public school in the United States.

http://www.freedomship.com/freedomship/lifestyle/education/education.shtml

The World's Biggest Ship

No cruise ship that has ever been built can compare to the enormity of Freedom Ship. Imagine a mile-long stretch of 25-story-tall buildings in New York City; now imagine that floating on the water. If you can picture that, then you get the general idea of Freedom Ship's size. At 4,320 feet (1,317 meters) long, 725 feet (221 m) wide and 340 feet (103 m) tall, the ship is taller than the length of a football field and wider than two football fields put together. And not only can a ship that size float on water, but it may be navigating the world's oceans as early as 2005.

Freedom Ship will dwarf any ocean-going vessel operating today -- it will be more than four times longer than any current cruise ship. Here's a comparison of Freedom Ship to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Explorer of the Seas, the largest cruise ship as of December 2000:

Freedom Ship will be built on top of 520 airtight steel cells that will be bolted together to form a sturdy base. Each cell will be 80 feet (24 meters) tall, between 50 and 100 feet (15 and 30 m) wide and between 50 and 120 feet (15 and 37 m) long. These cells will be assembled to form larger units that are about 300 x 400 feet (91 x 122 m). These larger units will then be taken out to sea, where they will be put together to form the ship's nearly mile-long base. The rest of the ship will be constructed on top of this base. Norman Nixon, who developed the idea of a floating city, has said that it will take about three years to finish the ship once construction begins.

It will take a tremendous amount of engine power to push the gigantic ship through the water. The vessel will be equipped with 100 diesel engines that can generate 3,700 horsepower each. Developers project the cost of each engine to be about $1 million. That may give you an idea of how expensive the project is, although the total cost of Freedom Ship has not been released. The ship's high construction cost will be passed on to residents, who will pay up to $11 million to purchase living space on the floating city. In the next section, you'll find out what these residents will get for such a price.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/floating-city1.htm

Commercial districts aboard Freedom Ship

he commercial districts aboard Freedom Ship will provide business owners and professionals an unparalleled atmosphere in which to conduct business. Residents, crew, daily and overnight visitors will shop in an environment of architectural beauty and convenience. Although final drawings have not been released to the public, the commercial district will depict many of the same architectural features as a large commercial district in a major city, such as New York. There will be streets and blocks (or districts) within the commercial area of the ship. Each district will depict a different architectural theme; as one walks through the city one feels as though they are walking around the world.

The real estate sold in various districts will cater to different forms of commerce from professional offices and corporate world headquarters for major international corporations, to retail and open-air markets, to restaurant facilities. Real estate will be developed to facilitate specific forms of commerce indicative to various cultures from around the world. A truly global and international business community will flourish aboard, as goods from ashore are constantly being bought and sold. In addition, real estate is available for light manufacturing, industrial, and warehousing applications. Restaurants aboard the ship will provide fresh cuisine from around the world in atmospheres ranging from fast food to true fine dining at tables with unparalleled ocean views.

An elegant, world-class hotel and casino will also be operating aboard with a large convention center capable of hosting sporting and entertainment events and trade shows…a place truly worthy of hosting The World's Fair. People will have access to various history, technology, and art museums aboard as well as aquariums and nature preserves featuring exotic plants and animals from around the world.

The commercial district aboard Freedom Ship will sustain a population of 100,000 people comprised of 40,000 residents, 20,000 full time crew, 30,000 daily visitors, and 10,000 overnight guests to the hotel and casino.

FSI is committed to providing residents and other individuals with an environment capable of sustaining a vibrant commercial community. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to operating a business aboard. We desire to foster the entrepreneurial spirit within our residents and business owners and will strive to help them whenever possible. It is the people who own and visit the real estate aboard Freedom Ship that create a truly unique environment.

http://www.freedomship.com/freedomship/lifestyle/commerce/commerce.shtml