Living Off the Grid: The Floating Island
A couple of Canadians left the city life wanting to live on a floating colored grille, a place that could be used as a home and garden, but also a place where their dreams come true. Wayne Adams and Catherine King created a completely self-sustainable float which they named “Liberty Cove”. This strange property consists of 12 platforms – some are wooden structures, where the house, solariums and living spaces are all interconnected by bridges. The floating house represents excellent shelter from wild animals, one of the reasons that made them quit growing chickens and other poultry.
The pink/turquoise floating structure on the coast Tofino, British Columbia, was built since 1992, and the couple, who have two children, managed to get the award for “house of the year”. Wayne Adams and Catherine King have been living on their own floating island since 1992 and they never thought about leaving this oasis.
They are both artists and passionate about gardening, Adams is a sculptor and King, a retired ballerina who loves painting, writing and music. Although living on an island, the water comes from a nearby waterfall in the summer, and the other part is collected from rain in the winter. This dynamic duo loves to grow fish for food preparation and grow their own vegetables in floating gardens, which have five greenhouses. The entire island is designed to use the energy produced by a series of 14 solar panels and a photovoltaic power generator. This system provides the owners almost total independence and natural food. The 5 greenhouses produce vegetables and fruits all year round. In fact, this system has been self-sustained for the past 20 years.
Their lifestyle made the known worldwide and the curious who want to see how Wayne and Catherine live can get there by boat under a package tour organized by local authorities, with the consent of the owners.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Freedom Cove floating home and gardens, Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada (pre-arranged guided boat-tour destination; depart from Tofino)
- Coordinates
- 49.26345, -125.85506
- Access
- Freedom Cove is a private floating home, not a drop-in attraction. Visit only by pre-arranged guided boat tour coordinated with its hosts. Jamie’s currently lists Wednesday, Friday and Saturday departures, with at least two adult tickets required to confirm. Its Tofino contact office is at 606 Campbell Street; confirm the actual boarding point and date when booking, and do not travel to the cove independently. Riders aged 12 and under must be at least 142 cm tall for the Zodiac.
- Admission
- Jamie’s current listed per-person fares: CA$147.34 for ages 19–64; CA$136.74 for seniors 65+, students 19+ with valid ID and youth 13–18; CA$126.14 for children 4–12 who meet the 142 cm Zodiac height rule. At least two adult tickets are required to confirm a departure. Rates and the final booking total may change; confirm directly with the operator.
- Time needed
- Jamie’s lists the hosted Freedom Cove boat tour as 2.5 hours total; it does not separate travel time from time at the cove.
- Best season
- No preferred season or fixed operating season is published specifically for Freedom Cove. Jamie’s lists departures Wednesday, Friday and Saturday by arrangement with the hosts. Ask the operator which dates are available for your trip.
- Opening hours
- No daily walk-in opening hours: this is a private floating home visited only by pre-arranged tour. Jamie’s currently lists Wednesday, Friday and Saturday departures, subject to host arrangement and a two-adult minimum; exact departure times are confirmed when booking.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-15
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-28
Map marks the area, not a visitor entrance.
Location
Use the zoom buttons or pinch to zoom. Use arrow keys to pan when the map is focused.
Interactive map loads when in view.
Suggest an edit
No account needed. Your update goes to the editor for review.
Explorer Passport
Next badge: Trail Scout
Unlocked after exploring 5 different unusual places.
0 of 5 places explored
Discover more from Unusual Places
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Do you watch Great Big Story on YouTube?
I have always wanted to live in a floating house. I lived on a boat in Southeast Alaska but a boat is a pain in the butt. This looks like a nice community and peaceful.