Country for sale

[Russ]

LOL, I would like something like this. No income taxes and your own passport and everything.

      [A href="vny!://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070109/od_nm/island_dc" target=_blank]vny!://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070109/od_nm/island_dc[/A]

For sale: World's smallest country with sea view

By Paul Majendie Tue Jan 9, 8:14 AM ET

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters Life!) - For sale: the world's smallest country with its own flag, stamps, currency and passports.


Apply to Prince Michael of Sealand if you want to run your own nation, even if it is just a wartime fort perched on two concrete towers in the North Sea.

Built in World War Two as an anti-aircraft base to repel German bombers, the derelict platform was taken over 40 years ago by retired army major Paddy Roy Bates who went to live there with his family.

He declared the platform, perched seven miles off the east coast of England and just outside Britain's territorial waters, to be the principality of Sealand.

The self-styled Prince Roy adopted a flag, chose a national anthem and minted silver and gold coins.

The family saw off an attempt by Britain's Royal Navy to evict them and also an attempt in 1978 by a group of German and Dutch businessmen to seize Sealand by force.

Roy, 85, now lives in Spain and his son Michael told BBC Radio on Monday his family had been approached by estate agents with clients "who wanted a bit more than a bit of real estate, they wanted autonomy."

He suggested Sealand, which has eight rooms in each tower, could be a base for online gambling or offshore banking.

Asked to describe the delights of living on what he described as a cross between a house and a ship, the 54-year-old said: "The neighbors are very quiet. There is a good sea view."

[Sportsdude]

I'll pass

   

[Lise]

Yeah, me too though the views to die for and no stupid neighbours to bother you.

[P.C.]

OMG.....Cool!!  No lawn to mow, no snow to shovel.....yard work's a snap. No neighbours, no bugs.....no vermin.....silence is golden.   No curtains, no mud....housework's a breeze.  Nobody 'just dropping by' and nobody expecting you to drop by.....soon.

It's got some perks.

[Sportsdude]

It also got caught on fire earlier last year boats had to come out and rescue people.  Too distant for me rather live out in the middle of the woods somewhere over looking a mountain range.  

[kingy]

how much??  

[49er]

surprise it doesn't have a lighthouse warning ships from hitting it

[Lise]

It's a goner in the event of a tsumnani.

[Russ]

Lise wrote:
 It's a goner in the event of a tsumnani. [/DIV]
 Uh its in the middle of the north sea lise. Thats the most rigorous and unpredictable seas in the world. Out of all the places in the world Ive worked in, the north sea will kick the crap out of you all the time. No sleep for the entire time you are onboard a ship in the middle of winter, you tie yourself INTO your bunk to stay in. ALL the time. No joke.

  The fact that it has been there all those years, it will have NO problems with something like a tsunami. Seriously.

[Sportsdude]

Yeah I've heard the North Sea is really tough.  Heck it flooded Holland once.

[Lise]

Wow, no kidding, Russ. Had noooo idea.

[P.C.]

As far as views go ?  I would imagine you would see nothing but water as far as the eye can see in ALL directions.  How dull.

I was joking in my earlier comments.  I like an ocean view, but if I can't see trees and green, I would go stark raving mad.

[Sportsdude]

plus the constant banging of the water against those pillars would annoy me like no other as well.