Verdict: Yes, but with caveats regarding weather and "Soft Structure" dynamics.
Your design relies on cable tension between floats. Unlike a rigid steel hull, a cable-braced structure can experience "racking" or shifting if tension is lost or if wave action is severe.
Motion Sickness: A 40x16 platform on 24ft columns is essentially a metronome. In chop, the period of roll/pitch might be slow but the amplitude could be significant. Working at a computer requires a stable horizon. You will likely need active stabilization (gyros or water planes) or a heavily gimbaled desk to work comfortably during anything other than flat calm.
Drag & Drift: At 0.5 - 1 MPH, you are slower than most ocean currents. You cannot "fight" a storm; you must drift with it. Your "look around" frequency depends entirely on the sea state. In Force 4 winds or higher, you cannot safely ignore the helm/station.
AI "Night Watch": Safety & Legality (2-3 Year Horizon)
Using AI for collision avoidance (Radar/AIS/Visual) is the future, but currently sits in a legal gray area.
Legality (COLREGs): International maritime law requires a "proper lookout by sight and hearing." Currently, AI is considered an aid, not a replacement for a human. If an AI misses a collision, the human on board is liable. However, for a stationary or slow-moving object (which you are), the rules regarding "vessels not under command" or "restricted ability to maneuver" apply. You must display appropriate lights/shapes.
Feasibility: In 2-3 years, AI systems that fuse Radar, AIS, and Camera data to alert a sleeping human will be robust.
Recommendation: Use AI to wake you up (audible alarms, flashing lights in the bedroom), but do not rely on it to steer the vessel autonomously without human oversight for the next few years.
2. Food Logistics & Diet Psychology
Food Weight & Cost Estimates
Assuming you are catching 100% of your protein (fish) and making your own water, your stored food is primarily carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, and flavorings.
Item Category
Est. Weight (Month/Family of 4)
Est. Cost (USD)
Notes
Grains (Rice, Flour, Pasta)
100 lbs
$150
Calorie dense, long shelf life.
Legumes (Beans, Lentils)
40 lbs
$80
Protein backup, fiber.
Canned Vegetables/Fruit
120 lbs
$300
Heavy due to water weight.
Oils, Spices, Condiments
30 lbs
$150
Critical for preventing fatigue.
Total Monthly
~290 lbs
~$680
Excluding fresh produce.
Storage Capacity Analysis (2,500 lbs Limit)
With a 2,500 lb storage limit for dry/canned goods:
2,500 lbs / 290 lbs per month = ~8.6 Months of food.
Note: This assumes you successfully catch fish every day. If fishing fails, you need emergency protein (canned meat/beans), which reduces this timeline.
Menu Fatigue: The Science & Yacht Experience
Scientific Concept: Sensory-Specific Satiety (SSS)
Studies show that as you consume a specific food, the pleasure derived from it decreases faster than the pleasure derived from other foods. This is an evolutionary mechanism to encourage a varied diet (and thus varied nutrients).
Yacht Cruiser Experience:
"The Canned Food Wall": Cruisers often report that after 3 months, they cannot look at another can of tuna or jar of pasta sauce. The texture of preserved food becomes repulsive.
The "Fresh" Craving: The biggest complaint is not lack of calories, but lack of crunch and acidity. Fish is soft; canned veggies are soft. You need crisp apples, carrots, or lettuce.
Solution: Your idea of a sprouter is excellent. Fresh sprouts provide the necessary crunch and enzymes. A bread maker is also vital; the smell of baking bread is a massive psychological boost.
Will you get tired of fish?
Yes, eventually. Fish is lean. Without fat, you feel unsatisfied.
Strategy: You must prioritize catching fatty fish (Tuna, Mahi, Kingfish) over lean white fish. You will need significant amounts of cooking oil, butter (or ghee), and cheese to make the fish palatable day after day. "Fish sandwiches with coleslaw" works because the slaw provides acid/crunch and the bun provides carbs.
3. Food Safety: Toxins & Testing
Mercury vs. Ciguatera
Mercury: Accumulates in long-lived predators (Shark, Swordfish, large Tuna).
Ciguatera: A toxin produced by dinoflagellates (algae) on reefs. It moves up the food chain. It is heat stable (cooking does not destroy it) and tasteless.
The FAD Risk Profile
FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) attract pelagic fish. While pelagics spend time in deep water, they often feed near reefs or on smaller fish that have visited reefs.
Safe Bets: Smaller Mahi-Mahi (Dolphinfish) and smaller Yellowfin Tuna are generally lower risk than Snapper, Grouper, or Barracuda.
Testing Availability
Mercury: There are no reliable, cheap "dipstick" tests for mercury in raw fish for consumers. Lab analysis (atomic absorption spectroscopy) is required. You must manage risk by species selection (avoiding apex predators).
Ciguatera:There is currently NO easy home test for Ciguatera. Commercial test kits (like Cigua-Check) exist but are expensive (~$25-40 per test), require grinding up a piece of the fish flesh, and take 15-20 minutes. They are not 100% accurate.
Advice: Do not eat the head, guts, or roe of reef-associated fish, as toxins concentrate there. If in doubt, throw it out.