'Unfinished since the 1800s' makes me think plumbing is an issue.

I'm in!

It might be a bit of a fixer-upper, Eide.

Yeah, it needs a bit of TLC here and there, but I love that it's fortified, self-contained and in a warm climate. I'm inordinately amused that they built a moat around it, given that it's surrounded by ocean!.

We'd need lots of solar panels and some way of getting water but, once that's sorted, the rest will be easy.

Yeah, fresh water would be a problem.

Hey, I've been there! Twice! It's a beautiful place, though probably too remote for wifi.

Boring Postcards can be our leader! Those pictures are amazing. How long were you left on the island?

I like the attitude on dg, as well.

How long were you left on the island?

We were there for about 4.5 or 5 hours. If you travel out by boat, it's an ALL DAY thing, including the round trip (because it's 70 miles away from Key West).

It's in Florida, which is not just a warm climate, but a hot climate. I can barely stand the heat of a Toronto July, so I'll have to reluctantly count myself out.

I do have a recurring fantasy in which a bunch of MeFites get together and buy into a dead or deserted district or town and reclaim and revitalize it. But you'll have to pick a relatively cold climate if you want me on board.

Would there be refrigeration? I need a refrigerator for my collection of delicious cheeses.

Orange Swan, don't worry, you'll be nice and cool sitting under a palm tree by the pool being fanned and served delicious cold drinks.

We want to go there sometime. Mr. G has a bit of an odd obsession with it.

However, that "dry" part of the "Dry Tortugas" convinced us long ago that trying to take it over and make our Evil Stronghold would be more work than it's worth.

...

Early shoreline fortresses in the Americas had moats that could be flooded at will or by the tides; they were right up against the sea, but the moats fed by that sea made another weapon in their battles with intruders of various flavors. Fort Jefferson is a lot younger than, say, the Castillo de San Marco, but that might still be part of the design. The Wiki page doesn't say and I don't feel up to looking further :)

Hey, I've been there too! I swam right around it.

Thanks to this I just undertook a brief solar desalination wikipedia safari. Back to work.