Sam Griffiss, 35, is fighting to save his ‘off-grid pirate ship’ by the River Severn in Bewdley, Worcestershire, as he seeks planning permission to make it his permanent home
A man who says he spent his life savings to live in an off-grid pirate ship has told the Mirror that his local council’s decision over whether his wooden home is legal could ‘make or break’ him.
Dad-of-one Sam Griffiss, 35, is currently living in his ship-shaped structure next to by the River Severn in Bewdley, Worcestershire, which he has christened the ‘Daisy May’. He moved into the property in 2024 after buying the frame on eBay for just £500, and has since built around it to create an eccentric living space he hopes will one day also function as a community centre.
But he will not be able to get an address and declare it as an official residence until he is granted planning permission by the local council – leaving him on tenterhooks as he awaits their decision.
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Sam revealed that he decided to ditch his ordinary bricks-and-mortar home of 12 years after mortgage repayments started becoming unaffordable. “I had a good amount of equity tied up in the house and made the decision to sell up”, he explained, adding: “Daisy May feels more like home than the house ever did.”
Explaining how he went about turning the ship into his full-time residence, he said: “I purchased Daisy May in November 2024 for £500 off eBay – me and a friend hired a trailer and collected her from London. She was full of water and needed serious work, but she had character. I have been in the building trade since I was 17, so I just built an extension on top of the hull and fixed her up.
“It took us a few days with a digger and dumper to clear the land and move some dirt about. I have friends in construction who were kind enough to lend me some machinery.
“Building her has been a challenge due to the curved shape. I’m a bit of a hoarder, but I’ve used materials I’ve had lying around for years to get her finished and keep her character. I only completed her at the beginning of January. So far, so good – the only issue is that my compost toilet is in the wood cabin, so I have to walk across the bridge into the cabin when nature calls.”
Photographs show the ship surrounded by frosted-over grass, with a shed on stilts and a wood-fired sauna just a short walk away. Many people would baulk at the idea of holing up in a wooden shack over winter – but Sam claims his wooden log burner is enough to keep him warm during the colder months.
He said: “I have a couple of log burners and a diesel heater, and I live next to the Wyre Forest, so I’m conveniently never short on logs. Because he’s only a few feet from the River Wyre, Sam does have to be mindful of the risk of flooding – and says he has raised everything on his 100 sqm plot off the ground for this reason.
“My idea will either be genius or very stupid; only time will tell!”, he joked.
As part of his ‘Connection Project’, Sam wants to host groups who can experience thrills of the outdoors on his patch – but there’s one major obstacle standing in his way.
“I’ve got a few jobs around the land that need finishing off, but the vision is to make this place a wellbeing centre where people can come to have a sauna and cold dip, and get the outdoors experience. I need an address for that, though, and for that, I need planning permission to be on board with what I’m doing. Until planning agrees to me living here, I can’t earn any money, and my daughter can’t stay with me overnight.
“I have archery sets, throwing axes, and fishing rods, and I would love it if people could come here and immerse themselves in nature. The forest is directly behind my log cabin with beautiful walks. I have six canoes that I would like to hire out to people on the river, but I’m at the council’s mercy. Their decision could make or break me – I’ve spent my entire life savings on this.”
Sam says he also has a minibus he uses to take people out on day trips in the countryside, and often raises money for charity, walking the 100-mile Cotswold Way in four days while on a 40-day fast for the Teenage Cancer Trust in July last year. He’s looking to take on a new challenge this year, and is “still deciding” which one to do.
Wyre District local council told the Mirror that Mr Griffiss’ property is currently part of an “active investigation” and that it didn’t comment on ongoing cases.
