Currently, the only way to sail anywhere is for LL to deploy regions and then not use them.
Building bridges, and tiling empty space between continents with regions is no doubt an expensive use of resources and has resulted in patchy coverage.
Time for a better solution.
I propose LL create a new, special type of mega “watery void” region.
* 16,384m square (min size, as large as you like really\) with a 256m parcel tile.
* A standard regions resources, prims, avatar limits, scripts, etc.
* Rez enabled. Short Auto-return.
* The entire world map space is covered with a grid of “watery void” regions.
* Regular private / mainland regions replace 256m tiles in the “watery void”.
* All existing water regions can be deleted.
* Owned by Abzu Linden. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abzu)
Regular regions perfectly align with the 256m “watery void” parcel tiles. The estate that owns the regular region also owns the 256m void map tile ‘under’ their region.
When an avatar leaves a regular region via a border that does not have an adjacent regular region, they are moved to the ‘underlaying’ water void at the relevant position and vice versa.
The entire grid becomes a single connected world that can be navigated and traversed.
A transparent user experience.
* A user stood on a regular region looking out to a “watery void” will see the void water and avatars, boats, etc as their draw distance allows. They will also see nearby regions that are not directly connected to the region they are on.
* A user in the “watery void” adjacent to a 256m tile that contains a region will see that region, its terrain map, objects and avatars as their draw distance allows.
Private regions can opt out of allowing traversal to and from the “watery void” by setting estate access restrictions on the ‘underlying’ 256m tile.
* A user stood on an opted out region will see exactly what they see now, a limitless ocean to the horizon, no avatars or vehicles in the void. No nearby regions that aren’t directly connected.
* A user in the “water void” adjacent to the to the opted out region tile will see nothing. That map tile will be marked as no entry (as a parcel with access restrictions functions now). They will not be able to traverse into the region via its border. They will not see any content from that region, no terrain, no objects, no avatars.
The intent is to allow avatars (walking, flying, in boats, whatever) to traverse the entire SL grid from one corner to another. Entering and leaving ‘regular’ regions as they are placed right now, with minimal region crossings and minimal server requirements. Fully preserving the privacy of private regions where desired.