Waterborne structure for supporting offshore activities

An offshore platform for use on a body of water, comprising:

• a hull having a vertical axis, wherein the hull includes:
• a flared section formed by a set of inclined planar walls and a set of inclined planar chamfer walls, wherein the inclined planar walls and the inclined planar chamfer walls form a first perimeter defining a boundary between an interior and an exterior of the hull, wherein the first perimeter has an octagonal shape along a plane transverse to the vertical axis;
• a lower deck section below the flared section, the lower deck section being formed by a set of vertical planar walls and a set of planar vertical chamfer walls, wherein the vertical planar walls and the vertical planar chamfer walls form a second perimeter defining a boundary between the interior and the exterior of the hull, wherein the second perimeter has an octagonal shape along a plane transverse to the vertical axis;
• a ballast system having:
• (i) at least one compartment positioned within at least the second perimeter, and (ii) a fluid mover configured to control a flow of water between the at least one compartment and an exterior of the hull;
• and
• at least one enclosed deck positioned inside the hull, wherein the at least one compartment separates the at least one enclosed deck and at least the second perimeter.