This is a 3D sketch for the floating tortoise platform April and I will build for use at the "Ephemerisle" Festival next weekend in the Sacramento River Delta.  The finished product will not look anything like this except that it will be in the proportions shown and use the underlying structure defined in the model.  It's basically to be April and I's personal shelter for use at the Ephemerisle festival, but it'll be open to visitors, and hopefully we'll be serving Indonesian food.

I'm putting up this blog to let others know about the project and receive there input. 

The 3D model is basically to scale.  The platform is one 4' x 8' board supported by sealed buckets (These are empty chlorine tablet buckets with sealing and locking lids that stack neatly forming pontoons).  The Platform has side wings (see below) that are at the entryways to the shell:



The "Shell" is a geodesic dome that will be warped to the proportions of a tortoise shell.  The shell will be constructed from 2x4s connected with gazebo ties as in this example.  I think we will dress the dome in camouflage shade cloth.  Time and money permitting I may further decorate it with LED wire, or maybe ropelight, or some other lighting to bring it alive at night.

The head, fins and tail are being made by my wife, April Lelia, and she will do them in the style of her "Caterpillar" that incorporates weaving branches, found objects, and other recycled materials together.

We are building this in Stinson Beach and will haul it out to Ephemerisle using our '69 Saab.

The time is short, but that is part of the mad fun, the challenge of it.  We have 4 days to put it altogether . . .



I'll be using this blog to document the project.

- David Normal