Apocaisle
APOCAISLE
Apocaisle is an Ephemerisle theme camp. Our crew has a grand, healthy fascination with post-apocalyptic scenarios and their most utopic and optimistic interpretations.
On the Water
Apocaisle is composed of several modular floating platforms (see below), that can help us grow as our demand in space increases.
Apocaisle 2009: The Ongoing Photodocumentary
As a theme camp we'd like to provide a 'tiki bar, meaning we want to be hospitable enough to have people over for nice conversation and a cocktail. If we manage to get the platform mobile enough, we'd like to be able to detach from the main platform to head for a picnic in the lagoon, but we'll need to be stable enough for singing hopeful sea shanties of rebuilding civilization whilst consuming right piratey quantities of Ephemere Ale.
In general we're pretty sure that when civilization as we know it ends, elaborate cocktails will be in high demand (not a hard feat - when have cocktails ever been in low demand?).
On the Radio
We produced a 2-hour radio show about the strange fascination apocalyptic scenarios have on people, and why a lot of apocalyptians are actually optimistic about the future, but fascinated by the freedom that the downfall of civilization would bring.
Listen to our canonical music and philosophy manifesto radio show, broadcast on Pirate Cat Radio on Friday Sept 16, 2009. Here's the podcast: Psionic-20090919.mp3 (90MB / 2 hours). There's a good bit of argument for letting a thousand nations bloom at the end.
Also, the popular Common Thread Radio show interviewed us: DiamondDave-20090911.mp3 (find Enki at the 1 hour mark) -- we let people know about Ephemerisle and the Seasteading Institute, a short interview, not enough for philosophy and motivation, just enough time to get the word out, talk about what it is and where it happens, and how to get involved.
We also built Ephemerisle's first "really pirate" radio station, which operated from the second floor of the Apocaisle platform, broadcasting on 87.9fm and was mostly solar-powered. We had a few technical tricks up our sleeves, e.g. a wireless "mic" fashioned from an old cordless telephone. It'll definitely come back with us next year!
The Tatami Project
Our goal is to produce one or more Instructables for platforms that are highly reproducible and modular, such that highly stable floating islands could be constructed at any arbitrary size desired as a multiple of the smallest modular unit ...kinda like the way Japanese people use tatami mats to meter out their living space.
Design goals for these platforms revolve around maximizing reproducibility and minimizing costs, putting a wooden platform on a base of 4 watertight barrels using the Pontoon Boat principle.
- robust stability + mobility (easily towable and attachable)
- "modular" building materials - stuff you can find in standard sizes at any hardware store
- least amount of cutting and forming necessary
- least cost without sacrificing seaworthiness or ease of assembly
- most affordable, compact transportation requirements
In other words, by using our instructions, you should be able to build a robust wooden floating platform, accommodating 2 people each willing to spend maybe $50, which you could theoretically strap on the top of a normal car.
Construction of the first platform began under Chicken John's masterful tutelage on Sept 12, 2009, and took shape in the form of a bunch of scavenged stages lying unused at NIMBY.
After new members came on board, the design changed a bit. Plans were made and 8 4x8 platforms (twice the area of the original plan) were constructed in a day and a half by the intrepid crew. With this raging success, we went further and built a second story, storage containers and other additions to make this a true work of art.
We're finding the cheapest 4x8 platform using new materials (except used barrels) can be built for about $100 (depending on local taxes, material availabilities, yadda yadda).
Apocaisle 2009: The Ongoing Photodocumentary
The Apocalypticos
- @enkido (Paul Boehm): Process and Troubleshooting
- @nthmost (Naomi Most): Communication, Radio, Grunt Labor
- @longobord (Christie Dudley): Engineering and Construction Czar
- AVIO: Architecture and Design Czar
- Agil Manizade: Construction (a hell of a lot of hammer-swinging)
- @MrDomino (Steve Dee): Bar and Catering
- Eric Arnold: Kickass Tool-User
- @david415 (David Stainton): Water and Ropes Know-How
