Difference between revisions of "Ephemerisle"

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==Intro==
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Ephemerisle has it's own Wiki with much more info! Please click [http://ephemerisle.org/wiki/Ephemerisle here]
 
 
Welcome to [http://ephemerisle.org/ Ephemerisle]!  The second annual floating festival of politics, community and art will be held in the Sacramento Bay Delta, exact date and location TBA, but most likely mid-autumn and (like [[Ephemerisle2009]]) in  [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=medford+island,&sll=38.029805,-121.491494&sspn=0.013048,0.020192&ie=UTF8&radius=0.55&filter=0&rq=1&ll=38.030617,-121.484714&spn=0.013048,0.020192&t=h&z=16 the lagoon inside Headreach Island].  Participants will bring their crafts and their ideas to build an eclectic temporary village of boats, rafts, barges, junks, and other floating structures.
 
 
 
==Official Information==
 
 
 
Official information lives on [http://ephemerisle.org/ ephemerisle.org], such as:
 
 
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/getready.html Registration]
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/faq.html FAQ]
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/art.html Art & Activities]
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/ethics.html Rules & Ethics]
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/structures.html Boats & Platforms Info]
 
* [http://ephemerisle.org/preparations.html Survival Guide]
 
 
 
This wiki page is for community coordination.  We've seeded it with some content, but feel free to use it for whatever you'd like!
 
 
 
==Attendance==
 
 
 
Post your info here! Ideas: Name, random facts about you, any cool stuff you will bring, your vessel, what you are most excited about.
 
 
 
===Attendee List===
 
 
 
* [http://patrifriedman.com Patri Friedman], will bring my ocean art collection, and [http://patrissimo.livejournal.com/1198843.html pirate pyramid].  I am most excited about Ephemerisle as an incremental step (meaningful in size but also achievable) towards [http://seasteading.org/ seasteading].
 
* [http://jhogan.livejournal.com James Hogan]
 
* [http://liz-henry.blogspot.com Liz Henry] Will bring kayaks!
 
 
 
==Rideshares==
 
 
 
Suggested format (feel free to change this):
 
 
 
* NEED (vs. OFFER)
 
* Who: Sharky The Shark.
 
* When: Friday afternoon.
 
* Gear: Just my sharp teeth, and some hot sauce that goes well with human flesh...mmm...
 
* Offering: You will be spared my bloody rampage.
 
 
 
===Rideshare List===
 
 
 
* ...
 
 
 
==Boatshare==
 
 
 
This is for boat sharing, ie renting a large houseboat together.  Note whether you have a boat reserved, how large a boat, what type of group you are looking for ("Other single moms bringing their children to experience the magic of water-based political self-expression!", "we're young, we're gay, and we are here to play!", "Tortured artistic souls only, ready to writhe in the agony of intense creative expression and conflict").
 
 
 
===Boatshare List===
 
 
 
* ...
 
 
 
=== Platform Build List ===
 
 
 
* [[Apocaisle]]
 
* How to build a floating camp platform for 2 for ~$120 (and it fits in a small car) [http://nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com/232520.html here]
 
 
 
 
 
==Houseboat Info==
 
 
 
Jeff Chan added some notes and expanded the [[Ephemerisle Houseboat Info]] into a separate page.
 
 
 
==Boats & Platforms==
 
 
 
===Building===
 
 
 
Share your ideas and resources about how to construct floating platforms cheaply, easily, and with sheer joyful madness and exuberance!  Note that there is [http://seasteading.org/grants an Ephemerisle Grant Program] to subsidize particularly fun, interesting, or creative platforms.
 
 
 
====Links====
 
 
 
* The [http://www.cal-sailing.org/ Cal Sailing Club] has affordable lessons and equipment use, as well as a free Introductory Sails class.
 
* There is a [[SFSeasteadersSailingClub]] mailing list.
 
* If you need access to tools and machines, [http://www.techshop.ws/ TechShop] is a great resource.
 
* The [http://www.nimbyspace.org/ NIMBY artist space] in Oakland is a good place to build things.  The Ephemerisle Staff are tentatively planning to have a series of work days there (probably on Saturdays), where people can build their own platforms, help build the central platform, and get advice and assistance from the President of Platforms, Chicken John.
 
* Thomas Yost has a lot of information regarding kayak construction, including inflatables, on his website.[http://www.yostwerks.com/ YostWerks]
 
* Crazy wooden hydrothopter on Instructables: [http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil----The-%22Hydrothopter%22/ The Hydrothopter]
 
 
 
===Buying===
 
 
 
Greg has a post about water camping on the cheap on the Ephemerisle blog: http://ephemerisle.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/water-camping-on-the-cheap/
 
 
 
An inflatable whitewater raft or life rafter makes fine private space.
 
 
 
Used boats can be found on Craigslist, prices are extremely low right now due to the recession.
 
 
 
A Paddleboat would be fun for getting around.  New they are $300 -$1000, but they regularly come up for sale on Craigslist and eBay.  For example, August 17th, [http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/1328071773.html PEDAL BOAT - $100 (fremont / union city / newark)] - someone should buy this!
 
 
 
====Inflatable Platforms====
 
 
 
Many websites sell inflatable pool and lake toys, like http://www.inflatabletrampolines.com/.  Here are some examples:
 
 
 
* [http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8283943&sourceid=1500000000000003260410&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=8283943 Four-person inflatable boat for just $34 at Walmart], good for sleeping in (has sides), although not sure what the inflated dimensions are.
 
* [http://www.inflatabletrampolines.com/water-inflatables-&-toys/inflatable-rafts-&-islands/sportsstuffcabanaislander.cfm This inflatable structure] provides shelter, looks comfy to sleep in, and could accomodate multiple sleepers.
 
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0015UZC0M/theseastinsti-20 5' x 6.5' for $30]
 
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000DZ9NKA/theseastinsti-20 Coleman Party Island Float 9' diameter, seats 8 people, holds 2000lbs for $60], hole in the middle, but could easily be covered up.
 
* Lanai Inflatable raft -- looks sturdier than the Coleman island but costs significantly more.  [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVAdcfeOqA8 video]
 
 
 
How to build a floating camp platform for 2 for ~$120 (and it fits in a small car): [http://nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com/232520.html here]
 
 
 
One attendee's more detailed analysis of the cost and practicality of making different platform options can be found [http://nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com/223833.html here].
 
 
 
==What to Bring==
 
 
 
Yourself, a good attitude, sunscreen, ideas about politics, seastead structure ideas, seastead models, seastead prototypes, ...
 
 
 
See also some [http://wiki.seasteading.org/index.php/Ephemerisle_Houseboat_Info Houseboat notes], particularly if you'll be on a houseboat, but also note the '''bug issue''' for everyone.
 
 
 
See the Seasteading wiki for a discussion of [http://wiki.seasteading.org/index.php/Personal_safety_equipment Personal Safety Equipment].
 
 
 
==Art & Activities==
 
 
 
===Art & Activity Previews===
 
 
 
Give people a preview of the art you are planning to bring, activities you will host, classes you could teach...
 
 
 
===Art & Activity Ideas===
 
 
 
====Big Group Activity====
 
 
 
It would be neat to have a big group activity/spectacle, like the Burning of the Man.  Add your ideas here: [[EphemerisleGroupActivity]]
 
 
 
====Water Craft / Transport====
 
* Floating framework with a [http://images.google.com/images?q=porch%20swing&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi porch swing]
 
*  Shoes to Walk On Water - make your own, [http://mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/04/24/news/top_stories/doc49f11a36581af838311047.txt even High-School kids can do it]!
 
** [http://www.sandiego.edu/engineering/walkonwater/ U San Diego annual competition]
 
** [http://bencraven.org.uk/walking_on_water.html Competition in the UK]
 
** [http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=54018&sectionid=3510208 award-winning Iranian invention]
 
* Stilt paddleboat.  Cross between a paddleboat and a super-tall unicycle.  Sit way up high, pedal, it turns a paddle on the water.  Base is a triangle or rectangle with flotation (plastic barrels or whatever) at the corners.  Or just convert an actual plastic paddleboat.
 
* Make your own paddleboat: [http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/04/paddle-boat-made-of-recycled-materials.html A guy in China did it for $20 in materials].
 
* [http://www.unicycling.com/things/ Water Unicycle] (scroll down to #26).
 
* Build your own [http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil----The-%22Hydrothopter%22/ human-powered hydrofoil!]
 
 
 
====Entertainment/Performance====
 
 
 
* Write a song, 5-minute play, or standup comedy routine about living on the water / seasteading / ephemerisle.
 
* ...
 
 
 
====Finding artistic ways to highlight the rippling of waves====
 
 
 
Waves are beautiful and their intersecting rippling motions can be hypnotic, as this post shows.  It would be interesting to find ways of highlighting the water's motion at night. 
 
 
 
Some ways of doing this:
 
* Deploy a grid of lights.  The lights could be embedded on small buoys that rock as ripples pass through them.  They could be connected together into a grid via plastic rods on hooks and swivels)  These lights could change color based on the angle of the buoy.  How to do that?  One option would be to use accelerometers and a microcontroller to control the lights.  The downside of this is that it would likely be somewhat time-consuming to build in large quantities. 
 
* Use a backlit lenticular screen.  These screens change their color based on the angle you look at them, so it wouldn't be hard at all to create one that does an interesting pattern as the buoy tilts.  For this you'd just need a lamp, a cylindrical lens, and a photographic slide.  Or perhaps there's already some LED-powered light that is encased in a plastic case that provides a diamond sparkle sort of effect.  Then you could waterproof them and string them into a grid.  It's the super lazy version.
 
* The visual effect of the tilt could be increased by putting a long thin (but light!) vertical rod above the buoy.  Thus, even a movement of a couple of degrees translates into a big jump at the top of the rod.  Then instead of these fancy mechanisms you could put a simple light at the top, perhaps with a simple physical mechanism to cause the light to swing back and forth as the rod swings. 
 
* Put one lamp either close to the surface or underwater and shine light along the surface onto a flat vertical screen a few feet away.  The light would nicely ray-trace off the water onto the screen, creating a variety of interesting shapes.  It's water shadow puppet theater. 
 
 
 
====Sea creatures that play with current====
 
 
 
Because water has relatively high drag, lots of interesting things could be done with how water affects the motion of flexible objects.
 
 
 
Long glowing tentacles could be created using electroluminescent wire, ropelights, optic fibers, or UV-sensitive string with a UV light shining on it.
 
 
 
These tentacles could be attached in lots of ways.  If there's enough current, they could be interesting to look at even while moored to a static platform.  Otherwise, it will likely be necessary to create movement.  A spinning platform would be fairly easy... then the tentacles could be attached to this platform.  If the platform reverses directions randomly, it could be interesting to watch as the effects ripple out to through the tentacles. 
 
 
 
Another, probably more fun, possibility would be to attach the tentacles to a remote-control toy boat.  The boat could be re-skinned to look like some psychedelic squid, with tentacle attachments in the back.  As the squid drove around, its tentacles would follow in interesting ways.  It might be possible to put an attachment along or at the end of each tentacle to increase the randomness of its motion.  For example, an uneven attachment could provide lift, causing that section of the tentacle to move around. 
 
 
 
Update:  In case there's any doubt an R/C toy boat would be strong enough to pull a few dozen feet of EL wire... here's one pulling in a fish its size:
 
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q_a0B6xl2Y  R/C boat goes fishing]
 
 
 
====Aquatic erector set====
 
 
 
This falls more into the "interactive art" category.  Basically, if you find poles of various lengths and construct receptacles for those poles out of foam or other materials, you could have a truly flexible building system.  If the receptacles are made out of foam or hollow plastic, they would likely float.  This would allow people to easily build a variety of interesting structures on the playa surface.  Custom foam parts can be mass produced with expanding 2-part foam mix.  Thus stuff is fairly brittle though... it would likely have to be reinforced with something. 
 
 
 
==== Fire dancing on water====
 
 
 
So this does go against the "no fire" rule, but perhaps if it was at a safe distance from everything else it would be fine.  A line or network of flame could be created along the water using a variety of techniques.  For example, a long U-shaped trench mounted along a series of buoys could be filled with liquid fuel (perhaps with Saran Wrap over the top of the trench to minimize spillage until it's time to burn)  The fuel could also potentially be held in the trench using absorbent fire poi material.    When one end of the trench is lit, the flame rapidly shoots along the lines of the trench until it gets to the other end, perhaps lighting off other (intended) fires along the way.
 
 
 
More dramatically (and possibly a bit more dangerously), a long "sausage" of poster tube material (which can be ordered by the half-mile, is extremely thin, and is airtight) could be filled with propane and then lit.  This would be very easy to do and could result in a very interesting (and quite rapid) burst of flame in the shape of your choosing. 
 
 
 
Update:  Apparently I'm not the first person to think of white gas trenches and propane balloons. 
 
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mzvezhaw9g A trench *and* propane balloons]
 
I haven't seen anyone put propane in long skinny balloons but I'm guessing it's just as likely to work.
 
 
 
==Seastead Model Contest?==
 
 
 
In future Ephemerisles it could be good to have an [[Ephemerisle Contest]] between seastead models. These models would be large enough to play on, like [[User:Vincecate/WaterWalker2|WaterWalker2]]. There might be constraints like requiring that the model can be transported by a single pickup truck. Prizes might be in the $500 to $2,000 range. If the location does not have waves, [[Low_Cost_Wave_Tank#Speedboat_Wake|speedboat wakes can be used to test models]].
 
 
 
==Ephemerisle History==
 
Archived planning and media coverage pages
 
 
 
* Ephemerisle 2009:
 
** [[Ephemerisle2009]]
 
** [[Ephemerisle2009Coverage]]
 

Latest revision as of 19:50, 24 June 2012

Ephemerisle has it's own Wiki with much more info! Please click here