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Episode4

Where we are: the plan so far

 · by Josh · 3 min read

AI concept render: a build day in an open garage, grown-ups riveting SOOK's frame and painting a blue panel while kids paint at a table out front AI concept rendernot a photo

A few people have asked me: "So... how do you build a crab?" Fair question. Here's where we are, what it's taken so far, and what's next.

How big is this job?#

Bigger than a parade float, smaller than a moon landing. SOOK is really six projects wearing one shell:

  • The frame. The skeleton, with a joint in the middle so she can steer and twist over bumps.
  • The drums. Four hollow wheels, 5 feet tall, that roll, float and paddle.
  • The crab. Shell, claws, eyes and legs, on a turntable so she can spin.
  • The show. Lights, sound, a colour change and a three-act performance.
  • The software. Screens for the pilots, the crew, the show and the crowd.
  • Safety. Brakes, chain guards, life jackets, a medic, and keeping kids clear.

All of it is human-powered: four pilots pedal her the whole way. Right now she weighs close to a ton before anyone climbs aboard, and we're working on that.

What it took to get here#

Mostly a lot of evenings with Claude, the AI I design with. In about a week we went from "what parades are in Maryland?" to a full plan: every part drawn in 3D, stress tests on the frame, a 3D map of the course, and a decision log of every choice and why.

That log matters. Some things are decided (the hero picture, the drum wheels, the steering wheel in the middle, an enclosed trailer to get her to the race). Lots are still provisional: our best answer today, waiting on a test or a yes from me. I'd rather tell you that than pretend it's all locked.

How we're organising it#

  • The team site. One private website holds the plan, drawings, build guides and shopping lists. Guides are pictures first, one step at a time.
  • Roles, not rosters. Four of us are in: me (captain and engineering), our chief builder, our art lead, and my wife (medic and safety ideas). Every other job is open, and nothing is required. Our chief builder and I do most of the work on weekends; anyone can drop in.
  • Tiers. First she has to finish the race. Then the show. Then the wild extras, only if we're ahead.

The money#

Counting everything (metal, foam, drums, tools we don't own, a hired welder, the show tech and the trailer), our best estimate is that we need to raise about $55,000. Sponsors cover it, so families pay nothing, and most help will come as parts, discounts and loaned tools. The number will move as real prices come in.

The calendar#

  • Nov 14: the kickoff party. Friends and neighbours met SOOK and picked jobs. (That gets its own episode soon.)
  • Dec 10: the frame test. 🛑 The plan is a riveted aluminium frame. We build the first piece and load it with sandbags. If it holds (and the computer agrees), we keep going; if not, we switch to welded steel. Nobody rides until the full frame passes its own sandbag test.
  • Jan 24: First Roll. She rolls for the first time. The kids cut the ribbon.
  • March: Splash Day. Into the water, and back out up a ramp, again and again.
  • March and April: a full 15-mile practice ride, the paint party, and a lot of fixing.
  • May 1: race day.

What's next#

Next episode: how we built SOOK in the computer before cutting a single part, and raced her 500 times.

Josh

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