Anyone who has been to Burning Man can recall the enthusiasm and elation that generally follows your first visit to the festival. It’s all too common to begin saying “next year, we’re going to have a ______!” within days or even hours of setting foot on the playa. For Captain Andy, his virgin burn (in 2004) had him dreaming of a pirate ship with a huge mechanized wheel. As a structural engineer and experienced metal sculptor, Andy has a head full of design know-how, a knack for aesthetics, and a drive to creatively reuse and salvage metals that are otherwise bound for the recycle bin. The prospect of creating an “art car” from scratch gave him an opportunity to combine these three gifts on a grand scale.

Using volunteer labor and funds gathered through the sale of Tripods, Andy’s vision is beginning to take shape. The mantra found on his stickers, “because pirate ships don’t build themselves,” is more than just a turn of phrase; this journey started because an individual believed that he had the power to do something awesome, and it’s coming to fruition because he was right. The pirate ship is a rolling monument to human tenacity, ingenuity, and fun—would you like to come aboard?

~Happy Mel, Navigator