Please help me create my 1st 3D cake. It is a racing sail boat- The body is farely simple you this (see attached pictures) But the sail??? I will have the boat on a 9X13 oval base double layer cake and carve the boat out of 3- 10" cakes the cake and base will be covered and fondant. I was thinking about buttercream and piping gel for the waves and water....can the cake be a regular box cake?
it will be filled...any special precautions? Tips? advice that you can share with me?

I have to deliver this next Wednesday.

What do you advise I do in advance?

**guess I cant add the pictures...but the sail isnt a normal sail...It is a racing sail boat with a puffer outter -bowed sail...how on earth will i make that?

pictures

guess i need help learning how to add pictures to this site

Can you post the picture to a free site like flikr and then post a link to it here for us to see?

where is the picture? if its on your computer, just upload it to your album. if its online, just copy and paste the link. actually attatching pics to a post isnt working just now.

most people wouldnt carve a straight box mix, maybe depends on the brand, but they tend not to hold up so well for carving - have a look at the WASC in the resipes, a lot of people use that, its a bit firmer.

nothing special about filling, just remember this cake is bigger than normal, so probably wont fit easily in the fridge, so maybe avoid perishable fillings.

not sure what the sail actually looks like - but id make it out of gumpaste (or pastilage, even stronger). find something it can lie over - im keen on rolling up magazines to make supports, or make the shape in foilf, smooth and cover in clingfilm. googled sail boats and came up with a few variations - if you shape the sail it may be possible to stick it to the pole (dowel rod most likely) with ri or chocolate.
xx

brincess_b beat me to it. I was going to suggest the same thing. Just cut your sail out of gumpaste and lay it over a rounded surface...you could probably make it "poof" even more by placing something like a scrunched up paper towel under the center part of the sail while draped of your rounded surface. Does that make any sense? Ok, like cut out your sail and lay it over the side of a large piece of drain pipe or the side of a pot (depending on how large the sail actually is) and then tuck some paper towel under the underside center only. Awww...that's not much better. I hope you get the idea. When it is dry (will take a few days probably), attach it to a piece of dowel rod that has been dipped in chocolate (regular, white, or colored candy melts).

OOO Cakecentral friends thank you so so much for all of the advice and suggestions!!

heres her pics

paper mache possibly...let me look up the pastillage(spelling?)
FYI-The boat cake has to take a 7 hour drive after delivery.

i wouldnt use paper mache - gumpaste is probably a lighter option anyway.
a 7 hour drive though?! i would prepare it so the sails are not yet attatcehd to the cake. give them specific step by step on how to finish it.
also, put in your contract that you advised them that driving a cake them selves was not advisable, but they refused delivery (which for that trip would indeed cost a fortune!).
also have a sheet of pick up instruction so that if anything falls off or breaks its not your responsibility - that the car MUST be cool, the cake MUST be flat, and they MUST drive slowly and carefully!
xx

I just thought about gumpaste...and remembered when i last worked with it at Christmas it was extra fragile if hit or handeled the wrong way...Yes there would have to be instructions given and my customer just wants a finished cake to take- darn.

I may have to go the fabric route...but keep the ideas coming plz my friends I have a couple days to get me head wrapped around this construction.

pastilage is even stronger than gumpaste, as in rock solid. various recipes kicking around to make your own. gumpaste usually is pretty sturdy, and this would be a fairly basic shape as well, is should be easier to protect. again thats why you have them sign off on any responsibility.
to be honest tho, im kind of thinking with that distance, i would be changing the design of the cake. just tell them after looking at how to transport a cake like this, you advise we change the design to....
xx