I'm making a Noahs ark cake this weekend (cake is baked - now to figure out how to carve it) - it has to be driven 4-5 hours away from my house (by the client) - would you do a standing up boat with the animals in or would you do a laying down boat with the animals?

I love the look of the boat standing up but i worry about the stability of the animals (& the weight of them even though I've decided to mostly only do their heads) - I worry that they might have the heat on in the car (I'm in Canada & Its chilly!) & then the cake will be more unstable.

What would you do?

If the cake is made correctly it should be stable. If there are things that can be left off, you could show the client how to assemble them, and explain why....due to a 4-5 hour trip, and make sure when it's placed into their vehicle, it is in a stable area so it doesn't slide around. check the weather as to where they are going then you will know how cold it is. Advise them it needs to remain cold. I personally would do a standup boat.

Thanks - I was thinking of leaving the animals off & sending them with her - & possibly making the top part of the ark out of styrofoam to avoid the extra weight (I have a heat wire that I could cut it with)...

I have dowels - do you think that's enough to stabilize it for a long drive? I'm worried about it tipping to one side when they turn? gahhh....so conflicted!

I had the same dilemma recently with a pirate ship. I wanted it standing up, but it had to travel a long distance in a car. I ended up giving it a wider base for stability. It didn't turn out so badly:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjscakes/6313763190/in/photostream

That Pirate ship is awesome!

I carved the base of the cake, filled and covered it with buttercream....made some more animal heads last night (hoping as they are just the heads that they will be lighter & not pull the fondant down when I attach them - I used skewers in them but they aren't crazy long) - I think I made the base wide enough (its not as tapered as I would have normally done so hopefully it still looks like a boat!)