Sailor Writing a Book Needs Info

[mossgate]

I'm an old lady now, but I spent years racing J-24's at locations across the US. While I always wanted to cruise the Caribbean, I had only one chance back in the 1990's. I accepted an invitation from my ex-skipper to join her and her husband on the first leg of their journey to Trinidad about a 52 footer. We left Port Lauderdale about 6 in the evening after threading our way through Port Lauderdale all day. Once we were out in the Gulf Stream, a front from the north came through unexpectedly.

We were in high waves and wind, and my skipper became sea-sick. I was astounded because, in the years that I had sailed with her, she had never had this problem. Then there was an explosion and the engine quit. While my skipper was barfing over the rail, her husband went below to assess the damage and I was left at the helm, struggling to keep the boat level. This was years after I had moved away and quit sailing.

I look back on the journey with pride and excitement. While we were supposed to sail as far as possible down the island chain, the lack of a motor caused a long delay in getting to our destination. We stopped at several small islands to have the engine repaired, but the problem re-surfaced my entire time on the boat. While I was initially frustrated with our situation, I began enjoying just being in the Caribbean for that particular moment.

We finally arrived in the Bahamas and I had to go back to work. They asked me if I would like to join them on their trip to Trinidad, but I didn't have the guts to actually do it. I left them and I still look back, wondering if I made a mistake. The trip was one of the greatest adventures of my life.

Now, at this late date, I have written a book of fiction and about an All-Girl Crew that races around the US and finally takes a vacation in the Caribbean. It is modeled after my own experiences crossing the Gulf Stream and wandering around the islands, trying to find a harbor that doesn't have a reef.

The crew's leader has a boyfriend who is cruising to meet her aboard his motor yacht. I need to know where he should be so that it would take a week for him to meet her. According to the plot, the boyfriend can't rescue the crew for about a week. I thought of having him motor from Trinidad, but I don't know if that is accurate.

Is there anyone out there that can advise me? It would be greatly appreciated. And, if the book actually sells, maybe I can join you!

Thank you,
Nikki Nelson

[Sun and Moon]

It all depends on what kind of motor yacht he has, which of course depends on how much money he has. If he made millions in the stock market or on a dot com, then he's got a boat that can do 20 or 30 knots, and so can do 200 or 300 miles/day easily and still stay in port at night. If he's a fisherman or retired, he might have a trawler that does 5-7 knots. In a 10 hour day he can do 50 miles, or if he travels through the night without sleeping he can do 100 miles or more. So I guess you'll have to flesh out his character for us and we can tell you what kind of boat we think he might have!

[mossgate]

He is, of course, very wealthy and should have a boat of about 70 feet. Since I always sailed relatively small sailboats, I'm not sure of the distance that he could make motoring directly to a rendezvous.

[Capt Phil]

Sounds like a marvelous tale, Nikki. I wish you all the success in your literary venture. Cheers, Phil

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by mossgate

....
....The crew's leader has a boyfriend who is cruising to meet her aboard his motor yacht. I need to know where he should be so that it would take a week for him to meet her. According to the plot, the boyfriend can't rescue the crew for about a week. I thought of having him motor from Trinidad, but I don't know if that is accurate.

[FONT=Arial]Is there anyone out there that can advise me?

Welcome to CF Nikki

Are there any other controlling factors in the boyfriends rendezvous (like weather), that would influence his departure point?

What month is this happening so as to reflect prevailing weather conditions?

[autumnbreeze27]

Go to yachtworld, shop 70 footers, find the one your character has, the listings usually include cruising speed/max speed.

Then take your destination, and draw a big circle around it. Put your boyfriend character somewhere downwind so he's motoring in to the wind/waves, that will slow him down a little.

[mossgate]

Thanks a lot, Phil! This is my 'Hail Mary'. I had a good business that tanked in 2008, and now I find my self at retirement age with no resources. Now is the time that I really wonder what would have happened if I continued onwards on the boat - if I had gone on with my gut feelings and broken free. But now I am too old to do anything but imagine. And so I have.


My book is called 'The Adventures of Katy Dare and The All Girl Crew', and I will be publishing shortly on Smashwords.com. Spoiler Alert - the second book has explicit sex scenes along the lines of 'Kushiel's Dart'. Not the first book but the second, which is already finished, and I will be releasing it quickly after the debut of 'The Hunt'.


Then I go back and release a 'Prequel', which has the background info and scenes of yacht racing that I experienced for many years. I have re-read it many times and I still get excited every time I visualize myself on the boat headed for the starting line in a fleet of 50+ boats.


OK, I am now all excited about starting in a race of 50+ boats. Now I will stop to think that I am too old to do that any more, but I will try to inspire future sailors ( and women especially) to take the challenge and try to triumph.


Many thanks for your input,
Nikki

[mossgate]

WOW! You folks are wonderful! Thanksabunch Autumnbreeze 27! (And all of the other respondents). I will do that. The All Girl Crew is in Florida in January. The boyfriend is supposed to meet them about a week later. The primary influence is the fact that a front started blowing out of the north and it affected the girls. I had assumed that the boyfriend would just be too far away to be affected. The girls get captured on an uncharted island and the boyfriend has to be far enough away that he doesn't show up prematurely.

[Pelagic]

Delays can be caused by many things on a powerboat.

Dirty and clogging fuel filters, a heavy rope or net caught in prop. Prevailing wind is normally SE Trades in Islands.

[Sun and Moon]

Originally Posted by mossgate

... and now I find my self at retirement age ... But now I am too old to do anything but imagine.

Wait wait wait - Retirement age is the perfect time to go cruising. It's certainly my plan! The only question remaining is "when is retirement age?"

Originally Posted by mossgate

The All Girl Crew is in Florida in January. The boyfriend is supposed to meet them about a week later. The primary influence is the fact that a front started blowing out of the north and it affected the girls. I had assumed that the boyfriend would just be too far away to be affected. The girls get captured on an uncharted island and the boyfriend has to be far enough away that he doesn't show up prematurely.

So the boyfriend is really rich. Does he go for glitz and power and a fancy new speed demon boat, or is he into old-world class and a restored antique trawler that putts along at 10 knots?

[mossgate]

Assuming that the boyfriend is sufficiently wealthy enough to have the resources to handle the situation, it has to be distance. So how far does he have to be located so that he can't get to them?


I have continuously re-read the ending to my book and I find that the flaw is in my last chapter where I give the estimated arrival of the boyfriend, and it is too soon. He should have been delayed about a week before reaching the girls in the Bahamas. So, where did he begin and where is he? Where was he sailing from? The girls will be captured and he can't be in the area to rescue them.

[StuM]

Does he know that it is urgent so he will run at top speed 24 hours a day, or is he just expecting to meet up with them on a certain date and would therefore take his time getting there?

If he is running at top speed, he probably won't have fuel for a week and will need to call into various places to refuel - that could also impose delays on him.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by mossgate

Assuming that the boyfriend is sufficiently wealthy enough to have the resources to handle the situation, it has to be distance. So how far does he have to be located so that he can't get to them?


I have continuously re-read the ending to my book and I find that the flaw is in my last chapter where I give the estimated arrival of the boyfriend, and it is too soon. He should have been delayed about a week before reaching the girls in the Bahamas. So, where did he begin and where is he? Where was he sailing from? The girls will be captured and he can't be in the area to rescue them.

A 70ft displacement powerboat will average about 9.5 knots/hr or 228/day.

Apply average 12% seaway gives him a 200nm per day or more than1,400nm 7 day passage IF you want him to be late.

Draw a circle of 1500nm from girls position and see if a port fits the boyfriend's point of origin.

If not, consider an added delay in the storytelling.

Can be anything that brings his speed down, but keeps him coming to the rescue

[mossgate]

I really Love this! I can't believe that I signed up only a couple of hours ago and with nothing to lose. And I found all of these comments and ideas!


OK, I have to admit that I was thinking about having the girls starting their own charter business in the Mediterranean in the subsequent books. Since I've never sailed the Mediterranean, I'm not sure of what would be involved. So I will be asking all of you about your experiences there. I think of a book called 'The Magus', (probably before your time!) and hope that I can thread the mystery into my writings.


I remain inspired by the instant connection and the freedom of the Internet. Let's all hope that it remains this way.

[Stumble]

I got to about the same distance as Pelagic. The problem I have with this is that knowing there is a real danger involved over that distance any sane person would simply get on a plane or contact the Coast Guard. There simply isn't anywhere in the Carribean where rescue would be seven days away assuming you knew where to go.

There are some places in the world this isn't quite as true but the Carribean isn't one of them.