I'm interested in your boat for my book.

[horseatingweeds]

I am currently doing research for an adventure story book I am planning to write. I need to find a boat as one of the main characters. All you will have to do is send me lots of pictures and answer a few questions. I believe when writing a story, regardless of it being fictional, to convey a realistic, detailed, and accurate description of events. For this purpose, I would like to model my fictional yacht after an actual one.

Premise
Two young brothers, 14 and 16, decide to steel a boat left to them by their grandfather; which after the divorce of their parent becomes currency in the settlement and is planned to be sold. The boys plan to liberate if from its dock in Bay City MI and sail it to their former home of Corpus Kristy TX, then make a living catching fish.

The ship in the story would have been purchased used and refitted and rebuilt by the grandfather for sea travel comfortable for four.
This does not necessarily mean your’s does.


Many thank. Being a writer, I can’t afford significant payment beyond the satisfaction of manifesting your ship into a hopefully exciting a successful story. It should be a rather enjoyable process for us both.

[delmarrey]

It sounds like an interesting story!

Sorry, but my boat doesn't fit the mold......................................_/)

[CSY Man]

Two young brothers, 14 and 16, decide to steel a boat left to them by their grandfather;

Uh, ya mean steal a boat..?

But if it was left to them by their grandfather, why steal their own boat?

Ya sure this plot and the spelling is going to sail...?

[Starbuck]

Yours doesn't take an apostrophe.

[horseatingweeds]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

It sounds like an interesting story!

Sorry, but my boat doesn't fit the mold......................................_/)

Like I said, it doesn't have to. And thanks.

Originally Posted by horseatingweeds

This does not necessarily mean your’s does.

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Uh, ya mean steal a boat..?

But if it was left to them by their grandfather, why steal their own boat?

Ya sure this plot and the spelling is going to sail...?

Originally Posted by horseatingweeds

which after the divorce of their parent becomes currency in the settlement and is planned to be sold.

They are young and getting screwed. I have taken this from my own experience. As for the sea worthiness of my spelling, no, I do not think it would sail. My spelling is a towed heap that in the days before spell check and editing would be on its way to the scrap yard.

As for the story, I am still in research mode so I’m not really sure. I’ll probably write a short to test on a few people before a year from now. As of today, its sea worthiness is also questionable.

Originally Posted by CaptainJeff

Yours doesn't take an apostrophe.

Ok, Captain.
Are the seas a little lean this year; looking for an editing job?

[CSY Man]

As for the story, I am still in research mode so I’m not really sure. I’ll probably write a short to test on a few people before a year from now. As of today, its sea worthiness is also questionable.

Okay, and good luck.

Ya may be onto something, but as an adult reader I see yer story as being more of a kid's tale: Like the Hardy Boys stuff from 40 to 50 years ago. (I loved it back then)

As for writing the Great American Novel with a nautical angle: Hows about a modern version of Moby Dick?

[horseatingweeds]

Yes, you have it right. I remember a few books when I was a kid. I really liked them a lot. However, many books for ‘children’ are dumbed down as if kids don’t care or won’t notice.

Much of what I read then lacked the technical parts and a great deal of realism, which were my favorite parts. I want my readers, after reading my book, to feel like they have actually been through the St. Lawrence Seaway and may be able to handle a sail boat or at least understand all the names of everything and how they work.

[mudnut]

If they were brother and sister,ya could call them"Pat and Ali".Sorry folks,couldn't resist.I actually thought most people on this forum wouldn't be so quick to give horseatingweeds a hard time.Not sure just how a pic and answers to a few Q's would help but,If ya posted the actual questions maybe some people wouldn't be so suspect of the intentions.Writers are up front and honest,"Arn't they?".I haven't got a boat but,good luck anyway.Mudnut.

[horseatingweeds]

Originally Posted by mudnut

If they were brother and sister,ya could call them"Pat and Ali".Sorry folks,couldn't resist.I actually thought most people on this forum wouldn't be so quick to give horseatingweeds a hard time.Not sure just how a pic and answers to a few Q's would help but,If ya posted the actual questions maybe some people wouldn't be so suspect of the intentions.Writers are up front and honest,"Arn't they?".I haven't got a boat but,good luck anyway.Mudnut.

I don’t have a simple list of questions. What I really need to find is a proud boat owner with pride enough in his boat to want to share it. I don’t need every numb nut on this forum to understand my writing process, just one.

Once I find that person, I will need them to tell me everything they can about their boat. The boat will be a main character in the story so will make the story, no the other way around.

[Sonosailor]

I would be honoured if Cat Tales were chosen. A 1996 Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35, we bought her in Martinique in 2002, and sailed her home to Canada. Since then we have outfitted her for cruising, and taken her to Trinidad and back. She has solar, wind gen, and a watermaker; and as a cat, she could be what two young people would prefer to use as a fishing platform. She has two engines, a large cockpit and deck, and room for 4 wothout being so large that two young people can't handle her. See her and our own adventures at http//personal.nbnet.ca/corbetl or search under Cat Tales.

I have enough situational stuff at that site to start your creative juices flowing. I am also familiar with one fellow who made a living with one of these little cats by taking newlyweds and couples out for day trips, catering to them and making them feel special on a small boat. That could work if the fishing leaves them a little hungry, or limits the situations or maturing of the characters. Indeed, the two together could take the characters anywhere.

[TaoJones]

Assuming you're serious about this, I offer the following:

- It would add to the drama if the boys aren't competent sailors already, and go through a few precarious situations before gaining their sealegs.

- It's almost a cliche in stories of this type, but the boys should probably be confronted by domineering and dim-witted adults who they easily best to continue their adventure.

- At some point along the way, the older boy MUST meet a pretty young girl who steals his heart. Torn between his desire for her and the strong bond and protective responsibility he feels for his younger brother, he agonizes before choosing to pursue their shared quest.

- Presumably, their parents are distraught when the boys disappear, so you have the option of making this a morality tale about the harsh consequences of family splits on the offspring, or sugar-coating things with a (to me, unbelievable) happy ending with the entire family re-united.

- As to choice of vessel, I mean no offense to the Fountaine Pajot owner, but if the boat is a central figure in the tale, it must have character. I would suggest something like a Vagabond. I could easily believe that their grandfather could have found one of these almost at the end of its useful life, then lovingly restored it. Other options with genuine appeal: a small pocket cruiser like the Pacific Seacraft Flicka, Hans Christian 33, Baba. If a power vessel is an option, what has more character than a Pilgrim 40?

Anyway, good luck with your project. And if you want to sell any books in Texas, it's Corpus Christi, not Kristy.

TaoJones

[Morgan Paul]

Hey TaoJones it sounds like you have a good story line, you should write a book. You could call it Voyage of the Numb Nuts and use Joshua Scrotum
as a pseudonym.

[TaoJones]

Hey, Morgan Paul, I love the title. And Joshua Scrotum is certainly in context with the whole Numb Nuts idea, but surely Josh Slocum deserves more respect than that. Maybe some more people could throw their ideas into the mix and we can create an interactive sailing story.

Just kidding, horseatingweeds, didn't mean to hijack your thread.

TaoJones

[horseatingweeds]

Originally Posted by Sonosailor

I would be honoured if Cat Tales were chosen. A 1996 Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35, we bought her in Martinique in 2002, and sailed her home to Canada. Since then we have outfitted her for cruising, and taken her to Trinidad and back. She has solar, wind gen, and a watermaker; and as a cat, she could be what two young people would prefer to use as a fishing platform. She has two engines, a large cockpit and deck, and room for 4 wothout being so large that two young people can't handle her. See her and our own adventures at http//personal.nbnet.ca/corbetl or search under Cat Tales.

I have enough situational stuff at that site to start your creative juices flowing. I am also familiar with one fellow who made a living with one of these little cats by taking newlyweds and couples out for day trips, catering to them and making them feel special on a small boat. That could work if the fishing leaves them a little hungry, or limits the situations or maturing of the characters. Indeed, the two together could take the characters anywhere.

Wow Sonosailor, that Cat Tales is one gorgeous girl; she takes about a half a second to pick out of a crowed. I read over your website a little and plan to finish later today, after I get some other work done. It looks like that was a trip of a lifetime though. Did you guys pick up one of those barrels of rum?

Originally Posted by taojones

Assuming you're serious about this, I offer the following:

1- It would add to the drama if the boys aren't competent sailors already, and go through a few precarious situations before gaining their sealegs.

2- It's almost a cliche in stories of this type, but the boys should probably be confronted by domineering and dim-witted adults who they easily best to continue their adventure.

3- At some point along the way, the older boy MUST meet a pretty young girl who steals his heart. Torn between his desire for her and the strong bond and protective responsibility he feels for his younger brother, he agonizes before choosing to pursue their shared quest.

4- Presumably, their parents are distraught when the boys disappear, so you have the option of making this a morality tale about the harsh consequences of family splits on the offspring, or sugar-coating things with a (to me, unbelievable) happy ending with the entire family re-united.

5- As to choice of vessel, I mean no offense to the Fountaine Pajot owner, but if the boat is a central figure in the tale, it must have character. I would suggest something like a Vagabond. I could easily believe that their grandfather could have found one of these almost at the end of its useful life, then lovingly restored it. Other options with genuine appeal: a small pocket cruiser like the Pacific Seacraft Flicka, Hans Christian 33, Baba. If a power vessel is an option, what has more character than a Pilgrim 40?

Anyway, good luck with your project. And if you want to sell any books in Texas, it's Corpus Christi, not Kristy.


TaoJones

Some of these ideas I had in mind. Idea 1, yes, I figure the fellows had experience sailing with the grandfather and took some sailing classes in the Corpus Christi area, but are still young, not accustomed to the size of the boat or weather, and are overall naive. 2 is the catalyst for the story. I’m not sure about 3, that is a little advanced for the age of 16 I plan. Perhaps a crush of some sort but nothing advanced beyond adolescent confusion.

As for 4, realism is too important to me, hence the need for a real boat to base my boat off of. 5 is getting into the subplot. I am thinking the boat should have been rebuilt by the grandfather and a friend of his, for a joint venture of some kind. This would also help with a plot twist I am considering…..

[TaoJones]

I believe you transposed 4 and 5 in your response, but I take your point. I would suggest, however, that the notion of the grandfather (now deceased) having obtained a vessel in need of refurbishment, and having taking the necessary time to do the restoration and taught the boys how to sail on his now Bristol pride-and-joy indicates quite some passage of time.

The vessel in question, then, probably had her keel laid 30 or 40 or even more years prior. This rules out a modern catamaran. And inasmuch as you state the vessel is in Michigan, presumably the grandfather is a Great Lakes sailor of some extensive experience. I doubt you could find even one such person who would even consider a modern catamaran.

I'm certainly not anti-catamaran, but if you go to YachtWorld and take a look at some examples of the vessels I referenced above, I think you'll agree that they have character.

Good luck.

TaoJones