Can you help me with some sailing terms?

[Tellie]

I think you want to cast R.Lee Ermy for the skipper. Now that's a sailing film I'd watch no matter how fantastical it was.
R. Lee Ermey.com* NOW DROP AND GIVE ME 25!

[David M]

How do I say this respectfully? Razerwire, if you do not want this to look like an inadvertent comedy to those who already know how to sail, I think you might consider taking sailing lessons for yourself. As I see it, this will keep you from making gross technical mistakes about sailing and second and more importantly, it will stimulate ideas for yourself about sailing relating to the story you are writing.

All too often, I have seen Hollywood movies that related to sailing that were so off base technically that they were laughable. The movie "Wind" comes to mind. I hope you don't take offense at the idea of learning how to sail and I hope that it helps you to become more creative and more accurate. I think that in the creativity department that becoming a sailor yourself would be most helpful. Also...leave out the cheesy and predictable romantic side stories.

Best of luck to you,
David

[Southern Star]

Mark J you are too kind. Yes, you could write a script about the misadventures an attractive young woman (has to be, right?) who has never sailed but manages to con the owner of an SORC boat into thinking that she was the first ever female helmsperson on an America's Cup Boat (ie, as you suggest, Daisy Duke goes to Sea), but why? Frankly, I would hope that if such a screenplay were ever produced, they would try to have the 'heroine' knocked off by an accidental jibe in 20 knots of wind: now that would make me laugh.

Brad

[razerwire]

Mark J. You rock. Thanks. Will be helpful. Southern Star, whoever told you to write what you know is always the teacher that never sold anything. Sorry, but it's true. Some of the worst advice you can get. And, yes, it's a comedy, and not about sailing. Just two scenes involve sailing.

Some more questions. What's the top speed these fast boats get to? And what class would they be?

Oh, and one more thing. If a hard ass instructor was balling out a hapless student, what would be something that sounded like this: "I said give me a _________, not ________. Don't you know what a _________ is?" Something like that where our poor hero is horrified and wants to cry.

but what you've given me so far is great. Saved me gobs of time.

[MarkJ]

LOL you guys are funny Since when has reality ever touched a Hollywood film, but for to make it dull, slow, boring and whimpy. A film about sailing and you want the dialogue to be "Steady as she goes" (in a whispered voice).

Try watching a movie that has some basis in science, medicine, the arts, religion, the law, policing etc etc and then ask an expert in the field: "Could Dirty Harry have done that?" "Did Rambos ever operate in the army?" "Did Navarone have any guns at all??????????" “Would the non-hero passengers in a capsized ship walk DOWNWARDS to salvation?”

And finally were Daisy Dukes boobs real????????

The last people who need to be convinced are the .001%of the audience that can sail. But with a fun script at least we could laugh at it!


The other bit I like is that writers should only write about what they know. But the best fun for a writer would be to write about what he doesn’t know and enjoy the time reseaching it. In thins case, as everyone here agrees, learing to sail at least a bit.



Mark

[Pelagic]

"I said give me a _Winch__(Handle)______, not a___Wench__(Handle)___. Don't you know what a __Winch_______ is?"

(This is after the poor frazzeled girl bumps against the instructor and he cops a feel)

There is a better one about a coffee grinder but I'll keep you guessing lol

[cisco007]

Well done MarkJ!!!

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

NOBODY (not even Sully) would take on crew for a world-class racing event without an interview/recommendations that would have already screened your 'heroine' out.

Ha ha ha! Man, did I get a laugh out of that. I hadn't opened this thread.

He's right... and I was looking for just about anyone with a pulse.

[Ex-Calif]

I'm with Mark. My sister and nephew are involved in filmmaking in Australia. It's entertainment, not documentary. There is a lot more flying in movies than sailboats and there are thousands of pilot's that "cringe" watching movies with airplane plots.

I can see the heroine holding on to the spinnaker guy chasing the bad guys downwind, getting close enough and then having a crewman axe the sheet, launching the heroine into the rigging of the pursued boat. Very hollywood - thnk Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Carribean.

An "accidental" gybe is an eay way to get rid of someone. A heroine by definition can haul herself up against 12 knots of boat speed - anyone seen Laura Croft.

Stick to physics and reality and you'll have a movie no one will watch.

[David M]

Alright...didn't know it was a comedy which means anything goes, accurate or not. Have you seen Captain Ron, razer?

How slapstick do you want to make this? Caddyshack/Three Stooges type of slapstick or more intellectual funny like Woody Allan?

[razerwire]

Hey, guys. Thanks for the help. Keep the sailing terms coming. I probably have enough for the scenes involving sailing, though.

but maybe a little info about races, the boats, and crew would help.

Say a race was to be held, nothing where they sail around the world, just something local for the rich boat owners to have some fun. How far might it be? Around buoys a few miles apart?

And what type of boat might they race in -- think the ultra rich and their toys. How big a crew? [this is important because our heroine has to mutiny the boat so she can sail toward the wedding party, which is not in the same direction as the race.]

And last, the second in command. Their title? I have it in the screenplay where the heroine was the captain, her accomplice (in the script, the real sailor) is the helmsman. But I take that I'm wrong. So our heroine would be the helmsman and the second in command would be? Oh, and when the helmsman shouts out orders, does the second in command relay them the same way -- by shouting them? You know, like they do on submarines?

[Richkd]

" I suggest you get hold of a DVD of the movie "The Sand Pebbles", starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Candice Bergen, Richard Crenna and others and directed by Robert Wise (by name and nature)."


I think Captian Ron would be more appropriate here.