Need information on boats for screenplay.

Hi THERE! boating community.

I've been reading over the thread on pirates and I find the communities' responses very interesting.

I'm writing a screenplay that takes place largely in the open waters of today's time involving several different boats.

I'm finding that it is imperative I know the types of crafts these people are inhabiting in order for me to accurately write the descriptions of their actions. I need to know certain boats and their layouts.

The three boats are as followed, described to the best of my abilities of what I envision for the film.

Thank you in advance to those who help me.



1. Fishing Boat

I see a large type ship, kind of like the Orca in "JAWS", it needs to have a cabin where several people could sleep, and a separate area where a captain could store items, like a large chest, and go over his maps. It should be old and kind of beat up, not streamlined new age. If possible it should have as much speed capacity as its type will allow.

2. Transportation Boat

Okay I say "Transportation Boat" because this thing is more modern, like a fast boat that can move things quickly and can house about three people.

Once again, like the Orca, I see the guy at the wheel standing on a raised platform (forgive me for my lack of boat nomenclature).

I also see raised walls about 3 feet high around the entire boat, with a cabin in the middle, maybe with surrounding glass windows. I guess the people would sleep below deck.

3. Larger, Mother Ship

Okay I say "Mother Ship" because I see this thing being able to house another speed boat or two, if that's even possible. I don't know if they could carry them up on the sides like a life-boat. It seems reasonable.

It needs to house 8-10 people with a separate cabin for mapping and probably two storage rooms. It needs to be as fast and small as possible.


I'll update any changes to that Mother Ship, depending on how the story develops.

If you fine people could please, name the basic type of boat that meets those requirements, I could research them and look at layouts etc. and I would really appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

 

I'd suggest you go to a marina if possible and present your question to someone there who would guide you to the boats you describe. Take lots of pictures, and maybe ask a few questions as well.
Good luck.

 

Well that's probably a good idea but I don't have the means to do that at the moment so I thought I'd use the internet instead.

Anyone have any ideas? This is a boating forum isn't it?

Impress us with your wealth of boat knowledge by assisting me in defining these vessles. Please.

 

Something like the Orca is soo derivative. You're the director. Come on, BE CREATIVE.

 

Does anybody know the basic names of the boats I've described?

I mean don't you guys know anything about boats? I thought I could describe a boat I had in mind and you guys could point me in the right direction.

This is the Boat Design forum isn't it?

 

Most of us are just making stuff up. We sometimes get caught up in our lies when a legitimate person comes along with a question.
Why not call the big boat a "power ship"? The little one could be called a "marlinspiker", or something salty like that. People don't know anyway. I sure don't.

 

man, your hilarious, you've got the job as creative director

 

Thankyou Peter. One day my ship (or is it a boat?) will come in and I can be a big time director. I could command the...scuse, Hi There if that's your real name, what is the thing called that people act on? Also, the smaller one you see outside in a park?
Anyway, the "acting place". Maybe the "thesbian platform"? Don't you people know anything? Answer me! Answer me!

 

So - may I presume your knowledge base defines, 'boat' as something that floats on water (whatever water is) - Go to your local newsagent and have a "free read" - browse by leafing through some of the boating books - got some ideas now? - OK next stop is the local library and ask for the boating section then sit down comfortably and browse through some more books (bring your pencil and paper to make notes and a few coins to make photocopies of a few interesting pages/photographs contained therein. - - - Also take a small - pocketable - camera to do more pictures.... Your ideas should be consolidating and then post those images and your vision here and tell us the region where the action takes place and seek forum advice.

There are quite a few brilliant people available, but none that I know of are psychic or mind-readers yet... The style of boat is dictated by origin of the owners and build resources - - region of story has to be known for authenticity in boat style - - - the story in mid ocean would then require long range capability (sails?) and so on...

To answer intelligently one needs to know some of the background (not the plot).... are they pirates, are they ignorant fools who should NOT be on a boat (comedy of errors) - Just think and understand the level and depth of research required for an ordinary novel - ask your inane questions of an author at the next book signing you become aware of. (I love ending sentences with a preposition and proposition) - be ready to duck a slap in the face

Preparing a good story is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration (not overcoming writers block - but DOING THE RESEARCH...)

For a fee I will "ghost-write" your story - Oops another dreamer who cannot afford to pay for information and too stupid to know how to find it????

 

You know, I thought a community based on the art of designing boats would yield some results in my quest to find the design of boats, but I didn't count on them being immature, insecure, rude, arrogant, small-minded little people.

Also I expected them to know something about boats. Usually people like to talk about what they know.

If I was a member of a filmmaker forum and someone came in and posted a thread asking how to do something that I knew of, or asked for assistance that I could provide easily, I'd just post the reply and be on my way. Or work with the person to help them solve the problem. I mean that's what the forum is about.

How sad to instead goad the person and try to dissuade them from their goals, mocking and belittling them.

I think you all have made it quite clear that I should seek my information elsewhere.

Thank you

 

hello, please dont be distressed, i have no intention of belittling you, a lot of designers, boatbuilders , use 3 dimensional presentations on screen , & 360surround screen , so that a potential customer may better imagine them selves inside a boat, if you ask them i dont see why they couldn't let you experience this, like a flight cockpit simulator, some yacht builders, oyster, jeanneau, najad, hanse, dehler, sadler, kalik, dufour, gibsea, beneteau, swan,legend, nauticat, feeling, nicholson, faenoe, legend, prout, moody, sigma, elan, island packet, bavaria, princess, hallberg rassy, trintella, sweden yachts, bowman, southerly, hylas, maxi, contest, westerly, ferretti, codecasa, hatteras, pershing, azimuth, akhir, you can also get a scale rule & draw a plan view of a cabin, leading on to another cabin etc, measure your room, how big do you want the cabib, put what you want in it, you do need to go onto several boats, just ask the owners, to appreciate the space & environ

 

hello, please dont be distressed, i have no intention of belittling you, a lot of designers, boatbuilders , use 3 dimensional presentations on screen , & 360surround screen , so that a potential customer may better imagine them selves inside a boat, if you ask them i dont see why they couldn't let you experience this, like a flight cockpit simulator, some yacht builders, oyster, jeanneau, najad, hanse, dehler, sadler, kalik, dufour, gibsea, beneteau, swan,legend, nauticat, feeling, nicholson, faenoe, legend, prout, moody, sigma, elan, island packet, bavaria, princess, hallberg rassy, trintella, sweden yachts, bowman, southerly, hylas, maxi, contest, westerly, ferretti, codecasa, hatteras, pershing, azimuth, akhir, you can also get a scale rule & draw a plan view of a cabin, leading on to another cabin etc, measure your room, how big do you want the cabin, put what you want in it, you do need to go onto several boats, just ask the owners, to appreciate the space & environ

 

And I agree, HT. There is not even a trying to get what you are looking for. Or patience. How sad. Some of them sailors need to come down from their crow's nest. Hard.

Good luck, mon ami.

 

Hi There, Hi There,

Oh come now, don't be too serious, it's all intended to be in fun, you never stood a chance, now you'll get help, promise.
You asked about the Orca, I think, about which another thread on this very forum is discussing. You called it a ship but it's not normally referenced as such. It is, I think, a fishing boat.
There are many classifications of boat type. However, most of these names refer to the usage. The same boat or ship might easily be converted from fishing to research to piloting to pleasure. It would be difficult to tell which incarnation the boat was living at any given sighting of it by a passing vessel.
So usage, at least in most engine-powered boats larger than thirty feet or so usually creates the classification.
Boats and ships are the same except for size, and where that dividing line between boats and ships lies is rather subjective. I would put a ship at maybe 100 tons displacement, but others would probably disagree.
Hull and sometimes deck types sometimes are distinctive enough to be part of the reference name, such as "the barge Mayflower", or "the battleship Shenendoah", or "the stern-wheeler Daisy".
Mostly, boats/ships that earn a living are not yachts, since yachts are for pleasure for the most part. The Orca had a hull type that lacked any really distinctive features, hence it would not necessarily be called anything but a fishing boat (and there are many types of fishing boats with distinctive names depending on what type of fishing they do. They could be called a "tuna boat", a "purse seiner", a shrimper, etc.. Some names derive from the equipment mounted on the deck, some from the hull type, some from the business being conducted onboard.
Therefore, you might just have to use your imagination to come up with an occupation for the boat (or ship), and then use that occupation to give the vessel an identity.
smaller boats like the one you asked about, a fast "transporter" could be any number of types. Small boats really do have many names, almost countless.
However, a fast but small boat for three people might be a Zodiac (a combination, usually, of an inflatable top with a hard fiberglass bottom. Zodiac is a name brand, but like Kleenex, sort of).
Other small but fast boats are called "tenders" because they sevice larger boats. A tender can be a lot of things, a row boat, a launch (bigger, and powered by an engine, and meant to carry good size loads to and from other vessels. So many names, you need to be specific in describing what you want to have named.
Boats are not simple to describe. They are so varied, you could study them all of your life and still never even come close to knowing half of what there is to be known.
I hope this has helped. I wept openly when I first read your response to my immature behavior. I sincerely hope this last comment has served as some meager semblance of a penance. I feel better, at least, though I'm still a bit sniffly.

 

You knew it was a woman, didn't you? (chuckle)