help with plot for mystery

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Oh, and thanks again and again to all of you. This is a lively forum!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: help with plot for mystery

That might do it. But I still need a mechanism for the sand to get "hosed up" from the undersea site, to get clogged in the engine.

In essence, my geologist needs to see this boat--it's been adrift, now it's docked--and think what the hell happened out there? And then she needs to be able to analyze and track the sand.

I was hoping for a hot heroine! Sooo CSI on the damage caused from this violent propulsion of ocean debri...But whats this purple flourescent sand like pellets doing sticking out of the hull like some type of deepwater frag grenade?

Was she at the Marina simply by accident as the Marina and Coast Guard are raising the crippled boat out of the water on a hoists? It gives her an excellent opportunity to see the damage up close from below...


And naaaah..I am not in print if thats what you mean..

If your name is close to your location...Man I miss my California!

ps. Anchovie boats are pretty big...42 to 65 footers...Same boats would go out for live squid for the fishing fleet...

 

[sasto]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Wow. Did you know what was happening at the time? Wow.

Okay, my boat is off central California. It's an anchovy fishing boat, and since the only kind of ocean boat I know well is a kayak, I'm just learning about boats. Is your boat bigger than an anchovy fishing boat? (I have my research cut out for me Don't have any rays in my story but I do have some jumbo squid. Wonder if they could be romancing down deep and stir up the bottom?

Been in worse...just a scenereo. Boat is the one below..... 64" Viking Sportfish...Yes, bigger.... Nothing sandblasted the hull more than cavitation, then only a small section above the prop. Good luck on your story. I have almost 20 years of logs and diarys. Friends always encourage me to write a fictional book. Names changed to protect the innocent. I can't spell.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Spend some time reading Clive Cussler.. You will certainly come across something in his books as he has the maritime mysteries down pat..

 

[HANGEYE]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Fess up and tell your Insurance company that ya beached yur boat and get it fixed for next year.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

I was hoping for a hot heroine! Sooo CSI on the damage caused from this violent propulsion of ocean debri...But whats this purple flourescent sand like pellets doing sticking out of the hull like some type of deepwater frag grenade?

Was she at the Marina simply by accident as the Marina and Coast Guard are raising the crippled boat out of the water on a hoists? It gives her an excellent opportunity to see the damage up close from below...


And naaaah..I am not in print if thats what you mean..

If your name is close to your location...Man I miss my California!

ps. Anchovie boats are pretty big...42 to 65 footers...Same boats would go out for live squid for the fishing fleet...

LOL at the CSI spin!

She's at the marina on purpose, called in by the local cops. Good idea about having the boat up on a hoist. She can see the damage, and I can set the ocean scene.

Hey, since you know something about anchovy boats... How big a crew do they need? Could a single fisher handle one? If not, how small could an anchovy boat be? Guess I could google it...would be good to get a photo.

Yup, I'm in CA. Visit the ocean, now and again.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Been in worse...just a scenereo. Boat is the one below..... 64" Viking Sportfish...Yes, bigger.... Nothing sandblasted the hull more than cavitation, then only a small section above the prop. Good luck on your story. I have almost 20 years of logs and diarys. Friends always encourage me to write a fictional book. Names changed to protect the innocent. I can't spell.

Just so I'm sure I understand: cavitation bubbles damaged the hull, in addition to actual sandblasting? Or instead of. I'm still trying to learn how cavitation works....

Thanks for luck. And, judging by your ray anecdote, you certainly have some great material. (as for spelling...that's what copy editors are for)

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Spend some time reading Clive Cussler.. You will certainly come across something in his books as he has the maritime mysteries down pat..

Will take a look. Sure hope he's left some sea mystery for me.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Fess up and tell your Insurance company that ya beached yur boat and get it fixed for next year.

Ha!

(ah no, am I gonna have to get an insurance adjuster in my story????)

 

[gonefishie]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Super dangerous nuclear fission experiment seperating sea water to make energy. To control the heat by product they needed to be in deep water and just in case poops hit the fan and to hide from the government and everybody else. Big Oil sabotage it to protect their interest. You were in a big boat in rough sea and thought the big explosion was part of the giant swells. In addition to the sand in the hull, you discovered bunch of dead fish of other species in your anchovy net.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Super dangerous nuclear fission experiment seperating sea water to make energy. To control the heat by product they needed to be in deep water and just in case poops hit the fan and to hide from the government and everybody else. Big Oil sabotage it to protect their interest. You were in a big boat in rough sea and thought the big explosion was part of the giant swells. In addition to the sand in the hull, you discovered bunch of dead fish of other species in your anchovy net.

Wow, more great plot ideas. Now I know where to come when I'm stuck.

 

[BF]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Instead of pitting the hull, the underwater chaos causes a gas bubble that partially inflates an underwater "lift bag" that was down at the bottom and causes it the rise up... sand has been blasted into the rope attached to the bag, bag gets caught on the strut in front of the propeller, and eventually falls off and wraps itself around the propeller thereby disabling the getaway boat, which become dead in the water and abandoned. Perhaps there could be some marking in the bag to give an apparent hint, but alas it seems untraceable... but wait, the sand embedded in the rope is the "ace in the hole" waiting to be analyzed by your smokin' hot geologist... She could come up with the epiphany to look for it while washing the beach sand out of her hair (think slow mo shower scene for the movie)... If you need a hand with the screen play, lemme know.

 

[Link]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Underwater UFO ?

http://www.google.com/search?q=unde...ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en

 

[royal0014]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Ah, yes. Nuttin' like the winter blues to get the 'ol brain thinking strange thoughts. Most people are thinking of things to do to their boat though............

Does the story have to be deep sea? Underwater explosion in shallow water would kick up all kinds of 'evidence'.


<<)))(((>>

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Instead of pitting the hull, the underwater chaos causes a gas bubble that partially inflates an underwater "lift bag" that was down at the bottom and causes it the rise up... sand has been blasted into the rope attached to the bag, bag gets caught on the strut in front of the propeller, and eventually falls off and wraps itself around the propeller thereby disabling the getaway boat, which become dead in the water and abandoned. Perhaps there could be some marking in the bag to give an apparent hint, but alas it seems untraceable... but wait, the sand embedded in the rope is the "ace in the hole" waiting to be analyzed by your smokin' hot geologist... She could come up with the epiphany to look for it while washing the beach sand out of her hair (think slow mo shower scene for the movie)... If you need a hand with the screen play, lemme know.

Very creative suggestion. I'll play with it.

I'm needing to rethink this entire plot twist--because my original idea was not well researched--so I really do appreciate everybody's ideas.

But, er, my geologist is more of the socially awkward flannel/jeans wearing variety. Still, she does wash her hair and a pretty head of hair it is. Actually, washing out beach sand, leading to brainstorm, is a clever idea.

Screenplay's all yours. Writing a novel is enough grief for me.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Underwater UFO ?

http://www.google.com/search?q=unde...ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en

Well, could make a great science fiction story!

I'm having enough trouble trying to keep my science nonfiction, in a mysterious way.

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Ah, yes. Nuttin' like the winter blues to get the 'ol brain thinking strange thoughts. Most people are thinking of things to do to their boat though............

Does the story have to be deep sea? Underwater explosion in shallow water would kick up all kinds of 'evidence'.


<<)))(((>>

Actually, it's in coastal waters. Probably on the continental shelf. Right now I'm thinking of a seamount, summit around 100 feet below the surface. My geologist is going to need to dive down there. But that's another plot headache I've been putting off.

So if I have, say, a sandy bed on the seamount summit, and some kind of high pressure nozzle (from a sabotaged experiment) kicked up that bed, I'm wondering if the pressure would drive at least some bits of sand to the surface, to ding my boat.

 

[BF]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Very creative suggestion. I'll play with it.

I'm needing to rethink this entire plot twist--because my original idea was not well researched--so I really do appreciate everybody's ideas.

But, er, my geologist is more of the socially awkward flannel/jeans wearing variety. Still, she does wash her hair and a pretty head of hair it is. Actually, washing out beach sand, leading to brainstorm, is a clever idea.

Screenplay's all yours. Writing a novel is enough grief for me.

Sounds like there should be an socially awkward nerd/brainiac morphing into a smokin' hot "swan" sub-plot in there... ala Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies or Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.... of course you need the brutish male protagonist who can barely tolerate the know it all, but surprise surprise, eventually starts to notice her.

 

[aspeck]

Re: help with plot for mystery

Sounds like there should be an socially awkward nerd/brainiac morphing into a smokin' hot "swan" sub-plot in there... ala Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies or Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.... of course you need the brutish male protagonist who can barely tolerate the know it all, but surprise surprise, eventually starts to notice her.

oooh, oooh, oooh, pick me! pick me! Pick Me! (for the male protagonist, that is ... )

 

[cayucos]

Re: help with plot for mystery

>>Sounds like there should be an socially awkward nerd/brainiac morphing into a smokin' hot "swan" sub-plot in there... ala Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies or Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.... of course you need the brutish male protagonist who can barely tolerate the know it all, but surprise surprise, eventually starts to notice her.<<

>>oooh, oooh, oooh, pick me! pick me! Pick Me! (for the male protagonist, that is ... ) <<

Okay, you two, you do realize that with the "hot swan" and "brutish male" you're swimming into romance-novel territory?

But yeah, I get it. Life's more than boats and sand.

PS: I can't seem to make the multi-quote work, nor can I import a smilie. Help?