Marine/Boat experts?

[Varian P]

I'm writing a story, and have a question on boating.

What kind of vessel would work well for a kind of guerrilla scientific expedition to a tropical island, involving a team of three (no additional crew--they'd pilot the boat themselves).

I'm thinking something very utilitarian, that could carry plenty of equipment in addition to the three people.

Many thanks for your ideas!

-V

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

How about a fishing boat, a la Perfect Storm? Very seaworthy and commodious, designed to not require much hands-on to keep it going. Basic deisel powerplant - also makes it long-legged. Not fast, in case you had and thrilling chases in mind, but it can always carry a Zodiac with a big outboard.

 

[R. Richard]

Echo what Roxanne said. The crew will need something like a Zodiac as many remote islands have barrier reefs and/or coves isolated by cliffs. A big boat, even just a fishing boat can't get over the barrier reef and/or beach on the isolated cove. The fishingboat is 'get you there.' The Zodiac is a 'landing craft.'

 

[Lisa Denton]

And remember a plane with those skid thingies can carry a zodiac type boat and land in the water if you need something like that in the story.

 

[Weird Harold]

What kind of vessel would work well for a kind of guerrilla scientific expedition to a tropical island, involving a team of three (no additional crew--they'd pilot the boat themselves).

I'm thinking something very utilitarian, that could carry plenty of equipment in addition to the three people.

There are just so many possibilities that it would be hard to make a specific suggestion on just the meager set-up you've provided.

How about a fishing boat, a la Perfect Storm? Very seaworthy and commodious, designed to not require much hands-on to keep it going. Basic deisel powerplant - also makes it long-legged. Not fast, in case you had and thrilling chases in mind, but it can always carry a Zodiac with a big outboard.

A small fishing boat would work, but even there, there's a wide variety of types to choose from (I haven' seen Perfect Storm so I can't picture what type of fishing boat you're suggesting; sport fisher, commercial fisher, private or charter?

One problem with a fishing boat is that they're generally not for sale and not rented without a crew. They're fairly expensive when they are for sale.

A three-man expidition, crewing their own boat sounds more like a shoe-string operation. A 40-50 foot deep-sea capable Cabin Cruiser picked up from a government auction of boats siezed from drug smugglers would be a cheap way to equip an expidtion on a shoe-string budget. (A second-hand drug-smugglers yacht also gives you an avenue for some villians and dramatic plot twists.)

Something like this 40 foot Dorado:
http://www.usedboats.com/media/images350/1348140_1.jpeg

2003 42' Dorado Bluewater with 480hp Cummins diesel, 720hrs. Bow thruster, air conditioned pilot house and cabin. Fully rigged including custom aft radar arch, cockpit bimini, rod holders, 12' outriggers, fish boxes and 40gal live bait well. Great Raymarine nav. suite with L760RC GPS with color chartplotter and integrated fishfinder, autopilot, and RL80C Pathfinder radar.
​

That was the first hit on a google search for cabin cruiser 40 foot blue water, BTW. The Third hit was for a 40' bluewater Sailboat that would also likely suit a tropical expidition on a shoe-string.

Thesecond hit was this 40' "houseboat sedan":
http://www.yachtbroker.com/media/images350/1466612_1.jpeg

This 40’ Blue Water Sports Sedan named “Sea Clusion” is classified as a Houseboat but with a modified deep V hull it is a very durable coastal cruiser. Enjoy the room offered by a Houseboat along with the reliability and dependability of a Cruiser. Powered by Twin Crusader Closed Cooled Engines generating 570 HP.... ...ideal as a live-a-board or just a weekend retreat with family and friends. ...
​

 

[Varian P]

Thanks, everyone!

Alas, I may have to save the sea-plane chase scene for the NEXT incest/spy-thriller, but the Zodiac will make a nice detail (sadly, the only action the boats are likely to see in this story is being discovered sunk/destroyed after a storm), and the cheap cabin cruiser acquired at auction is PERFECT for my plot--a wee group of scientists funding their own field work as they're doing it under the radar.

You all outstripped me and my floundering efforts to put it together with Google and Wikipedia, so many thanks.

-V

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Commercial fishing boat what I had in mind, like these:

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_31to43_1.htm

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_44to50_1.htm

 

[jomar]

Varian...if it's a clandestine expedition and the scientists may want to get a boat that is similar to local boats so they don't stand out. May not matter to your story but thought I'd mention it.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Varian...if it's a clandestine expedition and the scientists may want to get a boat that is similar to local boats so they don't stand out. May not matter to your story but thought I'd mention it.

Yea, Like this:


http://www.picsaway.com/uploads/untitled_8-30c6d3eb1b.jpg

 

[Weird Harold]

Commercial fishing boat what I had in mind, like these:

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_31to43_1.htm

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_44to50_1.htm

Them's some spendy boats for a shoestring expedition. But the 31-43 foot listing are less than buying a house -- perhaps within the budget of a "mad-scientist" willing to sell his house to finance a clandestine expedition?

They'd be good choices for the kind of scenario proposed as far as range and payload are concerned, though.

 

[Varian P]

Commercial fishing boat what I had in mind, like these:

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_31to43_1.htm

http://www.trinav.com/Listing_Pages/lst_44to50_1.htm

Wonderful--thank you. Some of those listings have loads of photos of the interior as well as the decks, etc.--that'll be quite helpful! Silly of me not to have ventured into sales listings.

 

[Varian P]

Varian...if it's a clandestine expedition and the scientists may want to get a boat that is similar to local boats so they don't stand out. May not matter to your story but thought I'd mention it.

Good point, I'll bear it in mind. Thanks, Jomar.

 

[Varian P]

Yea, Like this:


http://www.picsaway.com/uploads/untitled_8-30c6d3eb1b.jpg

Whoo! Those Madagascarans sure know how to party!

 

[Varian P]

Them's some spendy boats for a shoestring expedition. But the 31-43 foot listing are less than buying a house -- perhaps within the budget of a "mad-scientist" willing to sell his house to finance a clandestine expedition?

They'd be good choices for the kind of scenario proposed as far as range and payload are concerned, though.

15,000 lbs. of crab does not bode well for a porn story.

But yes, yes, I feel the character of my mad scientist rounding out by the minute...

 

[Weird Harold]

15,000 lbs. of crab does not bode well for a porn story.

So go for a lobster boat: 10,000 lbs of Lobster and 5,000 lbs of drawn Butter adds up to a LOT of ramantic dinners.

 

[jomar]

Yea, Like this:


http://www.picsaway.com/uploads/untitled_8-30c6d3eb1b.jpg

Can't decide which joke to go with, sorry.

 

[Varian P]

So go for a lobster boat: 10,000 lbs of Lobster and 5,000 lbs of drawn Butter adds up to a LOT of ramantic dinners.

Or forget the lobster and the romance, and go for 15,000 lbs. of butter.

*waits to see what Lisa does with that.*

 

[lisa123414]

All silliness aside - (Thanks Lisa for that pic!)

This sounds like it is too little to late, but just wanted to put in my 2 cents –
In order to specify the craft, you need to nail down several particulars. What is the range, or how far does it need to travel? If it is a long trip (meaning more than a day), then the craft will need be large enough to have quarters for the crew to sleep and eat. What type of seas will it have to navigate? There are different types of hull forms for say the Caribbean vs. the Pacific Isles.
If it is only a day tripper, it can stand to be much lighter, etc. than say a boat which travels far enough to possibly be caught in and have to survive foul weather. If the boat needs to deliver the equipment to shore, it will either need to be quite small so it can land closely enough to shore for the equipment to be manhandled in, or will it need a dinghy of some sort to ferry the equipment to land.
As a somewhat aficionado of boats, I say it matters. Think James Bond and his cars over the years. Pick a sexy boat for your sexy protagonist.

 

[Varian P]

This sounds like it is too little to late, but just wanted to put in my 2 cents –
In order to specify the craft, you need to nail down several particulars. What is the range, or how far does it need to travel? If it is a long trip (meaning more than a day), then the craft will need be large enough to have quarters for the crew to sleep and eat. What type of seas will it have to navigate? There are different types of hull forms for say the Caribbean vs. the Pacific Isles.
If it is only a day tripper, it can stand to be much lighter, etc. than say a boat which travels far enough to possibly be caught in and have to survive foul weather. If the boat needs to deliver the equipment to shore, it will either need to be quite small so it can land closely enough to shore for the equipment to be manhandled in, or will it need a dinghy of some sort to ferry the equipment to land.
As a somewhat aficionado of boats, I say it matters. Think James Bond and his cars over the years. Pick a sexy boat for your sexy protagonist.

Not too late in the least! It's still in the early stages of coming together in my head, and your thoughts are much appreciated.

My characters are bound for a fictitious island east of Madagascar, in the Indian ocean. I want the island to be remote enough for a remotely plausible castaway scenario, so yes, likely more than a day's journey from the Madagascar mainland.

Since the destination is a fictitious one, I guess I get to play with the reef barrier somewhat.

FWIW, the group on the boat is a family of three, two scientists and a teenager.

Thanks for chiming in!

 

[lisa123414]

Well, depending on how far they need to go, they may still be okay with a rather small cabin cruiser. An acquaintance of mine used to take his boat out way past it 's limits by using fuel bladders. He would load these extra fuel tanks on the decks, then roll them up as they were used. It gave him hundreds of miles of additional range to his boat.

Two adults and a teenager, eh? I have three presently (teenagers that is), can't think of anything I would like less to discuss . Good luck getting anything done!