[lcmiller461]

Hi. I am a writer in need of some help! I am in the middle of a novel, and for reasons I won’t go into one of my characters has ended up on a yacht in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Being totally unfamiliar with yachts, I am trying to get some information online so I can help her out of this mess she’s gotten herself into. I’ve found a yacht that would fit my needs (with some literary license) but I am clueless as far as the terminology is concerned.

Here are the questions I have:

Referring to the photo, what is the area in yellow called? My character would need to board the boat from the water without help and I figure this is the best place to do that.

Again referring to the photo, (area in green), my yacht will have some sort of a ledge that will run the length of it. Is that called anything other than a ledge?

Also, at some point someone will attach a bomb to the boat. But…it would have to go unnoticed by the person (diver) fixing some damage the boat had already received. Where would be the best place to putty a small bomb to the bottom of a boat? The second photo looks promising, but again, I have no idea what the terms/names are for anything I'm looking at.

Thanks in advance for any and all help you can give.

LC Miller

[Ken Bracewell]

Originally Posted by lcmiller461

Referring to the photo, what is the area in yellow called? My character would need to board the boat from the water without help and I figure this is the best place to do that. LC Miller

The Yellow area is called a "swim platform" if you are referring to the horizontal surface and the "transom" if you are referring to the vertical.

Originally Posted by lcmiller461

Again referring to the photo, (area in green), my yacht will have some sort of a ledge that will run the length of it. Is that called anything other than a ledge?LC Miller

Usually called a "spray rail".

Originally Posted by lcmiller461

Also, at some point someone will attach a bomb to the boat. But…it would have to go unnoticed by the person (diver) fixing some damage the boat had already received. Where would be the best place to putty a small bomb to the bottom of a boat? The second photo looks promising, but again, I have no idea what the terms/names are for anything I'm looking at.LC Miller

The "V" shaped thingy is called a "strut". The purpose of if it to support the "propellor shaft" (the long cylindrical thing that the propellor is attached to). This entire system comprises the running gear.

If I were diving on the boat, I would definitely notice something attached to the running gear, but that's really getting technical. In deference to the security of all of the world's yachts I will refrain from offering suggestions of where I would place a bomb. Good luck with the book. I respect that you strive for accuracy. There are so many times that I've read a novel revolving around a yacht and roll my eyes at the details.

By the way. The yacht you submitted was built by Delta Shipyard in Seattle.

[Loren Schweizer]

At the risk of Michael Chertoff lurking within this forum, I'd suggest attaching your bomb to the underside of the swim platform close to the transom for more visible pyrotechnic effect for those onboard and less likelihood of being detected by your do-gooder diver.

[YachtForums]

Mr. Miller,

In an era of heightened concern over terrorism, coupled with too much easily accessed information by search engines, I think your question is inappropriate. While we’re all willing to help a fellow writer, fiction or not, most of us are keenly aware the media and other literary outlets are capable of planting seeds that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.

As a fictional writer, you can conjure up any number of alternative twists and outcomes. I suggest you start by exercising that creativity and showing some responsibility. This thread has been locked.