Screenwriter new to the Forum with a question

[rgano]

Perhaps monkeying with the point on a winch where the cable's bitter end is connected so the whole cable goes whipping out through the system.

[Russell Clifton]

Are you talking about a large vessel that would drag a large net behind the boat? Or a smaller vessel with maybe a few guys on board using fishing rods?

[twistedtree]

I like the "drag the net over a wreck" theme. The net snags, cables break, and mayhem ensues. It wold appear to be an accident, but actually be intentional by the captain meant as an act of sabotoge, which I think is what you are after. And if the captain is a really bad apple, it could turn out that only he knew the location of the wreck because...wait for it...he caused it in a previous act of sabotage.....

[Codger2]

Originally Posted by twistedtree

I like the "drag the net over a wreck" theme. The net snags, cables break, and mayhem ensues. It wold appear to be an accident, but actually be intentional by the captain meant as an act of sabotoge, which I think is what you are after. And if the captain is a really bad apple, it could turn out that only he knew the location of the wreck because...wait for it...he caused it in a previous act of sabotage.....

I love this! Add a good looking female cook to the fishing trawler and you can weave any story of intrigue & murder that you can conger up!

[RT Firefly]

[Codger2]

Originally Posted by RT Firefly

Not quite what I had in mind, RT!

[rsn48]

You don't need an exact reason, you are assuming the commercial fisherman knows what's going on which sometimes is true, other times not so true. And you don't say where this incident takes place, if you have a choice whether true in reality or just made up choose an area that is shallower than not. But even in the open ocean you can have problems.

Scenario: The character knows of an area that has a history of catching commercial fisherman off guard with the net they are towing. [You haven't specified the location but you could say this is all going on in Washington state, which is usually filmed in British Columbia.] If you want to get real specific, you can have this take place during herring season [only lasts about two and a half weeks - early March is the usual kick off - here in BC, here is a link to a short blurb on herring fishing, you will see nets are involved: https://www.pacificherring.org/commercial-fisheries ]

Scenario two: The character involved knows of some shoals (rocks) that are covered at high tide but have been known to snag commercial nets.

Scenario three: Out in the open ocean sailors who are cruising across the Pacific or Atlantic have been known to hit something with a very loud crash. And they never know what they hit because nothing was visible on the surface. But below the surface is a container fallen off of a ship during a storm, though not visible is still close to the surface. This is the most popular guess as to what these folks have hit something out in the ocean with thousands of feet below them.

In all these scenarios your character only need say: "I don't know what caught the net, maybe a sunken container, maybe a shoal, maybe a sunken boat. I don't know what is going on."

[Alisske]

I commercially fished lobster boats growing up and through college the most dangerous thing on commercial loster boats is getting caught in the lines and being dragged over board.

My job, always being the least senior, was to be in the back of the boat, taking the traps back (there are lines of 8-12 pots on each “string” of pots.) that sit on the tunnels of the boat. In between each of the pots sitting on the gunnels, there is anywhere from 50-200 feet of line attaching the posts together. Depending on the depth, there is another 250foot line on the lead and last pot on the line that runs to the surface. With a 10 pot string with 100 feet between pots, that’s 1500 feet of line flaked all over the back of the boat, with the ropes typically under a few inches of water to obscure the view. (See graphic for what a sting of pots looks like)

When you want to put the pots back in the water, the captain will “lay a course” and yell “pots in” when we are all lined up. At that point, I would throw the surface line and bouy n the water and then push the first pot over and try to stay the hell out of the other pots and lines when they naturally ripped off the deck into the water. Depending on how busy we were, or how shitty the seas were, sometimes they would be ripping off the deck fast.

Now with all that line flakes underwater on the deck, the rolling seas, and being on 15 hour shifts, it was a real joy. And I personally have known local friend who was pulled of deck and no one has seen him since. Not a godamn sound out of him. Just gone. The captain turned around and he was gone with the string. It happens and everyone is constantly thinking about it,, no matter how many years you work on the boat

That being said, you plot will certainly involve rope and the fact of how godamn dangerous it is on any boat, lmao. It could be as simple as one of the other hands simply flaking a line “behind” the stern guy without him noticing it. If you wanted to be dramatic and have them show up in the trawl net, well, that’s a plot option too. That would be a horrible way to go, get drown and battered around at 3-4 knots. And engine that knows anything about trawls realizes once your in that net, your not coming out. Game over.

Just my 2cents.

[Alisske]

[OldDan1943]

Snag a small Russian submarine in the nets, in US waters. Espionage?

[NCheaven]

Timing and location are everything. Whatever “accident” you choose, have it happen off of Cape Hatteras, or running the bar on a Pacific inlet, etc.

[kthoennes]

Commercial or recreational, it's still a boat either way. No sabotage is necessary, just stand still for five minutes and something vital will spontaneously break.

[Rich wilmer]

Just get the net stuck on something submarine sunken boat rock my cuz got snared when one of our own sub went thru the fishing grounds ,got pulled backwards almost sunk till he cut rope followed the sub back to san San Diego to get his net back and was promptly arrested! (CAPAZ) NEW PORT BEACH

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
I don't think Mr. A-25 is with us any longer. Perhaps he's not making a comedy...