Hmm… the more I research….
… the more I end up wanting to change my chapter.
Discovering that a research vessel that could carry a bathyscaphe or an MIR (a bathysphere is old tech, from what I’m reading) would have to be the size of a cargo ship, and therefore less likely to capsize, has been a bit of a blow. Even a smaller research vessel is longer, wider, and much sturdier than the yacht that encountered the waterspout IRL. It also has a much bigger crew: 12 scientists and 14 crew members. I think I’d have to go with something lighterweight and smaller in the beam to have it capsize. But there’s a catch–a “BNF” has written a rescue using a yacht that capsizes in a storm during a race, and her rather rabid cronies will jump on anyone who dares to use even the same venue she does in her one and only WIP. Bluegrass found that out, much to her shock and outrage.
I think I may have a way around it: the boat is a catamaran, it’s on a shakedown cruise, and of course, the waterspout. I think the venue would be different, too, though I can’t be sure. I refuse to reread her story and find out. But it probably won’t keep her cronies from yelling “Foul!”… that is, if they’re even reading my stuff. (I think they are, just to keep track of me. Paranoia? Probably.)
Y’know, I think I’m going to go with it. It’s been years since I read the BNF’s story; and though I remember some of the details, I don’t remember them all – just “yacht, race, storm, capsize, Alan gets badly injured”. I’m doing what I can to make this as different as possible from hers, and truthfully, I think the waterspout idea is original. If her watchdogs pounce on me, so be it. I am not plagiarizing her idea; I’m using my own and altering it as I do my homework for it. Besides, Alan’s not even involved in this since it’s a movie fic… yeah. I’m going with it.
Let the chips (potato or otherwise) fall where they may.