How to get great picture of your boat while sailing!

Jan 8, 2015
360
MacGregor 26S, Goman Express 30 Kerr Reservoir
For me, being in the right place at the right time is what it's all about. The camera is always hanging on the helm grab rail. Most shots are with a Canon T6i with a 55 to 250 zoom, it stays on auto. Sometimes, I don't even look through the lens, I just point the camera in the general direction of the shot while I'm steering. These photos are from races this winter on Galveston Bay.
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Bill,
That "Sailing Scene" in the second picture looks familiar. I'm sure I've seen it somewhere before.
 
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pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Nice picture Chip... So you travel from boat to boat to share an adult beverage with your neighbor on the other side of the circle. Did anyone try to race?
No races, but a lot of walking and swimming from boat to boat, and other shenanigans.
53169424_1438603599607126_2775628262921994240_o.jpg

53596191_10205225268708750_4275961064987820032_n.jpg Circle Swim.jpg

Also saw the best use for a SUP stand up board yet.

SUP BAR.jpg


From the overhead pic, you can see that all the dinks are together in the center.

53016205_1438603562940463_4673551195510407168_n.jpg


At 6:00 we gather for floating hors d'oeuvres or as we call it "Dink Drink and Dine" See short video below.

 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
There are boat pictures and then there are BOAT pictures. This is a BOAT picture.

Of course it helps if you can arrange for a helicopter to follow your foiling Figaro 3 around. Which leads me to drones. I keep thinking about picking up a Spark. Anyone use drone for sailing pics?
liot-2.jpg
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
The drone idea is interesting. I have seen drones following hikers. I think Go-Pro was manufacturing one with stabilization and would follow a person using a clipped on tracker. It might be an issue to get a drone to follow you with all the spray and speed for very long. Would need a pretty big battery and a strong signal. Or a float on the drone as the boat ran away from it.

yes... Here is a link to their "Follow" mode.
https://gopro.com/help/articles/block/how-does-karma-s-follow-auto-shot-path-work
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Which leads me to drones. I keep thinking about picking up a Spark. Anyone use drone for sailing pics?
Yes, in fact I think I saw some here of a skipper in the Gulf Islands doing some nice shots.
I also recall new relatively new Geico or State Farm ad showing a car windshield being smashed by driving into a drone.
Sooner or later, if not already, those damn things are going to start taking each other out! :)
 
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Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
I have a drone the Mavic Pro, still learning to fly it, the problem I see is actually retrieving, land base if you lose sight of the drone or become disoriented as to which direction its heading you can hit the home button and it will return to exact location it left from, which is not possible for a moving boat. It also has proximity sensors on the bottom landing on a pitching deck is not an option, to hand catch is also a trick. I sport mode you can turn these sensor off, as far as keeping up the Mavic will fly up to 40 mph in sport mode so that would not be an issue, it has a claimed range of 5 miles if I remember correctly. The hard part of flying is flying by watching the screen (phone or tablet) they have quite the control counsel as well, takes some real getting used to.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Sailing a performance boat and flying a drone at the same time would be true multitasking behavior.
 
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Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Boy you got the right, the hand eye required to fly the drone then throw in the mastery of flying the ship..... e gads batman.....
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
I have a Mavic Pro. It is a great drone. I have found that hand catching it is really the easiest way to land. I have made a few nice videos of slow sailing days and a couple scenic videos on Seneca Lake as well as a video of my 16 ft center console on the lake. We got lots of good angles and altitudes.
As far as keeping track of the drone from a moving boat, there is a return track on the map inset and two “Return To...” modes: Return to Home (takeoff point) and Return to “You” (where the controller is). If you fly out of sight, you can fly back down the return track on the map inset. However, if the boat has moved, your default return track will not bring you back over your boat, but to the gps coordinate from which you took off. You can change this to track the controller, so you always return to a position over where you are.
If you forget this, there will be a tense moment in which you think the drone should be overhead, but you do not see it.
The “Return To...” functions relate to the “RTH” button on the screen and controller. Pressing the button will cause the drone to activate a prescribed climb, a turn, and a flight back to “home,” which defaults to a gps takeoff location. It is very accurate, like within inches in my experience.

Additionally, using a launch / landing pad helps the drone find its exact takeoff point for landing. The drone actually takes a picture of the spot from which it took off, so giving it a few moments to hover after takeoff is smart, although not necessarily an option on a boat.
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
I sold my Mavic Pro. Virtually impossible to counteract the software for launch and retrieve on the boat. You can not do both, drive and fly. You'll never get a shot like Jackdaw posted above. The drone could not possibly keep up, and how you gonna land it?
Not to mention the fact that the camera in the Mavic is a marketers dream, and in reality, not very good at all.
Just my 2c
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
All of the "return to" options are of little value when there's a mast and stainless wire involved, and a moving platform. The body of the Mavic is not big enough on that kind of platform for me to even think about hand catching it. There's less than 2" between those nice spinning blades and a finger amputation. No thanks. Not worth the risk.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
All of the "return to" options are of little value when there's a mast and stainless wire involved, and a moving platform. The body of the Mavic is not big enough on that kind of platform for me to even think about hand catching it. There's less than 2" between those nice spinning blades and a finger amputation. No thanks. Not worth the risk.
That was always my concern. I have a HS buddy that flew FA/18s for the Navy. He told that the moment after you catapulted off and were safely airborne, the first thought that went through your head was "Now I have to land this thing back there".
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Sailing a performance boat and flying a drone at the same time would be true multitasking behavior.
I keep my eye open for the right drone to come along, but it will have to have pretty good “follow me” software and be water proof for when you don’t stick the landing to be any good for filming a race, operated from a boat in the race.
For now, at some races they launch a drone from an anchored trawler. I think it’s a DVI phantom, older, but still a good drone. I get lucky and get in their video sometimes.
Here’s their video from the last race:
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
it would be easy to adapt a drone for sailboat landing. attach a 6' lite rod/carbon fiber tube and use as a grab. easy peezy :)
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
i've been flying RC planes for 59 years. drones are stupid easy
practice practice practice
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
it would be easy to adapt a drone for sailboat landing. attach a 6' lite rod/carbon fiber tube and use as a grab. easy peezy :)
Most, Mavic included, drones now have stupid user software and downward facing range finding and obstacle detection.
The Mavic specifically is “flying” 3’ up. To land it, you have to initiate the sequence and it does a few measurements first. All of that takes time. On a moving boat, too much in my opinion, unless you grab it, literally fight the softwares somewhat immediate response to perceived danger( read, full throttle) and use that free hand to move two controls on the controller to do what amounts to a panic shutdown.
If somebody else is driving the boat, somebody is catching the drone, and you’re both intimately familiar with what can happen, carry on.
It might be worth it if the camera was that good, which it isn’t, and at the end of the day, the volume of useable footage probably won’t equate to the cost/benefit. We sure didn’t see it.
Looks great IF you luck into it.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Drones do give pretty pictures. I can see how one could be enticed to attempt the takeoff, photo and land the bugger.

It is a risk reward proposition.
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
A local photographer has been posting drone shots of our harbor. A drone gives you a whole new eye to explore. This reminds me of peanut brittle. Ice free today, temperatures were pushing 50 degrees!!!

 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
That was always my concern. I have a HS buddy that flew FA/18s for the Navy. He told that the moment after you catapulted off and were safely airborne, the first thought that went through your head was "Now I have to land this thing back there".
"Take offs are optional. landings are mandatory." o_O

I guess if your "risk/reward" proposition accepts the real possibility of loosing the drone, and/or a few fingers, then by all means go for it. I do have a drone, and have gotten a few really nice shots, but only on very light wind days and only when I have an alternate LZ (landing zone) other than the boat. floating swim platforms or a nearby island etc. those spinning props are no joke to mess around with.
 
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