How to get great picture of your boat while sailing!

Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
The Mavic is a nice drone but the short legs really do make retrieval tricky, virtually impossible on a moving platform. I have the DJI Phantom 3 and it has longer legs to grab out of the air. I have not tried takeoff or landing when under sail. I have done it plenty from other power boats and from my sailboat under power. I did this about 5 years ago for my friend Mellissa whom some of you might know from Sailnet. That was with my Phantom 2 which now "sleeps with the fishes", I think it had a battery go wonky and decided to land ASAP.

 
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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
I agree that you could not drive and fly simultaneously. Also, my trimaran has copious deck space well away from the shrouds, but I would still not attempt a deck landing.
I do not see a great way to do a deck landing on a moving object. I did see someone who flew into a catch net. It stops the drone, but I think any drone would suffer motor damage eventually. They aren’t like RC nitro engines. They are electric. I think they would keep trying to turn.

I would also take pictures in a place where you can stay on a tack for more than 5 minutes. Having to tack the boat is stressful while flying.

Also, I do not see that you would ever need to do a RTH. Still, you should set the parameters in case of an emergency. The drone has redundant systems, so in the case of failure, it will try to RTH per the parameters you set.
As far as chopping off fingers... I have hand landed my Mavic many times and never come close to the blades. I fly mine to about 2 ft in front of me, reach up and grab it as I shut off the motor. You can also shut off the motor before you grab it if you are really not sure. Hold your hand under it, shut it down, and it will sit right in your hand.
If you grab it while it is running, according to the program parameters, it may try to maintain its last position after you grab it. This will cause it to throttle up, so you should not attempt this if you cannot lift 3 lbs. Yes. 3 lbs. That is all this drone can pull. Think you can handle it? If it still scares you, just attach longer landing gear to give you greater space. I have never needed it.
The drone is just plain stable, rock solid in the air. They require practice to pilot, but the nicest feature is that, if you get confused, just drop the sticks, let’em go! The drone stops and hovers immediately.
That is a lot nicer than my old RC Hots that would continue in the attitude and direction it was flying when you drop the sticks... til it disappears... or hits the ground. For the record, neither ever happened. I did cream an Aerostar 60 during a balloon-pop contest! Parts and pieces.... that’s all I got back!
Also, there are about 2 sailboats in the world that could outfly this drone! And I am going to guess no one here has one! It’ll go around 42 mph in sport mode. I have never needed that for photography.
Oh, and the picture quality is good enough that my avatar photo is on my wall... in 12 x 24 mounted to foam backing, printed by Shutterfly. It is clear! This was not a shot I intended for print, or I would have flown from inside the cabin instead of standing on deck. I have photos of my 16 ft center console at 32 mph that are wonderfully clear.
The software is infinitely programmable, even hackable to the extent that people do crazy stuff.
Fly into a shroud? It would not hurt the shroud... OR this drone! The props fold... THE PROPS FOLD... look on YouTube... this drone is robust. I flew mine into my mailbox... it did not leave a scratch on either the drone, the props, or the mailbox... just my ego!
The drone’s sensors can be useful, or they can be a pain. However, you can program them or shut them off. Just use some sense, learn how to use it, and have fun. Think of your flight profile BEFORE you take off, and you will program the drone accordingly.
All that said, I would always have the drone, AND the boat, in the hands of competent pilots!
Frankly, if flying this drone seems hard, what the hell are you doing on a sailboat?!! Better get a powerboat right away!
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
It’s not about flying the drone, except that it will not go 42 sideways, which we should not forget is what’s required to get a “boat profile” shot, and the issue is the start and stop segments. While there are some that could get shots of the rail in the water, there aren’t many, and your average compact, folding prop versions could not likely keep up with that kind of demanding environment.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Since you reference the 42 mph in my post, I will respond.

Particularizing the inability to capture a specific shot to deprecate the platform is not helpful to the average user. There are plenty of great shots available. This is about the average flyer taking better than average shots that cannot be taken in another way, not whether it could take the shot in the one post, which was probably not footage from any drone, let alone a Mavic. If it was a drone, it was not one the average sailor or buyer would own. I do not know why 42 mph factors into any photographic equation with the average, 7-10 mph sailboat.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Since the Mavic is the reference standard in this discussion, and the picture Clay put up was clearly a very very fast boat with the rail firmly in the drink, it's safe to assume for discussion purposes that the reference standard is not a nice calm "wow look at that blue sky" day, but a balls to the wall, lets get that shot of the spray off the bow scenario. Yes the Mavic can do something like 42, forward, in sport mode. Is that apparent or true wind? The camera can be tilted up and down, not side to side. If you want that shot as indicated in the picture, the discussion standard, the drone would at the least be side slipping, if not outright sideways, and that's gonna shave huge speed, not to mention require incredible concentration to navigate.
I just don't think that the "action" shots that people may be thinking of are attainable with these little critters, unless you are very lucky enough to be hovering in the right place at the right time.
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
The last Volvo Ocean Race used drones on some boats. These boats sail up to 30 knots. Here's one that is probably sailing over 20 knots and, although I wouldn't say he truly "stuck" the landing, it was successful.
They really get some awesome footage.
SV Delos (youtube channel) flies their drone while sailing sometimes although they did loose one. So yes, it is possible to fly a drone and retrieve it from a sailboat at speed but there is some risk of loosing the drone. They all seem to have a separate catcher, doing it all by yourself would certainly add to the challenge.
 
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Apr 21, 2014
184
Hunter 356 Middle River, MD
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.
View attachment 162456 View attachment 162458
Bill, I see your second picture made it to Sail magazine page 8 for April.
Nice job...
Jeff
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Taking a picture your boat, don't forget to zoom. Include a sense of place in the photo when you can.

I see many boats photographed on these forums and I see addresses in the profiles, but I have no sense of what most of your sailing grounds are like.
Skye.jpg

Above is an anchorage off Isle of Skye on the Western coast of Scotland(found on FB Sailing Scotland, group).

Fantastic place but I get a chill imagining being anchored there. You can almost hear the bagpipes.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
How much of that beach goes away when the tide comes in?
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
How much of that beach goes away when the tide comes in?
The mean tidal range there is around 12 to 15 feet. A few feet more than it is here. You can see the Ochre colored ring of Rockweed so it must be near low water. The anchorage looks to be a deep basin with not much beach.

There are vastly different photos to take during the day with a sizable tidal range. Below at LW,

5-6 hours later, this shot would be nearly all water.

Anchorage?3 (1 of 1).jpg

This shot below at LW, would be all water up to the tree line in the background. The tiny figure walking would be completely submerged.

This trick has been abused for over a century for selling waterfront property on our coast.

Maine lunar_.jpg
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Composition: For me, it can be worthwhile to use the photographers 'Rule of Thirds' to compose my shot.

Basically you mentally divide the frame into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Place your subject(s) on the lines or at intersections.

I often fall into placing my subject in the middle. Sometimes that best but if you think of this old standby guide, you might find a better shot.

This rule allows you creative control over the strong elements, boat, water, shoreline, in your photo.

The example below has the person on an intersection but also the foreground along the lower third. No doubt this gives the person more presence as the viewer of the vast background.



I wanted the morning sky in this shot to overwhelm the boats.
Morning commute.jpg


'Rules were meant to broken', who said that? Good advice too.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Tom. Not so sure you violated the rule. What was the intent. Capture the dawn light or the boats in the image. Your picture breaks the light variation in to approximately thirds vertically. With the horizon light in the lower third, and the dark receding night in the upper third.

I like the composition.
 
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Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
This first picture, we had just bought the boat two days before. No boom vang, undersized mainsheet and motor not working. "Who cares, the breeze is from the South and we've got canvas, let's go!" The selfie was originally taken to enter in a contest at West Marine for a $200 coupon which we actually ended up winning! Fun times.


This is what NOT to do. Don't take a picture of your computer screen like my mom did two years ago...

Would've been a good picture, except that now it looks like it was taken in 1984 when the boat was built. :)